What is NextGen TV?
MINNEAPOLIS – Ever heard of something called NextGen TV? If not, there's a good chance you will soon.
It's a new broadcast standard that will get you better pictures, sounds and features on your television.
Do you remember when we went from Standard Definition to HD? It was a big change for all of us. Now, 15 years later, broadcasters are making another move.
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NextGen TV, which is officially known as ATSC 3.0, mean you'll eventually be able to get 4K, HDR, and Ultra High-Definition video over the air for free. The sound will be better, too – closer to what you'd find in the movie theater.
NextGen TV isn't available everywhere yet. That's because each individual TV station has to roll it out themselves. On Wednesday, the five big stations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul market -- including WCCO -- launched their NextGen TV signal.
But that doesn't mean you're going to be getting the good stuff right away. And, that's for a few reasons.
First, most shows don't broadcast in 4K or Ultra High-Definition quality yet.
Second, most of us don't have the right set-up right now. You'll need a television that has a NextGen TV logo. LG, Sony, Samsung all make them. Or you could order online a NextGenTV box to make your current TV NextGen TV-compatible.
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But don't worry, you don't have to get any of this stuff anytime soon. Your regular HD signal isn't going away. All of this is just the beginning.
As more of this technology is rolled out over the next couple of years, what you can do with NextGen TV will only be limited by your imagination.
There's nothing you need to do right now, except know that super-high-quality television for free will soon be here.