Industry Insights: Where NextGen TV stands as deployment meets reality

NextGen TV is no longer a theoretical upgrade. Across local markets, ATSC 3.0 is moving from early experimentation into a more complex, uneven phase defined by infrastructure choices, receiver realities and unresolved business models.

In this first installment of our three-part Industry Insights roundtable, broadcast technology leaders examine where the rollout stands today and what “being live” actually means in operational terms.

The discussion explores why deployment has accelerated in some markets and stalled in others, how lighthouse models and IP-based architectures are shaping decisions and where gaps between transmission capability and real-world viewing persist.

As stations balance investment in ATSC 3.0 against legacy systems, this conversation frames the technical and strategic conditions that will determine whether NextGen TV evolves into a platform for growth or remains an incremental transition.

Key takeaways from this Industry Insights roundtable

• Uneven adoption persists: ATSC 3.0 is on-air in most markets, but progress varies widely due to infrastructure gaps, market size, and unclear return on investment.
• Transmission leads deployment: Broadcasters have largely built transmission infrastructure faster than consumer receiver adoption or premium content strategies.
• Receivers shape the business case: Limited penetration of ATSC 3.0-capable devices continues to constrain audience growth and monetization potential.
• IP workflows are central: Stations are favoring flexible, software-driven architectures that support both legacy and NextGen services in parallel.
• Advanced features remain constrained: UHD, HDR, interactivity and immersive audio are technically viable but operational and economic barriers slow broad activation.

How would you describe the current state of ATSC 3.0 deployment in local markets compared with a year ago?

Dan Pisarski, CTO, LiveU: What we see now is a deployment in most markets. Rarely have markets fully converted, but in a large number there are at least some ATSC 3.0 deployments. 

Mary Crebassa, VP, major accounts, LTN: LTN is currently working on its 72nd Market launch (Cleveland, OH). A year ago, deployments seemed to slow due to caution by the industry to see what the FCC decision was going to be regarding the transition from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0.

Gil Rudge, SVP, solutions and Americas sales, video, Harmonic: In the past year, ATSC 3.0 deployments in local markets has seen only modest growth in the number of stations on-air. Today, ATSC 3.0 signals reach much of the U.S. population, but the limited installed base of receivers has stalled some of the momentum and kept many of the standard’s advanced capabilities from being fully realized.

How uneven is adoption across markets, and what factors explain the gaps?

Paul Briscoe, chief architect, TAG Video Systems: Globally, 3.0 is mandated in Korea and Brazil, so adoption will simply happen. In North America, adoption will be driven by the receiver end of the equation, and content. Once viewing technologies become accessible and people can watch ATSC 3.0 content, broadcasters will have the business case to invest further in premium content production, with corresponding ad revenue growth. That’s the inflection point.

Advertisement

Lynn Rowe, member, RIST Forum, founder and CEO, One World Technologies: Adoption varies significantly because many markets cannot justify investment without a defined commercial ROI or broader innovation incentives. Technical decisions like the early DRM approach have also hindered device compatibility and slowed uptake. The core issue is the lack of comprehensive national leadership aligning all stakeholder interests. 

Mary Crebassa, VP, major accounts, LTN: Some big markets are relatively advanced, several medium markets are in progress, and many smaller or rural markets have little to no functional ATSC 3.0 service yet due to a lack of infrastructure.  

Mark Simpson, president and CEO,  Triveni Digital: Compared with a year ago, ATSC 3.0 deployment in local markets has slowed down, largely due to uncertainty around the transition timeline from ATSC 1.0. From a vendor perspective, clear FCC guidance — particularly around a firm transition plan and eventual ATSC 1.0 sunset — is essential to establish a roadmap that aligns broadcasters, technology providers and consumer electronics manufacturers, enabling the industry to fully realize ATSC 3.0’s potential. This clarity is especially important as broadcasters explore the use of the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS), advanced emergency communications and other public-safety capabilities that position ATSC 3.0 as critical national infrastructure.

Which parts of the rollout have progressed faster than expected, and which have stalled?

Paul Briscoe, chief architect, TAG Video Systems: The broadcasters have made real progress. Many have put up transmitters and are actively on-air using ATSC 3.0. That infrastructure buildout is happening. The challenge now is on the receiver end — consumer equipment availability is still catching up. TVs that receive ATSC 3.0 exist but they’re not yet widespread or affordable for mass adoption. The other piece is content. Broadcasters are transmitting their existing programming, but ATSC 3.0’s real value propositions are things like HDR, UHD, and Immersive Audio, what this technology was built to deliver.

Lynn Rowe, member, RIST Forum, founder and CEO, One World Technologies: The rollout has moved quickly where coordinated leadership particularly from the Pearl TV has driven early market activation. The rollout has stalled due to the lack of a clear ROI pathway and absence of a unified national strategy. Federal inaction and missed opportunities such as GPS alternative capabilities and advanced alerting have further slowed progress.

Mary Crebassa, VP, major accounts, LTN: It’s hard to tell which parts of the rollout have progressed faster considering we spend all our time in one specific area; however, in my opinion, deploying ATSC 3.0 signals seems to be progressing faster compared to ATSC 3.0 capable device adoption. By 2025, roughly 10 to 15 million TVs have the new tuners, translating to around 10% of households with at least one compatible set. Although projections are bullish, industry forecasts expect a sharp rise in shipments by mid-decade as people turn in their old TV sets for new ones. However, we still need greater device adoption in order to reach mass coverage. 

Gil Rudge, SVP, solutions and Americas sales, video, Harmonic: The rollout of ATSC 3.0 progressed relatively quickly in the early phases, when lighthouse deployments helped accelerate launches in top local markets. However, after that initial momentum, growth has somewhat stalled. This is less about technical readiness and more about the broader pace of the industry transition.

Brendan Cline, VP of engineering, BeckTV: From the system integrator perspective, the fastest part of the rollout has been deploying necessary MPEG encoders and antennas capable of transmitting ATSC 3.0 and getting channels over the air in this format. I have also seen broadcasters leverage the ability to add more channels than they could have with ATSC 1.0, leading to 24-hour weather channels, radio-over-TV channels, and additional digi-net subchannels. Some of these can even be delivered in 4K when the content is easy to generate — such as a looped graphic — though this is rarely the case for a network or primary channel. In some cases, this is also used for marketing purposes, allowing stations to say, “We were the first to broadcast in 4K using ATSC 3.0.”

What has not progressed much at all is broadcasting primary network channels in 4K or HDR. This is mainly because upgrading an entire plant from HD to 4K is a very expensive undertaking. HDR is more feasible, as many facilities can use most of their current infrastructure, especially those prepared to move from HD to 3G. Networks will also experiment with HDR using 3G for major events, and local broadcaster can create a special air path for these feeds.

Regarding 4K, nearly all infrastructure — production, transmission, and related systems — would need upgrades that cost significantly more money. Until the major networks choose to deliver their feeds in 4K, I doubt we will see local stations upgrading their facilities to make 4K the new standard. I believe that 4K, along with targeted marketing, will be the ultimate goal of ATSC 3.0.

Upgrading to 4K HDR will likely occur in phases that either lag behind or follow the lead of what the major networks choose to deliver to local stations.

At this stage, what does “being live with ATSC 3.0” actually mean in operational terms?

Alan Young, VP of strategic business development, Zixi: Being “live” with ATSC 3.0 today in the US generally means that there is at least one station in a market simulcasting ATSC 1.0 services in the ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV format. Because TV stations are still required to simulcast the ATSC 1.0 service in the ATSC 3.0 format, TV stations in each market have joined forces to create ATSC 3.0 lighthouse stations which simulcast multiple ATSC 1.0 services in ATSC 3.0 to remain compliant while not using additional spectrum. This has been very successful and has allowed ATSC 3.0 to be rolled out to over 75% of the US population in over 80 markets as of late January 2026.

Advertisement

Fabio Murra, SVP, product and marketing, V-Nova: Being live with ATSC 3.0 means stations transmit IP-based broadcast signals that deliver enhanced services over the ATSC 3.0 physical layer and technology stack. A typical configuration would deploy four HEVC HD video services (often a mix of 1080p and 720p), immersive AC-4 audio, and interactive broadcast applications, while maintaining ATSC 1.0 simulcast to comply with FCC regulations. Operationally, deploying ATSC 3.0 requires significant air-chain changes spanning transmission equipment, studio-to-transmitter (STL) technology, new encoding infrastructure and ATSC 3.0 signaling and broadcast gateways, with stations provisioning service configurations using ATSC 3.0’s novel physical layer pipes (PLPs). 

Mary Crebassa, VP, major accounts, LTN: “Being live with ATSC 3.0” means ATSC 3.0 signals are installed and working at Broadcast stations in their specific market. Households in that market that have ATSC 3.0 capable devices are able to watch content in higher video quality with higher-quality audio. Additional ATSC 3.0 features and benefits for the viewer can include advanced services such as interactivity and the EAS (emergency alert system). 

What infrastructure upgrades have proven essential for NextGen TV, and which have turned out to be optional?

Mark Simpson, president and CEO,  Triveni Digital: Core infrastructure upgrades for NextGen TV typically include ATSC 3.0 broadcast gateways, transport encoders and robust monitoring and analysis systems to ensure reliable signal delivery and standards compliance. Comprehensive testing and monitoring tools, such as Triveni Digitals’ StreamScope ATSC 3.0 analyzer, have proven essential for validating performance, maintaining service quality, and troubleshooting issues during deployment and ongoing operations. While some broadcasters initially view advanced monitoring and analytics capabilities as optional, many find that investing in these tools early helps avoid operational challenges and costly remediation later in the rollout.

Alan Young, VP of strategic business development, Zixi: What has proven optional or at least deferrable, are large, single-purpose investments made before there is clarity on service models. Broadcasters are learning that adaptability matters more than optimization at this stage. Infrastructure that can support multiple use cases, evolve through software, and integrate cleanly with both legacy and future systems has consistently delivered the most value.

Paul Briscoe, chief architect, TAG Video Systems: The transmission infrastructure, replacing encoders and transmitters is essential and is being deployed now. Station upgrades for content production can follow strategically. Broadcasters are taking a phased approach: Establish the transmission capability first, build the audience, then upgrade production facilities to deliver the premium content ATSC 3.0 enables. It’s a measured investment strategy that matches infrastructure to market readiness.

Dan Pisarski, CTO, LiveU: It probably won’t surprise anyone for me to say this, but I truly believe compliance and monitoring are essential. Stations using ATSC 3.0 have invested significant time, effort and money, so ensuring proper operation and high-quality delivery of their channels is a top priority. It’s paramount for them to add ATSC 3.0 to their existing compliance and monitoring solutions or upgrade their infrastructure to support it.

Mary Crebassa, VP, major accounts, LTN: Essential infrastructure updates refer to the broadcast-chain transmission upgrades (exciter, encoder, IP-based signal processing and backend) and maintenance of legacy service; while content quality enhancements, interactivity, and advanced services are optional layers that are turned on at each broadcaster’s pace.

How are stations balancing investment in ATSC 3.0 alongside ongoing needs in legacy broadcast systems?

Alan Young, VP of strategic business development, Zixi: Most broadcasters are taking a pragmatic, parallel-track approach. Legacy systems still generate the vast majority of revenue and cannot be destabilized in pursuit of future capabilities. As a result, ATSC 3.0 investments are often justified only when they strengthen or modernize the existing operation at the same time. This is why IP-based approaches are gaining traction; they reduce the sense of duplication.

Fabio Murra, SVP, product and marketing, V-Nova: Stations are deploying dual air-chain architectures where one path maintains ATSC 1.0 services while the other pre-tests and migrates to ATSC 3.0 configurations, allowing A-B between pre-validated configurations to support controlled transitions and minimize operational and viewer risk. With early launches of ATSC 3.0, the ATSC 1.0 stations broadcasting in a market (DMA) are typically aggregated into what’s known as a Lighthouse configuration, where one legacy station hosts others in the area, using statmux to keep the legacy stations on-air. Then the same group can share a new ATSC 3.0 tower.

Gil Rudge, SVP, solutions and Americas sales, video, Harmonic: Many stations are balancing their investment in ATSC 3.0 by deploying architectures that simultaneously support ATSC 1.0 and NextGen TV. Software-based solutions like Harmonic’s XOS Advanced Media Processor enable broadcasters to modernize their operations without disrupting existing services. This approach helps broadcasters consolidate legacy workflows, add more channels and enhanced capabilities, and improve efficiency while maintaining outstanding video quality.

Advertisement

Where are integration challenges most acute between NextGen transmission and existing production workflows?

Alan Young, VP of strategic business development, Zixi: The most acute challenges tend to appear at workflow boundaries where traditional baseband or tightly coupled systems meet newer, distributed IP environments. Contribution paths, signal monitoring, and failover strategies are common friction points.What often gets underestimated is the operational complexity of managing multiple formats, latencies, and delivery paths simultaneously. Successful deployments tend to focus less on individual components and more on end-to-end visibility, control, and resilience across the workflow.

Lynn Rowe, member, RIST Forum, founder and CEO, One World Technologies: The biggest challenge is the absence of a coordinated effort to modernize the ecosystem using emerging technologies such as IPMX, EBU Core Plus and DMX. Without these automation driven tools, stations struggle to integrate NextGen transmission smoothly into legacy workflows. This gap limits operational efficiency and reduces the benefits ATSC 3.0 can deliver.

Fabio Murra, SVP, product and marketing, V-Nova: The sharpest pain is at the seam between “traditional production” and an IP-delivered broadcast service: HDR/SDR mapping, audio packaging, captions/accessibility, ad signaling, and metadata that has to survive encode, package, and receiver quirks. Once you add interactive services, you also inherit broadband dependencies and a back-end world (apps, auth, analytics, uptime) that feels more like product engineering than classical broadcast. And security decisions can ripple into receiver interoperability and the support burden, so it’s not something you bolt on at the end.

Mary Crebassa, VP, major accounts, LTN: Viewing the integration challenges from where we spend our time, the challenge isn’t just adopting new technology, it’s reconciling decades-old broadcast workflows with a system designed around IP, service metadata and flexible presentation. That shift requires: new tooling, process redesign, training, and cross-functional alignment.

Gil Rudge, SVP, solutions and Americas sales, video, Harmonic: The integration challenges are relatively limited because many deployments are functioning as an in-place replacement, with stations largely using ATSC 3.0 to replicate existing services rather than fully activate new capabilities. The most acute challenges will emerge upstream, where NextGen TV features like enhanced interactivity will require changes to production and playout workflows across the broader ecosystem. In many cases, the technology is ready, but the operational and workflow evolution is still needed to unlock the full value of NextGen TV.

What lessons have emerged from early infrastructure decisions that stations would reconsider today?

Lynn Rowe, member, RIST Forum, founder and CEO, One World Technologies: One key lesson is that prematurely adopting DRM restricted device compatibility and slowed rollout momentum. Many stations now recognize the importance of prioritizing accessibility and service growth before implementing restrictive measures. This experience underscores the need to sequence security decisions more strategically.

Fabio Murra, SVP, product and marketing, V-Nova: Two big ones. First: do not build a fragile chain you can’t update. ATSC 3.0 is software-defined by nature, so strong observability and fast software update cycles matter. Second: design for real-world reception first, then add features. Brazil is a useful reality check because TV 3.0 (DTV+) uses ATSC 3.0 for the physical layer and explicitly targets indoor reception, not just “rooftop antenna at 10 meters,” and the project has even run specific MIMO indoor-antenna workstreams.

Mary Crebassa, VP, major accounts, LTN: From our vantage point, we have had a great experience, so far, helping the markets by moving the signals where they need to go and lighting up on the ATSC 3.0 signals. However, if you ask the broadcaster, they may say that as an early adopter of ATSC 3.0 infrastructure, they gained valuable operational experience, and since hindsight is 20-20, most might emphasize more strategic planning with their station partners vs urgency. 

Gil Rudge, SVP, solutions and Americas sales, video, Harmonic: One key lesson from early NextGen TV deployments is that infrastructure decisions should prioritize efficiency and flexibility, not just basic ATSC 3.0 enablement. Stations are adopting software-based solutions such as Harmonic’s XOS Advanced Media Processor that support both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 workflows, scale capacity efficiently and deliver premium viewing experiences such as Ultra HD and HDR. The goal is to avoid costly upgrades later and prevent fragmented workflows as the market evolves fully into the new standard.