NEXTGEN TV

What is NEXTGEN TV?

NEXTGEN TV is the next step in the evolution of Digital broadcasting. It is based on an IP (Internet Protocol) backbone (much like today’s popular streaming media platforms) and merges local broadcast TV with content from the internet.

The improved connectivity will bring together Over-the-Air and Over-the-Top content to mobile and fixed devices, offering a new range of interactive services to TV viewers.

NEXTGEN TV is already live in a growing number of television markets. See below for a summary of the markets where NEXTGEN TV is currently available, as well as information about those scheduled to transition in the coming months.

Benefits of NEXTGEN TV

NEXTGEN TV’s data compression techniques are much more efficient in compacting data into a station’s broadcast stream. This allows stations to insert more data into the bandwidth they are allotted. For viewers, this means 4K UHD video, immersive audio, and even more high- or standard-definition channels are possible with NEXTGEN TV.

Because NEXTGEN TV is IP based, it gives broadcasters the option of more localized content in the form of location-based advertising and emergency notifications that may be targeted to specific regions rather than broadcast to all viewers in the stations’ service area.

What is Needed to Receive NEXTGEN TV?

The NEXTGEN TV signals will be broadcast on each station’s existing TV frequency and RF channel, so a new antenna will not be needed to receive those signals.

Once a station has begun to broadcast an NEXTGEN TV channel, it is required by the FCC to continue to also simulcast in the previous standard for five years. During this period, viewers may continue to use their existing TVs to view their favorite channels.

Because NEXTGEN TV uses a new data compression technology, a small number of manufacturers currently offer sets with the NEXTGEN TV-compatible tuner built-in to process that data. This number will grow rapidly as NEXTGEN TV becomes more prevalent. To learn more about the features and availability of TV sets with integrated NEXTGEN TV electronics, visit WatchNEXTGENTV.com.

For TVs without the built-in tuner, a set-top converter box will be needed to view a station’s NEXTGEN TV channel. Unlike the Analog-to-Digital conversion in the second half of the first decade of the 2000s, the government does not plan to subsidize the cost of converter boxes.

Cable subscribers will similarly require a convertor from their cable company to view NEXTGEN TV channels once the cable provider makes those channels available to subscribers.

Is NEXTGEN TV Available in My Area?

NEXTGEN TV is rapidly being adopted by TV stations across the country. To learn whether this next step in the evolution of TV is now available from your local broadcasters, enter your address and press the Go button.

AntennaWeb will determine your location in relation to the signal areas of the stations in your area and display a list of the stations you are predicted to receive. The list will indicate which stations, if any, are broadcasting in the new standard. Those stations are also designated by the "-NG" appended to their call signs.

For an updated summary of the television markets that have transitioned to NEXTGEN TV since this page was published, please visit: NEXTGEN TV Deployments.