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> “When TV stations broadcast in ATSC 3.0 to ATSC 3.0-enabled TV sets connected to the web, all of this interactivity becomes available over the air for live li

by xur17 3y ago

> “When TV stations broadcast in ATSC 3.0 to ATSC 3.0-enabled TV sets connected to the web, all of this interactivity becomes available over the air for live linear broadcasts.” So we're going to straddle both OTA and internet streaming.. At what point will OTA content providers give up and just allow users to stream the content over the internet for free? I imagine the vast majority of people have internet at this point, it would likely get your more people watching your ads, it frees up spectrum for other uses, and arguably would be cheaper (since bandwidth is cheap and antennas are expensive).

water9 3y ago
Its unique design allows broadcasters to send data to several users concurrently through a single signal. To transmit 1 GB of data to 1 million consumers with ATSC 3.0, broadcasters only need one-millionth of the capacity required by broadband.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
bob-09 3y ago
In my market, most local TV stations stream through their own app. OTA serves the users that struggle to understand how to get a TV antenna working properly, let alone an app or IPTV device. Local advertisers also like the assurance that their ad dollars aren’t being wasted on out-of-market viewers. OTA provides that naturally.
teeray 3y ago
> it frees up spectrum for other uses Right now, even though this spectrum is commercial, it still serves as more-or-less a public service that can be consumed for only the cost of a tuner and a TV. Streaming that same content over the Internet then incurs monthly costs for the connection that previously weren't present. Beyond the added monthly OPEX to consume that content, chances are good that spectrum would be snatched up by telcos for 8G to resell to you rather than for a similar semi-public benefit.
- xur17 3y ago
  > Right now, even though this spectrum is commercial, it still serves as more-or-less a public service that can be consumed for only the cost of a tuner and a TV. Streaming that same content over the Internet then incurs monthly costs for the connection that previously weren't present. Most people already have an internet connection, so the marginal cost is $0 (arguably it might be a negative cost for these customers since they don't need to buy and setup an antenna). And the service is better because the content providers are no longer limited by the amount of spectrum they own. > Beyond the added monthly OPEX to consume that content, chances are good that spectrum would be snatched up by telcos for 8G to resell to you rather than for a similar semi-public benefit. Auction it off to the telcos and use this money to reduce taxes. Potentially use part of it to help people upgrade their tvs, much like we did with converter boxes when moving to atsc.
  - akira2501 3y ago
    > Most people already have an internet connection, This needs qualification. Having a smart phone means you have an "internet connection." Are these people truly going to get "better" service than with broadcast? > And the service is better because the content providers are no longer limited by the amount of spectrum they own. Sure.. now they're just limited by the amount of bandwidth they need to purchase, in the trade they no longer have any obligation to serve you, your community or to provide relevant news and public access. > Auction it off to the telcos and use this money to reduce taxes. This is not how spectrum auctions work. The auction money is used to fund the FCC itself. It's not a type of revenue that can "reduce taxes." > Potentially use part of it to help people upgrade their tvs Perhaps we should just let the free market decide what it wants for itself?
supertrope 3y ago
While visiting your local TV station's website and clicking play would be convenient, it would cannibalize their retransmission revenue from cable TV.

by xur17 3y ago

water9 3y ago

Its unique design allows broadcasters to send data to several users concurrently through a single signal. To transmit 1 GB of data to 1 million consumers with ATSC 3.0, broadcasters only need one-millionth of the capacity required by broadband.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

bob-09 3y ago

In my market, most local TV stations stream through their own app. OTA serves the users that struggle to understand how to get a TV antenna working properly, let alone an app or IPTV device. Local advertisers also like the assurance that their ad dollars aren’t being wasted on out-of-market viewers. OTA provides that naturally.

teeray 3y ago

> it frees up spectrum for other uses Right now, even though this spectrum is commercial, it still serves as more-or-less a public service that can be consumed for only the cost of a tuner and a TV. Streaming that same content over the Internet then incurs monthly costs for the connection that previously weren't present. Beyond the added monthly OPEX to consume that content, chances are good that spectrum would be snatched up by telcos for 8G to resell to you rather than for a similar semi-public benefit.

xur17 3y ago
> Right now, even though this spectrum is commercial, it still serves as more-or-less a public service that can be consumed for only the cost of a tuner and a TV. Streaming that same content over the Internet then incurs monthly costs for the connection that previously weren't present. Most people already have an internet connection, so the marginal cost is $0 (arguably it might be a negative cost for these customers since they don't need to buy and setup an antenna). And the service is better because the content providers are no longer limited by the amount of spectrum they own. > Beyond the added monthly OPEX to consume that content, chances are good that spectrum would be snatched up by telcos for 8G to resell to you rather than for a similar semi-public benefit. Auction it off to the telcos and use this money to reduce taxes. Potentially use part of it to help people upgrade their tvs, much like we did with converter boxes when moving to atsc.
- akira2501 3y ago
  > Most people already have an internet connection, This needs qualification. Having a smart phone means you have an "internet connection." Are these people truly going to get "better" service than with broadcast? > And the service is better because the content providers are no longer limited by the amount of spectrum they own. Sure.. now they're just limited by the amount of bandwidth they need to purchase, in the trade they no longer have any obligation to serve you, your community or to provide relevant news and public access. > Auction it off to the telcos and use this money to reduce taxes. This is not how spectrum auctions work. The auction money is used to fund the FCC itself. It's not a type of revenue that can "reduce taxes." > Potentially use part of it to help people upgrade their tvs Perhaps we should just let the free market decide what it wants for itself?

supertrope 3y ago

While visiting your local TV station's website and clicking play would be convenient, it would cannibalize their retransmission revenue from cable TV.