LG is dropping ATSC 3.0 from its TVs next year
A picture of two LG TVs at CES 2022. | Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeLG told the FCC it’s pulling support for the ATSC 3.0 standard in its TVs next year because of a “challenging and uncertain...
JimMin
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LG told the FCC it’s pulling support for the ATSC 3.0 standard in its TVs next year because of a “challenging and uncertain patent landscape,” according to LightReading (via ZatzNotFunny). ATSC 3.0, aka Nextgen TV, is the next-generation broadcast format that would bring 4K TV and advanced video and audio formats like HDR and Dolby Atmos, as well as interactive apps, for free.
As we wrote about the standard in 2017:
ATSC 3.0 is the next major version of the broadcast TV format. (Version 2.0 was intended as a backward compatible update that was eventually canceled in favor of the more significant 3.0 update.) Where ATSC 1.0 added digital technology and HD video, ATSC 3.0 is planned to be an IP-based (internet protocol) system. It’s still an over-the-air system, but it’s built on the same protocols as most internet technology, making it possible to easily view broadcast TV on modern connected devices. It’ll be a huge change in the technology that’s underlying our TV systems, and it should greatly expand the capabilities of broadcast TV.
The rollout for ATSC 3.0 has been slowly moving along ever since. Some of the most popular budget brands like Vizio and TCL have refused to support it, and broadcasts still don’t cover the whole of the country.
LG’s decision follows its patent fight loss with a company that holds multiple ATSC 3.0 patents. LG “strongly” urged the FCC to look at how certain companies that own ATSC-related patents but don’t commit to reasonable and non-discriminatory, or RAND, terms can have what it calls a “chilling” effect on companies in bringing “advanced technologies” to market.
If you want a TV with ATSC 3.0 support, options include Sony’s A90K OLED, LG’s own G2, along with certain TVs from Hisense and Samsung.
