ORLANDO, Fla.—Eight TV stations in Orlando Florida have launched NextGen TV broadcasts, expanding the number of viewers who can get ATSC 3.0 signals in central Florida.
Along with Little Rock Arkansas, it was the second market to introduce NextGen TV services on July 1 before the long holiday weekend.
Orlando, which is the nation’s 17th largest television market, joins Tampa, Tallahassee, and Pensacola in central Florida and nearly 30 other early-adopter cities across the country where NextGen TV services are already available.
“With NextGen TV, viewers are immersed in stunning video with brilliant color, sharper images, and deeper contrast, making them feel like they’re part of the action,” explained Mike McClain, senior vice president and general manager of WOFL-TV, WRBW-TV, and WOGX-TV. “Offering a whole new dimension to broadcast TV viewing, the Dolby Audio System for NextGen TV offers movie-theater quality sound, consistent volume across channels, and Voice + enhanced dialogue so viewers can hear every voice clearly.”
The eight local stations launching the new digital TV broadcast technology are Fox Television owned-and-operated WRBW-TV (MyNetwork, Channel 65) and WOFL-TV (FOX, Channel 35), Cox Media Group’s WFTV-TV (ABC, Channel, 9) and WRDQ-TV (Independent, Channel, 27), Graham Media Group’s WKMG-TV (CBS, Channel 6), Hearst Television’s WESH-TV (NBC, Channel 2) and WKCF-TV (CW, Channel 18), and University of Central Florida’s WUCF-TV (PBS, Channel 24).
“Viewers in Orlando have a lot to be excited about, as NextGen TV is going to change the way they experience live broadcast television, and it will only get better as more features are added down the road by their local stations,” said John Soapes, president and general manager of WESH-TV. “NextGen TV ensures the future of television, where content and the experience of watching culminates, leaving viewers informed, entertained, and inspired.”
Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, the group that is coordinating NextGen TV station launches added, “NextGen TV merges over-the-air TV with the internet, changing the way viewers watch live broadcast television and revolutionizing their interactions with their home screens. Because NextGen TV can also be enhanced with internet content, viewers across central Florida will be able to get the most out of live news, live events, and live sports.”
The participating stations have worked together to ensure current programming remains available to all viewers, regardless of whether their television service is provided over-the air or by a cable or satellite company. Antenna viewers can simply rescan their TV sets to ensure full service.
Viewers can learn more about NextGen TV by visiting www.watchnextgentv.com, which offers a guide to cities carrying the service, as well as links to available NextGen TV models.
Click here for a map and list of where NextGen TV is now deployed.
