NextGen TV, a revolutionary new digital broadcast technology, is now being broadcasted by leading television stations serving the Des Moines-Ames television market in Iowa starting today. Today’s launch includes KCCI (CBS), WHO-DT (NBC), KDSM-TV (FOX) and KDIN-TV (PBS).
What is NextGen TV?
Sometimes called ATSC 3.0, NextGen TV is the third generation of digital TV technology, and a giant technological step forward for TV watchers. When connected to the Internet, they can merge broadcast TV with content from broadband sources, meaning NextGen TV can be enhanced with Internet content to get the most out of life sports, news, and events, all in real time.
NextGen TV can support a wide range of features that are currently in development thanks to its fundamental technology, comparable to digital apps and the Internet. It provides a new and improved way for broadcasters to reach viewers with advanced emergency alerts, and also features stunning video with brilliant color, sharper images, and deeper contrast to make a more immersive experience.
Today’s launch in Des Moines follows after a decade of development and months of preparation by the city’s local stations. KDSM-TV has converted to ATSC 3.0 transmission and will broadcast its own programming, as well as the programming of other sister stations, only in NextGen TV format.
Bitpath, a renowned broadcast data network, steered the planning process forward and coordinated efforts across all four television stations listed above. The company is working to build the country’s first dedicated broadcast data network to provide innovative new services like BitPoint and NavPath at a fraction of the cost of other, more expensive systems.
From Harrisburg to Sacramento, NextGen TV service is already on air in more than 50 cities across the United States, Des Moines just being another city they’re able to check off the list. Des Moines viewers can learn more about NextGen TV by visiting www.WatchNextGenTV.com, which offers an intuitive guide listing cities currently carrying the revolutionary service, as well as links to available NextGen TV set models.