Edge Networks announced a new pay TV service it claims will offer more than 80 channels for less than half the cost of a cable subscription. The service, called Evoca, will use the new ATSC 3.0 standard, aka next-gen TV, to offer over-the-air (OTA) content for less than $50 per month.
Expected to launch this summer in Boise, Idaho, the pay-TV service represents an interesting potential use case for ATSC 3.0, which aims to bring 4K HDR support and other new features via OTA.
“We’re very excited to take this next big leap in television,” Todd Achilles, Edge Networks president and CEO, said in a press release. “Thanks to major advances in broadcast TV technology, combined with our own proprietary systems, Evoca delivers a buffer-free 4K TV-watching experience. By using ATSC 3.0, our signal doesn’t affect and isn’t affected by internet bandwidth in the home. Regardless of how many video games, movies or video conferences may be streaming, viewers will always receive a better quality picture and more reliable service than what they experience today.”
While Edge Networks didn’t announce details on Evoca’s lineup, it did say subscribers can expect more than 80 news, sports, local, and live TV channels in both HD and 4K when the service launches later this year. It’ll be interesting to see if a pay OTA service takes off, and a lot will likely depend on the content available and how well the new ATSC 3.0 tech performs. The company says it hopes to expand the service to tens of millions of homes within a few years and we’ll keep an eye out to track their progress.
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