LG Electronics Demonstrates ATSC Non-Real-Time 3D TV Broadcast

LG Electronics is paving the way for next-generation digital television (DTV) broadcast standards and advancing its leadership in 3D television with the first public demonstration of Non-Real-Time (NRT) technologies contemplated in ATSC 2.0, a new activity of the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC). The world's first broadcast of NRT 3D TV takes place at the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters convention.

LG's NRT technology takes advantage of unused bandwidth in broadband digital TV transmissions. While viewers are watching live ATSC DTV broadcasts, the NRT function can simultaneously cache other broadcasts in the background onto hard drives or USB flash drives so the content can be viewed at a later time. LG has successfully tested the ATSC-compatible technology in Korea with SBS, one of the country's premier terrestrial broadcasters.

The demonstration at the NAB show, conducted in cooperation with SBS, is built around prototype LG NRT- and 3D-capable HDTVs to record and replay 3D ATSC programming stored on an external USB drive. The experimental broadcast showcases the capabilities of emerging ATSC 2.0 technologies, expected to be the next enhancement in the ATSC family of standards, perhaps as early as 2011 or 2012.

LG expects NRT technology to have enormous commercial potential with broadcasters and content providers taking full advantage of the flexibility of ATSC broadcasting to deliver additional services such as Internet radio and video-on-demand (VOD).

For consumers who have already bought or plan to purchase LG 3D HDTVs, the company plans to offer a software upgrade so they can take full advantage of additional content through the NRT and 3D ATSC services when they become commercially available in the years ahead.

Source: LG Electronics