UK plans to phase out Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) got me thinking about the long-term future of over-the-air broadcasting worldwide.
While the UK moves to shift viewers entirely to IP-delivered television, the U.S. is taking a very different route by finding new ways to expand its use of existing broadcast infrastructure.
Here are the stories and topics on my radar this week. Grab a fresh cup of coffee, settle in, and join me for some weekend reads. I hope you enjoy.
UK Government Prepares for Wind Down of Digital Terrestrial Television
Source: Video Week
According to a recent UK government green paper, the UK is preparing to phase out traditional terrestrial TV (Freeview) by 2034 or 2044 at the absolute latest, in a shift toward internet-delivered broadcasting (IPTV). While moving to IPTV cuts maintenance costs and boosts ad revenues, officials are developing support programs to ensure offline households and older viewers aren’t left behind.
My Take: I wish I knew more about the UK TV Broadcast system and all the factors in play here. My sense from reading more about this topic; IT’S COMPLICATED.
NOAA to Study Potential of Broadcast Datacasting for Weather Alerts
Source: TV Technology
NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) is evaluating how broadcast television “datacasting” could serve as a failsafe pathway for delivering NOAA Weather Radio audio and data to transmitters and digital devices.
Additional Resources: Alert Now Alert Delivery
My Take: Again, this is fascinating to me, in the context of the UK Green Paper plan, here in the US we’re expanding the utilization of existing TV broadcast infrastructure. It creates a resilient system for emergency communication, similar radio stations in an emergency.
Dreambeans, an app that connects you with what matters
Source: Google
This app synthesizes data across your connected accounts (Gmail, Calendar, Photos) to deliver a daily feed of personalized updates. It requires a high level of data access to be useful, but the daily context prompts have been surprisingly good.
Handing over that much personal context feels like a gamble, but I can see the utility assuming Google doesn’t kill the project in six months.
(Note: Android access currently requires a waitlist approval.)
Each week-ish I gather and share articles that catch my eye, intrigue, inspire, or just feel relevant to our world. The goal is simply to share what I’m reading and learn from our great colleagues throughout the industry.
I hope you enjoy, drop me a note if you have an article or link I may be interested in.