Harmonic Powers ATSC 3.0 in Major Cities Across the U.S.

Harmonic announces growing momentum for its XOS software-based advanced media processing solution as ATSC 3.0 deployments across the U.S. Harmonic’s XOS software solution is powering NEXTGEN TV services in major designated market areas (DMAs) including Boston, Miami and San Francisco, enabling the delivery of ATSC 3.0 channels with greater bandwidth efficiency and enhanced video quality.

Teaming up with Pearl TV, a business organization comprised of more than 820 network-affiliated TV stations; BitPath, a broadcaster-owned venture focused exclusively on leveraging ATSC 3.0 to create new revenue streams for television broadcasters; and Heartland Video Systems, an industry-leading broadcast equipment supplier and system integrator, Harmonic is accelerating the adoption of the ATSC 3.0 standard.

“Launching NEXTGEN TV would not be possible without the innovation of technology providers like Harmonic and tight collaboration in the broadcast industry,” says Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV.

“NEXTGEN TV brings superior-quality, engaging and interactive television experiences to viewers,” says John Hane, president of BitPath. “We’re proud to be a part of these historical deployments with Harmonic.”

“Miami represents the first commercial deployment of an ATSC 3.0 virtual channel, where the signaling is conducted over the air and DASH content is delivered over the top through an origin server and CDN, a groundbreaking achievement,” says Dennis Klas, president of Heartland Video Systems. “When we work on ATSC 3.0 deployments, Harmonic’s XOS is always broadcasters’ top-choice media processing solution based on providing unparalleled video quality, feature set and bandwidth efficiency.”

Harmonic’s XOS advanced media processing solution leverages the same software stack at the core as Harmonic’s  VOS360 solution, delivering significant advantages for video streaming and broadcast delivery. Featuring a cloud-native software foundation, and next-gen media processing technology, XOS enables broadcasters to efficiently deliver ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 services simultaneously. In addition, XOS enhances ATSC 3.0 delivery through AI-powered video compression and quality optimization for any format up to 4K HDR, simplified SDR/HDR conversions, and flexible support of SDI, full-IP and uncompressed IP transport architectures.

“Supporting NEXTGEN TV delivery further strengthens Harmonic’s market leadership and confirms XOS software as the go-to solution for leading media companies and tier-1 service providers,” says Gil Rudge, senior vice president, video products and solutions, at Harmonic. “XOS now powers more than 200,000 premium-quality live broadcast and streaming channels globally.”