NAB 2024: NEXTGEN TV Expanding to Include Brilliant HDR, Enhanced Audio, and Innovative Applications to Enhance Viewing Choices, Music, Gaming, and Onscreen Commerce Delivered by Local Broadcasters

With NEXTGEN TV broadcasts now within reach of more than 240 million Americans and sales of televisions and upgrade accessory devices expected to top 5,000,000 units this year (according to the Consumer Technology Association), local TV broadcasters transmitting in NEXTGEN TV are ramping up to support High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and immersive audio as an “always on” viewer benefit.

Half (50%) of viewing households nationwide now have access to over-the-air broadcasts through NEXTGEN TV in High Dynamic Range, reaching a potential audience of 55 million homes.

Local station upgrades with HDR and enhanced audio will continue to roll out throughout this year, which coincides with the deployment of immersive audio. For example, Hearst Television’s WMOR-TV in Tampa and Gray Television’s WAVE-TV in Louisville are the first two stations to offer regular programming in Dolby Vision HDR with Dolby Atmos audio via NEXTGEN TV to their audiences, providing remarkable video and audio experiences for local viewers.

The addition of HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos by local stations and a growing variety of new applications sure to delight viewers will be showcased at the NAB Show that opens tomorrow, which brings together content creators and broadcasters who are focused on new ways to enhance broadcast television services. To learn more about HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos, visit the www.watchnextgentv.com consumer website.

“A picture will literally be worth a thousand words for the millions of viewers who own NEXTGEN TV receivers. Viewers will now have the opportunity to see what we’ve been talking about since this transition to NEXTGEN TV began – the power of local signals with High Dynamic Range to greatly enhance contrast and the range between the brightest and darkest parts of a scene” said Anne Schelle, managing director of the Pearl TV business group of broadcasters leading the transition to NEXTGEN TV, powered by ATSC 3.0 technology.

“More than 11 million viewers already own NEXTGEN TV receivers that can easily be connected to an antenna to receive enhanced HDR video. Thousands of viewers have also upgraded with upgrade accessory devices from to watch NEXTGEN TV channels in homes throughout the country,” Schelle added.

The HDR plans are among the announcements leading up to the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas (April 14-17), where Pearl and technology companies Velope, Play Anywhere, ROXi and GameLoop will also showcase new NEXTGEN TV applications designed to expand interest in local broadcast offerings – especially when paired with the RUN3TV web platform that allows local stations to offer their local news, weather, and sports content on demand.

RUN3TV Opens Door to Interactive Universe

Pearl will be exhibiting at the 2024 NAB Show in the ATSC Booth in West Hall (3056) of the Las Vegas Convention Center, showcasing the RUN3TV application platform and a suit of new services that RUN3TV makes possible. With nearly 100 local stations deploying RUN3TV so far, the innovative platform gives viewers one-touch access to a favorite NEXTGEN TV station’s enhanced programming, including access to new features, news, weather, sports, and more delivered by local stations.

For broadcasters, Run3TV is a game-changer, making it easy to integrate essential and advanced features across various platforms, while also allowing for the customization of unique services and content. This platform enhances broadcasters’ ability to gather detailed viewership data, offering insights that help tailor content directly to viewer preferences. With Run3TV, broadcasters can not only provide seamless access to applications like ‘Start Over’ and advanced emergency alerts but also significantly improve content discovery and viewer engagement.

“The true benefit of RUN3TV for a viewer is a simple way to interact with a local station without having to search for a segment on another device or wait for a linear weather or sports report. For stations, RUN3TV offers insightful new audience data about consumer preferences from actual viewers. The powerful capabilities of the marriage of broadcast TV with an internet connection are realized with NEXTGEN TV and the RUN3TV platform,” Schelle said.

Key partners will be exhibiting with Pearl to showcase what Broadcast IP makes possible:

• Velope will demonstrate “Start Over,” which transforms linear broadcast TV viewing with DVR-lke functionality that gives the viewer the ability to restart programs from the beginning and then navigate using fast-forward and rewind controls.
• Play Anywhere is showcasing its Interactive Panel and Clearinghouse platform, that enables consumers to watch, play, bet and buy in real time on a first or second screen. Play Anywhere has unlocked the ability to drive new revenue through contextual sponsorship and interactivity for the NEXTGEN TV customer.
• GameLoop is highlighting games for free on your NEXTGEN TV. GameLoop is an innovative NEXTGEN TV channel for game discovery and free play, and a powerful demonstration of ATSC 3.0’s interactive broadcast IP capabilities.
• ROXi is the world’s first interactive music channel on broadcast TV. ROXi Music Video Channel, powered by FastStream. brings the interactivity of music app to broadcast TV. Viewers can pause, play and skip music videos for the first time on broadcast TV without downloading an app.

Pearl TV managing director Anne Schelle will participate in several key NAB Show panels.

• On Sunday, April 14, Schelle will moderate the “NEXTGEN TV: Merging Streaming and OTA for Unprecedented Reach” conversation in the West Hall CONNECT Zone Theater at 2:00PM Pacific and at 3:45PM Pacific moderate the “Monetizing the Future Today: A New Era of TV Service and Measurement Brought By NEXTGEN TV” panel at TVNewsCheck’s “Programming Everywhere” Conference at the Encore Hotel (Beethoven Room.)
• Monday, April 15, Schelle moderates the “How to Maximize Next Generation TV’s Content and Data Potential” panel in the West Hall of the LVCC in rooms W213-215 at 11:15AM Pacific.