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posted by martyb on Monday May 29 2017, @03:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the Looks-Better==Is-Better? dept.

Consumer Reports is running an article titled Free Over-the-Air TV Is Going to Get Better. They're rolling out a new standard, ATSC 3.0.

According to the article, you'll be able to watch OTA (over the air) TV on your phone or tablet! I wrote an article a few years back wondering why you couldn't already.

It's a fairly long and very informative article, but very much worth a read. It only talks about American broadcasts, no word about when or if it will reach other countries, but my guess is it won't be long.


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by number11 on Monday May 29 2017, @05:31PM (5 children)

    by number11 (1170) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 29 2017, @05:31PM (#517235)

    Unfortunately, it'll take a lot more than a few tech changes to make OTA TV better. Higher resolution isn't better, it's at best a marginal improvement.

    Making TV better would require better programming, which costs money. Getting rid of the stupid (but cheap to produce) reality shows, quiz shows, infomercials. Fewer shows glamorizing cops/CSI/cowboys, and more good drama or real but expensive to produce news (not the "if it bleeds, it ledes" stuff). Instead, the networks have made content even worse (because it's much cheaper to produce).

    So, good luck with that. I don't have cable (my observation has been that cable provides 200 channels of crap, rather than 20) but I do have OTA. I turn the screen onto "TV" once every few weeks (mostly it serves as a computer monitor), flip through the channels, and actually watch a program once every few months. Being drunk helps.

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Monday May 29 2017, @05:48PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 29 2017, @05:48PM (#517239) Journal

    Being drunk helps.

    +1 Informative

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Monday May 29 2017, @06:52PM

    by kaszz (4211) on Monday May 29 2017, @06:52PM (#517266) Journal

    I'd say making TV better takes removing the perverted incentives and being independent for real. Not something likely to happen anytime soon with regards to OTA or cable.

  • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Monday May 29 2017, @06:55PM

    by mhajicek (51) on Monday May 29 2017, @06:55PM (#517267)

    I use cable for on-demand, for things like Dr. Who, Forged in Fire, some anime, etc.

    --
    The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday May 30 2017, @12:39PM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday May 30 2017, @12:39PM (#517600) Journal

    Making TV better would require better programming, which costs money. Getting rid of the stupid (but cheap to produce) reality shows, quiz shows, infomercials. Fewer shows glamorizing cops/CSI/cowboys, and more good drama or real but expensive to produce news (not the "if it bleeds, it ledes" stuff). Instead, the networks have made content even worse (because it's much cheaper to produce).

    Well said. You can be fascinated by shadow puppets if the story is well-crafted enough. The story's the thing. Gluing sequins and jewels on the outside doesn't help if the box is empty. The box is still empty.

    I don't have cable (my observation has been that cable provides 200 channels of crap, rather than 20) but I do have OTA. I turn the screen onto "TV" once every few weeks (mostly it serves as a computer monitor), flip through the channels, and actually watch a program once every few months. Being drunk helps.

    It's amazing you do that much. When I encounter an old-fashioned TV with commercials I can't get away fast enough. If I happen upon one of those execrable filling stations that blare TV at you over the pump, I make sure not to go there again. We cut the cord 15 years ago and couldn't imagine going back.

    There was once a Simpsons episode, I believe it was, where they shut off the TV (or it broke, or something), and the children became well-behaved, pleasant. Marge and Homer started working out and slimming down and taking up art and music and outside the children gamboled on the lawn all to the strains of Beethoven's "Pastorale." It was a riot when I first saw it, but since giving up TV I have found it to be unexpectedly true.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday May 30 2017, @01:47PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday May 30 2017, @01:47PM (#517628)

    Getting rid of the stupid

    In the recent spectrum auction, about half my local OTA stations took the money and are shutting down before ATSC 3.0 will roll out.

    I'm pretty sure I'm watching more youtube and internet streamed video than OTA, so when OTA goes away I won't miss it very much.

    I am a bit annoyed about the silo -ification of content. No, I'm not signing up to some dodgy website to watch the latest Trek series assuming thats all on schedule.