Platimum Tools Opening Day of CTA Technology & Standards Forum Sets Stage for Next-Generation TV, Audio

Today , the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) Technology & Standards Fall Forum opened with more than 170 consumer technology experts sharing information, developing industry guidelines and working to bring innovative technologies to consumers. The weeklong Forum kicked off with the publication of new guidelines to improve the capabilities of TV sets decoding ATSC 3.0 signals. The guidelines, CTA-CEB32.5, Recommended Practice for ATSC 3.0 Television Sets, Audio, recommend capability requirements for ATSC 3.0 audio devices to help improve the user-experience.

“ATSC 3.0 is the next generation over-the-air TV broadcast standard,” said Brian Markwalter, sr. vice president, research and standards, CTA. “It will, for the first time, merge over-the-air TV broadcasting with broadband connectivity in a manner designed to allow over-the-air TV broadcasters to offer hybrid broadcast/broadband services. Consumers will enjoy broadcasted content that is sharper, faster and more dynamic. Utilizing our standards process to ensure our tech devices are equipped to handle the many exciting benefits of next-gen TV is a critical step.”

ATSC 3.0, the first Internet Protocol-based over-the-air broadcast TV standard, has the potential to offer a wide array of features and services for consumers. Adoption of ATSC 3.0 will bring 4K Ultra HD and High Dynamic Range video, robust mobile and indoor reception, advanced emergency alert information and other innovations to broadcast television viewers across the United States. CTA’s Video Systems Committee expects to finalize additional guidelines, CTA-CEB32.4, Recommended Practice for ATSC 3.0 Television Sets, Video, in the near future to provide recommendations for how ATSC 3.0 TV receivers handle video.

CTA-CEB32.5 recommends several audio-device capabilities in order to support ATSC 3.0, including:

• In-home receivers able to handle at least 11 audio channels, including one 5.1 channel-based music and effects component, three dialog audio components and a stereo video description audio program component.
• Mobile receivers are able to decode one main audio stream and two auxiliary audio streams.
• All receivers feature dialogue normalization, which allows consumers to adjust volumes for a consistent audio level across different sources.

“ATSC 3.0 creates a multitude of new opportunities for broadcasters, TV manufacturers, and consumers,” said Wayne Luplow, vice president, Zenith R&D lab, LG Electronics, and chair of CTA’s Video Systems Committee. “ATSC 3.0’s integration of broadband capabilities with TV broadcasting, and the fact that it’s designed for both mobile and fixed environments, are very exciting. By making some recommendations for how TV set manufacturers might implement ATSC 3.0 in their products the Video Systems Committee hopes to help facilitate a consistently terrific experience for consumers as this technology rolls out.”

Other highlights at this week’s Forum include a collaboration with the National Science Foundation to improve sleep tracking technology and devices; a new project to set performance criteria for tech devices that measure the intensity of physical activity; industry-lead discussions to improve the performance quality of audio, video and multimedia content and devices; and a meeting of CTA’s Health & Fitness Technology Subcommittee to develop standards that improve the functionality of devices that measure consumer health, fitness and wellbeing. The full schedule is available at CTA.tech/Events.

CTA’s standards committees produce standards, guidelines and technical reports that help grow the consumer technology industry. All are welcome and encouraged to join any of these technology activities. For further information please visit standards.cta.tech.