Sinclair and Nexstar are beginning a coordinated consumer campaign across 13 television markets to explain NextGen TV—an acknowledgment that deploying new broadcast technology is not the same as helping viewers understand or use it.
NextGen TV is the consumer name for the Advanced Television Systems Committee 3.0 broadcast standard, commonly shortened to ATSC 3.0. The companies say the campaign will combine on-air promotion with digital and social material explaining compatible televisions, market availability and potential improvements in picture, sound and interactive services.
Nexstar stations will participate in Cleveland, Ohio; Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Tampa, Florida; Portland, Oregon; Buffalo, New York; and Denver, Colorado. Sinclair will participate in Las Vegas, Nevada; Columbus, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; Baltimore, Maryland; Seattle, Washington; and Washington, D.C.
THE CONSUMER GAP
Broadcasters have spent years discussing ATSC 3.0 deployment, datacasting, targeted emergency information, mobile reception and improved video. Viewers face a more basic set of questions: Does my television receive it? Do I need a new antenna? Is the service free? Which channels are available where I live?
The campaign directs viewers to GoNextGenTV.com for compatible-device and market information. Sinclair says the new effort builds on a consumer-education test conducted in Columbus this summer.
Neither company disclosed detailed results from that test in the announcement. If the campaign is intended to prove that education increases adoption, broadcasters should release measurable information about awareness, receiver purchases, viewing and support requests.
WHAT RNN WILL TEST
- How easily a viewer can determine whether a television includes an ATSC 3.0 tuner
- Whether an existing antenna can receive the new signal
- Which features work without an internet connection
- Whether digital-rights controls prevent recording on some devices
- How NextGen channels compare with the existing broadcast in the same home
- What happens when a viewer needs technical support
The campaign matters because the transition remains voluntary and conventional broadcasts continue alongside NextGen TV. Consumers should not be left with the impression that every advertised feature is available in every market, on every station or on every compatible set.
EDUCATION MUST INCLUDE LIMITATIONS
A useful campaign will explain both benefits and requirements in ordinary language. It should distinguish over-the-air improvements from services that depend on broadband, identify devices that actually work and help viewers understand why two stations in the same market may offer different capabilities.
The industry has devoted significant engineering effort to building NextGen TV. The next test is whether viewers see enough practical value to seek it out.