LAS VEGAS—LG Electronics is demonstrating a new wireless network antenna designed to receive and process ATSC 3.0 television broadcast signals and redistribute them via Wi-Fi throughout the home to connected devices such as smart TVs, tablets, laptop computers and smartphones.
After a two-year development process, the company is demonstrating the 3.0 smart antenna for the first time at the NAB Show. It is a featured product in the “ATSC 3.0 Consumer Experience” exhibit, co-hosted by the NAB, the Consumer Technology Association and the Advanced Television Systems Committee.
The ATSC 3.0 wireless network antenna is based on an LG-developed unidirectional antenna array with electronic steering logic designed to optimize indoor reception. LG is integrating a chip-based ATSC 3.0 tuner-demodulator with the antenna, which can be placed anywhere in a home—the attic, in a window, in a closet—wherever reception is best.
The steerable network antenna is coupled with a network interface to communicate with the in-home WiFi router to allow connected devices to blend ATSC 3.0 signals and services with over-the-top Internet-delivered content. The Wireless Network Antenna also is designed to receive current ATSC 1.0 DTV transmissions and similarly route them to an array of consumer devices.
Development of the LG ATSC 3.0 wireless network antenna, which began in 2014, is a joint effort of LG’s Zenith R&D Lab in Lincolnshire, Ill., and the office of the Chief Technology Officer, LG Electronics, in Seoul, Korea.
Expected to redefine TV broadcasting for decades to come, the next-generation ATSC 3.0 broadcast television system is being designed to deliver 4K UHD services, robust reception on mobile devices and improved spectrum efficiency. LG and Zenith are key contributors to ATSC standards activities, including development of core technologies in the majority of the ATSC 3.0 Physical Layer transmission system.
