Anthony Bontrager

https://lnkd.in/eYxeFrwW Tired of loudness issues on streaming platforms and FAST channels? Remind you of the "bad old days" of television commercials blaring during the breaks? My colleague Costa Nikols has written an outstanding piece detailing the new California Streaming Loudness regulation and what it will mean for content providers.

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Not so super Frank C. seems to never get the facts straight. Let''s take the time to review his latest 'drivel' 🧱 FACT CHECK: Setting the Record Straight on “5G Broadcast vs ATSC 3.0” 1️⃣ “5G Broadcast is advancing globally while ATSC 3.0 struggles.” ❌False. ATSC 3.0 is deployed in more countries and more receiver types than 5G Broadcast. Fact: ATSC 3.0 is on-air across the U.S., South Korea, Jamaica, and Brazil (TV 3.0), with additional trials in Canada, India, Mexico, and multiple European markets. Meanwhile, there are no nationwide 5G Broadcast deployments anywhere—only isolated MNO pilots in Germany, Austria, and China. 2️⃣ “ATSC 3.0 can’t be received on phones.” ❌Completely outdated. Fact: ATSC 3.0 reception is active on feature phones, smartphones, tablets, USB-C dongles, gateways, and TVs from multiple vendors. The ecosystem includes Saankhya/Tejas, MediaTek, SiliconDust, and others—commercial hardware, not prototypes. 3️⃣ “5G Broadcast is the only global standard (3GPP).” ❌ Misleading. Fact: ATSC 3.0 is an ITU-recognized international broadcast standard (BT.2037, BT.1877)—same global recognition level as DVB-T2 or ISDB-T. ATSC 3.0 is also natively IP, fully interoperable with 3GPP systems (that’s the foundation of B2X – Broadcast-to-Everything). 4️⃣ “Release 18 feMBMS is a game-changer.” ❌Hardly. Fact: Release 18 adds incremental improvements—larger guard intervals, extended SFN support, and optional return path—but it remains dependent on operator spectrum and core integration. ATSC 3.0 already exceeds feMBMS throughput, spectral efficiency, and modulation flexibility, operating independently in broadcast bands and enabling one-to-many delivery without network load. 5️⃣ “Brazil will also implement 5G Broadcast to complement TV 3.0.” ❌ Blatantly false. Fact: Brazil’s SBTVD Forum explicitly rejected 5G Broadcast for terrestrial TV services. TV 3.0 is based on ATSC 3.0 physical layer technology. The separate MNO-led study on mobile use cases is not part of TV 3.0 and has no official adoption. 6️⃣ “India is aligning with 5G Broadcast.” ❌ Misrepresented. Fact: India’s D2M (Direct-to-Mobile) initiative is ATSC 3.0-centric, jointly developed by Prasar Bharati, IIT Kanpur, and Saankhya Labs. Government agencies recognize ATSC 3.0 as the technical basis for large-scale D2M deployment. 7️⃣ “ATSC 3.0 is its own worst enemy.” ❌Wrong again. Fact: ATSC 3.0 is the only broadcast system proven to deliver UHD, HDR, datacasting, emergency alerts, and IP services at scale—while converging with telecom and satellite systems in real deployments. The global momentum speaks for itself—ATSC 3.0 is the broadcast foundation for the connected world. 🔧 Bottom Line feMBMS is a network feature. ATSC 3.0 is a full system. ATSC 3.0 delivers broadcast-grade performance today—independent, interoperable, and global. The world isn’t “swimming against the current.” It’s following the current—and that current flows through ATSC 3.0.

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These developments underline the urgency for broadcasters to find trusted, proven, and cost-effective alternatives as the remaining C-band satellite spectrum is repurposed. https://lnkd.in/eHDRRWhB

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Does #MXL replace SMPTE ST 2110? NO!! During one IABM Technology & Trends Roadmap working group calls, it was clear that many of us kept hearing incorrectly that MXL (Media eXchange Layer) is a replacement for ST 2110.  While at the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) event this week in New York, I asked Felix Poulin from CBC/Radio-Canada and Vincent Trussart from Grass Valley to help clear this up. Thanks to Felix for providing a clear drawing! Help to get this detail out by reposting and sharing with your peer groups. For additional detail, figure 15 of this European Broadcasting Union (EBU) #DMF document shows the difference between streaming and exchange layer https://lnkd.in/eqsgAnxq

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It's great to read opinion pieces by two very knowledgeable advocates for which technology broadcasters should move to for the future. Both sides make some fine points and both sides are promoting some yet to be realized implementations. In my opinion, there is no doubt that 5G Broadcast will eventually show up in cellular devices but to Mark Aitken's point, its not there yet so for broadcasters to commit to it at this point seems like starting over for NextGen TV, a very catch marketing term that could include 5G Broadcast as well as ATSC 3.0. While 5G Broadcast has yet to actually be deployed, ATSC 3.0 is up and running in many markets and receivers are already showing up in televisions and outboard devices. As I write this I am looking at four STB's and a couple of HDMI dongles that all receive ATSC 3.0, albeit some better than others. However, the truth about ATSC 3.0 is that while it is deployed in many markets, the current limitation of the deployment are hampering the group owners and local broadcasters from really taking advantage of the enhanced capabilities within the service. Keeping ATSC 1.0 operational with simulcast requirements and no clear transition plan is already eroding confidence and may eventually stall the transition entirely. For broadcasters to flourish in the future, bold steps will be necessary and if government regulations continue to limit which steps can be taken, 5G Broadcast may end up catching up to ATSC 3.0 implementation and while there are a lot of television receivers out there, that number pales in comparison to the number of mobile receivers, and the increased turnover rate of mobile receiver. Mark Aitken makes and excellent point regarding the technical superiority of ATSC 3.0 to 5G Broadcast that is well supported by the analysis from Brazil. The fact that 5G Broadcast didn't make the cut for the top two standards should be a concern for the proponents of 5G Broadcast. However the deciding factor on the future are the consumers and end users and convenience and ease of use trumps all but the most notable technical limitations. Anyone reading this that is old enough to remember when VCRs were first deployed for consumers there were two standards, Beta and VHS. When it came to video and audio quality, Beta was the superior format yet VHS was the overwhelming choice of the consumer. VHS's audio and video deficiencies, while real, weren't enough to trump the convivence of 2 hour tapes compared to Beta's 90 minutes limit. Given where we are in the process, I think we're going to see deployments of both technologies in the next couple of years. I'm not sure if one will ultimately kill off the other or not but as I have said many times in the past, I never thought broadcasting was the business, just a methodology. Content is what consumers and end users want and the smart content creators, whether local, national, or global will make sure that their content is consumable via all distribution methodologies.

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Extremely impressive performance on EE's 4G network, with 2CA Uplink in a remote location where all other network providers were not available. A CBR broadcast transmission was possible with Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway: https://lnkd.in/e7hPahZY

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Closed (or subscription) pirate IPTV services are often so slick, with professional UIs and even live Support, that users are convinced they are paying for a legitimate package. Learn how we can stop these hugely damaging platforms.

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Exciting news from the team at DTS, Inc.: we’ve added 52 U.S. markets to the DTS AutoStage Broadcaster Portal in the platform’s second expansion. DTS AutoStage gives radio broadcasters near real-time audience analytics that, until now, were largely available only to streaming services. These new markets bring data from 3,000+ additional stations and 162,000 more in-vehicle listeners, providing broadcasters with deeper insights that boost audience engagement. For too long, many local radio stations, particularly in smaller markets, lacked the data needed to compete effectively in a digital advertising environment. By bringing advanced measurement into the dashboard, we’re helping radio evolve, stay competitive, and continue serving communities across the country. Local radio remains one of the most trusted and immediate sources of information, especially in the car. We’re proud to keep expanding access to these insights for radio markets across the U.S., of every size. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gaDd7KPQ

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