LAS VEGAS — Add a Guangdong-headquartered electronics company partially owned by the People’s Republic of China to the list of manufacturers of NEXTGEN TV-capable receivers now available to consumers in the U.S.
TCL is now a participant in the gradual shift of American broadcast TV consumption from ATSC 1.0-delivered signals to those powered by ATSC 3.0, which bring much-touted audio and visual improvements to viewers.
New TCL models will be coming to market in 2024; an exact date was not announced.
TCL is a “Fast Track” partner of Pearl TV and the Pearl Network Consortia, and it joins a growing NEXTGEN TV receiver retail marketplace comprised of upward of 100 models from brands including Hisense, LG Electronics, Samsung and Sony.
With an expanding upgrade accessory device market and broadcasters poised to reach 75% of U.S. households before mid-February, with the pending launch of NEXTGEN TV signals in Chicago, Pearl TV is excited for what will likely be a breakthrough 2024 for a technology some still may believe is the video version of HD Radio — arguably a flop across its first 20 years of availability in the U.S. due to its in-band, on-channel distribution. NEXTGEN TV, however, is linked to ATSC 3.0, which can potentially bring new revenue through broadcast internet capabilities already in beta testing.
On the eve of CES 2024, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) issued industry projections that show sales of NEXTGEN TV receivers are expected to increase 45% over 2023 sales. While television receivers are currently the primary access to NEXTGEN TV channels and content, consumers are also accessing NEXTGEN TV service using an antenna, which, according to the latest research from the CTA, home antenna use is now at 25% of U.S. households.
Consumers are also leveraging upgrade accessory receivers for NEXTGEN TV, too. Options from ADTH (now available at Walmart.com), Stavix, Zapperbox and Zinwell, range from $90-250 and will be available for demonstration at CES 2024, at the ATSC booth.
“ATSC is delighted to have more than two dozen broadcasters, technology companies, and networks supporting our CES exhibit this year,” said Madeleine Noland, President of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). “South Korea and Jamaica are both on-air with ATSC 3.0. Trinidad & Tobago will transition in 2025. Both Brazil and India are evaluating ATSC 3.0 as a technology that can handle different technological challenges, and discussions are underway in a number of other countries that are looking for the most flexible broadcast system that easily adapts to changing needs and behaviors,” Noland added.”
Noland added that NEXTGEN TV market launches in San Diego and Tucson are forthcoming.
ATSC is exhibiting in booth 19744 of the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES 2024. ATSC exhibit sponsors include Dolby, A3SA, Alticast, Amlogic, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, LG, MediaTek, Public Media Venture Group, Rohde & Schwarz, music-focused Roxi, Samsung, Sony, Stavix, Advanced HDR by Technicolor, Televes, Zapperbox, Zinwell, and television networks ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
Additionally, at CES Saankhya Labs is announcing several new TV accessories, powered by the company’s demodulator. Saankhya is working closely with the government of India for a nationwide rollout of Direct-to-Mobile video services that would utilize ATSC 3.0.
Then, there is Sinclair Inc., which has taken the driver’s seat on NEXTGEN TV rollout in the U.S. It will showcase the capabilities of ATSC 3.0 to deliver advanced and personalized audio services to the automobile, highlighting the mobile capability of the broadcast standard.
A Nexus Connect exhibit features a dynamic marketplace ecosystem where industry players come together, discover exciting new intelligent applications and services, and deliver immersive, interactive, and personalized television experiences to viewers.
— With reporting by Adam Jacobson in Boca Raton, Fla.