ATSC 2.0 is a new digital television standard that combines existing standards and integrates broadcast TV with internet and mobile devices. It enables superior video and audio quality. It allows viewers to access additional information related to the TV program from their mobile devices. It also allows viewing mobile device content on a TV and using a mobile device as a secondary screen. The standard facilitates integrating the worlds of digital TV and internet services.

1. FEATURE Digital Terrestrial TV - 2nd Level
ATSC 2.0
• combines various separate norms
and standards into one single suite
• puts all the existing tv viewing
features available nowadays into
one set
• merges all variations into one
• enables superior video and audio
quality
• new standard will replace current
one eventually
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2. FEATURE Digital Terrestrial TV - 2nd Level
A Marriage of Broadcast TV with
the Internet and Mobile Devices
Jacek Pawlowski
Nowadays all TV is digital, but with How many times you felt an impulse most and even the advertising will be
different standards in different regions. to check something on the Internet adjusted to your preferences. Sounds
In North America, the first standards when watching TV? How old is this a bit terrifying but it already works this
for digital terrestrial TV were published actor? In what film did I see him be- way on the Internet.
in the 1990s. Since then, these stand- fore? Are you among those ones who
ards have been updated a few times watch TV and surf Internet or chat with But the new ATSC 2.0 standard is not
and their recent versions are from friends at the same time? If so, imag- only about integrating TV broadcasts
2009, 2010 or 2011. The set of stand- ine a system that in parallel to the nor- and the Internet. Why not watch a con-
ards that we usually refer to as “ATSC” mal news coverage or political discus- tent stored on your phone on a large
actually consists of several tens of har- sions, sends additional data that you TV screen? It will not be a problem with
monized norms. The most fundamental might be interested in to your mobile the new standard. And the other way
one is “A/53: ATSC Digital Television device (smartphone/tablet). You are of- around: your smartphone will be able
Standard”. You can find the list of all fered the links you can click to to dig to act as a secondary screen providing
currently published A/xx standards on into more details on what is currently supplemental information to the cur-
the ATSC web site: www.atsc.org. presented on your flat screen TV. It is rently transmitted video and audio. It
sometimes called “Tell me more” ser- can also be used for other purposes like
However, advances in technology vice. Such extended information will be voting, buying and so on.
are so fast and the end user require- downloaded from the broadcaster‘s site
ments change that quickly that a mo- on the Internet and displayed either on We focused so far on the ways of
ment comes when the standardization your smartphone, Wi-Fi connected tab- watching TV but there are also exciting
body (in this case ATSC) comes to the let/laptop or on your TV-screen if you technical improvements like: advanced
conclusion that it is better to establish prefer to. video compression allowing transmit-
a new set of standards rather than in- ting even 1080P/60 Hz video over a 6
troduce small enhancements in the cur- So now assume that a ATSC 2.0 en- MHz channel (MPEG4), advanced audio
rent norms. There are simply too many abled TV-set is by matterr of course codecs, reception of ATSC M/H content
new things to be covered. connected to the Internet – this is in (normally dedicated for mobile devices)
fact one of the very basic assumptions on a fixed receiver, 3D television and
A new set of standards by ATSC is of the new system. But the additional advanced interactive services.
now being released. This new suite is content you might be interested in will
called simply ATSC 2.0. We will focus in not necessarily be downloaded from You might say that all these things
a moment on the novelties that are to the Internet after you demand it. The are already implemented here and
be covered by ATSC 2.0 but please note TV-set will be equipped with a storage there but remember that when propri-
that that does not mean that all the device (HDD, or flash memory) and the etary solutions get standardized, more
present standards will be thrown out. broadcaster can send some content and more producers start to implement
ATSC 2.0 will use some of the features before you might think of downloading them in their products. You do not have
that are already present in ATSC 1.0 it. Imagine that you are interested in a to reinvent the wheel or pay a fortune
but are not normative but optional. For new movie just advertised on TV. Your to the original pioneer. When the stand-
example: Advanced video codecs A/72 clever provider has already sent it to ards are out, the new features become
and A/73, Software download A/97 or the HDD of your TV-set. A new movie popular and affordable for a wide pub-
Conditional access A/70. Why is a new is just a click away from you. Can you lic.
standard needed? The simple answer resist it?
is: because the traditional simple lin- Today‘s modern digital TV receivers
ear broadcasting model “one-to-many” Who knows, maybe a future premi- already combine TV channels delivered
becomes more and more obsolete to- um movie channel will consist of the in various ways: satellite, cable, ter-
day. Although it is still the most effec- stream of advertisements offering you restrial, Internet. The normal user does
tive in moving the common content to movies to watch but not actually broad- not even know, or care, what the trans-
very large numbers of viewers, there casting them at a fixed schedule. It will mission media is. However, there is
are too many alternatives that attract be completely up to you what to watch no significant integration between the
the end user‘s attention. Today‘s cus- and when to watch. And because the world of digital TV and many services
tomer wants to watch what they want Internet connection is a two-way com- typical for the Internet domain. ATSC
and when they want. They require the munication, after some time the system 2.0 is a significant step toward combin-
technology to be as flexible as possible. will “learn” what kind of movies you like ing these two worlds.
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