With the next-generation broadcast television standard (Next Gen) nearing completion, ONE Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group hosted an event for "validation and verification" compatibility testing of the ATSC 3.0 digital TV standard.
The testing took place in Hunt Valley, Maryland in the United States with transmissions originating from Sinclair's Channel 43 in Baltimore.
Plug Fest 2016 was a gathering of engineers and industry professionals from around the world with the goal of solidifying a common understanding of the major ATSC 3.0 connectivity and interoperability specifications.
The purpose of the tests was to verify that modulators and demodulators can operate satisfactorily when connected together using the new standard. Participants focused on the functional validation tests, rather than on competing equipment.
The new ATSC 3.0 standard uses IP-based, over-the-air signals to deliver Ultra High-Definition, mobile TV, HDTV, standard-definition TV and new IP business opportunities.
Currently in development and expected to be ratified as a full standard this year, the Next Gen platform opens new avenues for broadcasters to offer wireless IP-based content, advanced advertising, cached content for later playback, and advanced emergency alerting with far more comprehensive information than today's text alerts.
The essential piece of the ATSC 3.0 Standard's base Physical Layer, the so-called "Bootstrap" or System Discovery and Signaling element, is expected to be approved as a full standard by the end of this month. The testing performed at Plug Fest was essential to proving the system capabilities.