Whether it's the new possibilities created by mobile digital television or advanced data services for digital radio, NAB is helping broadcasters seize opportunities in the digital age. Advances in technology are giving broadcasters opportunities to find better, more innovative ways to deliver the high-quality content and services that local communities expect and deserve.
NAB LabsCreated in 2012, NAB Labs is a program of the National Association of Broadcasters that provides a platform for innovation, a venue for forging partnerships and testing new technology, and educational events to create awareness about over-the-air radio and television technology initiatives. NAB's FASTROAD (Flexible Advanced Services for Television and Radio On All Devices) technology advocacy program is a component of NAB Labs.
In 2007, NAB established a multi-year, multimillion dollar technology advocacy program, FASTROAD (Flexible Advanced Services for Television and Radio On All Devices), to help accelerate deployment of new broadcast technologies. In 2009, results from the initial FASTROAD projects as well as the initiation of new projects showed significant benefits for NAB members in establishing an active and ongoing technology advocacy program focused on exploiting the future capabilities of over-the-air broadcast services. For example, in 2008 FASTROAD released a report analyzing the factors that can help advance the development of a mobile/handheld DTV service and make it a success in the marketplace. NAB's efforts were instrumental in the adoption by the Advanced Television Systems Committtee (ATSC, see more below) in October 2009 of the ATSC Mobile DTV standard.
Other projects include:
More information on these and other activities in the FASTROAD program can be found at www.NABFASTROAD.org.
The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for digital television. The ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite and semiconductor industries. NAB is a founding member of the ATSC and represents broadcasters during the development of technical standards and recommended practices for digital television. Recent completions include:
Learn more at www.atsc.org
The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) is an alliance of U.S. commercial and public broadcasters formed to accelerate the development and rollout of Mobile Digital Television (DTV) products and services. The OMVC is committed to maximizing and developing the full potential of the digital television spectrum.
Mobile DTV makes local, digital broadcast TV portable. With Mobile DTV, consumers can tune in to live, local news, traffic information, weather, sporting events or entertainment programs from the convenience of their car, at the beach – wherever they may be, using a variety of mobile and video devices.
Mobile DTV represents a significant new revenue stream for the broadcasting industry as well as a new way to reach more customers. Affordable transmission facility improvements allow broadcasters to extend local programming to a vast audience of viewers with portable Mobile DTV devices. On October 15, 2009 the Advanced Television Systems Committee approved the final standard for Mobile DTV. It details the sending of digital television services to mobile and handheld devices within the existing digital television transmission.
Learn more at www.omvc.org.
Undoubtedly the greatest television moment of 2009 was broadcasters' herculean effort to ensure all viewers made the switch to digital. NAB's massive $1.2 billion campaign to educate America about the transition to DTV proved highly successful as full-power television stations nationwide made a smooth transition to all-digital broadcasting on June 12, 2009.
Broadcasters nationwide are to be commended for leveraging every available resource to participate in NAB's DTV campaign of on-air, online, grassroots and marketing initiatives that drove consumer awareness and action to universal levels. National awareness of the DTV transition jumped from 38 percent in January 2007 to more than 98 percent in June 2009, and nine out of 10 U.S. households knew the transition impacted over-the-air television signals. More than 60 million converter box coupons were requested from the government and 30 million digital television sets were purchased in 2008 alone.
In coordination with the Federal Communications Commission and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NAB worked closely with television stations, state broadcast associations and the 241-member DTV Transition Coalition and helped to ensure that no American lost access to free over-the-air television due to a lack of information.
Millions of households are now enjoying dramatically better pictures and sound and free high-definition broadcasts are available in every market in the country with just an antenna and an HDTV set, proving that free TV is better than ever.
Learn more about the campaign at www.nab.org/dtv.
