LG is trialling a new way to broadcast 4K TV content.
You’ve probably heard it said before that the trouble with 4K isn’t with the Ultra High Definition technology itself, but rather the relative lack of 4K content to play on it.
That’s becoming less of an issue – albeit slowly – and now LG is trying out a new way to beam 4K content over a standard over-the-air signal.
The South Korean tech company is testing the improved ATSC 3.0 broadcast system in Cleveland, US, under an experimental broadcast license from the country’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
These tests mark a new milestone in the collaboration between LG, GatesAir and Zenith to boost the ATSC 3.0 standard, which is expected to be adopted for future broadcasts.
It’s perhaps fitting, then, that the new system is being dubbed “Futurecast.”
The Futurecast standard will enable 4K content to be delivered to homes, along with two mobile TV streams, over a single 6MHz channel.
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The standard also apparently boosts indoor reception and that of mobile devices travelling along in fast-moving vehicles.
All in all, it’s a major step foward to improving the quality of standard TV signals – and another step towards getting the level of 4K content that justifies spending thousands of pounds on a new TV set. Having said that, it will be some time before Futurecast is ready for commercial use.