At the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Advanced HDR by Technicolor announced that seven public television stations have implemented ATSC 3.0 technology, now enhanced with Advanced HDR by Technicolor. The stations include:

• Maryland Public Television (MPT)
• Baltimore WPTD
• Dayton, Ohio WXXI
• Rochester, NY PBS Reno
• Reno, Nevada Nebraska Public Media (Omaha)
• Nashville PBS
• KBTC, Tacoma, Washington

This deployment marks a significant milestone for public broadcasters, who were initially left out of channel sharing agreements during the early stages of the ATSC 3.0 rollout in major markets.

Currently, more than 150 ATSC 3.0 channels and services are broadcasting with Advanced HDR by Technicolor. According to Ling Ling Sun, Vice President of Technology at Maryland Public Television, the backward compatibility of this HDR technology allows public broadcasters to enhance picture quality without creating barriers for viewers. “The Advanced HDR by Technicolor solution aligns perfectly with the mission of public TV. It does not require additional bandwidth or parallel transmissions, enabling us to improve over-the-air television, reconnect with our audience, and reinforce the value of free, universally accessible public media,” Sun said.

Public TV stations are undergoing rapid technological transformation. Nebraska Public Media recently launched the nation’s first Broadcast Enabled Streaming TV (BEST) channel, offering Full HD (1080p) hybrid over-the-air and broadband transmission with Advanced HDR by Technicolor. This channel is available as a virtual broadcast channel on connected TVs or via the internet. Nebraska Public Media has also introduced a customized RUN3TV-based Broadcaster Application on its BEST channel, integrating linear programming, on-demand content, and interactive services within a single IP-native interface. Maryland Public Television is in the process of acquiring a license for the RUN3TV app.

Rick Dumont, Head of Business Development for Advanced HDR by Technicolor, highlighted the benefits for viewers: “With single stream transmission, consumers with HDR-enabled TVs, receivers, or conversion boxes can enjoy public media content with enhanced contrast and vibrant colors. Those with standard dynamic range (SDR) TVs still receive high-quality SDR content from the same transmission, ensuring no disruption.”

The adoption of ATSC 3.0 with Advanced HDR by Technicolor represents a major infrastructure upgrade for public media. This technology enables public TV stations to deliver both hybrid over-the-air and over-the-top services, supporting the long-term sustainability of free television in HDR. Dumont added, “Public TV stations are innovating rapidly and helping to shape the future of television.”

Disclaimer: This article has been auto-generated from a syndicated RSS feed and has not been edited by Vitrina staff. It is provided solely for informational purposes on a non-commercial basis.