The TV 3.0 Revolution in Brazil: A Lighthouse for the Future of Broadcasting

Abstract

This paper discusses the experimental DTV+ transmission in Brazil, called “Lighthouse”, which introduces unprecedented features in digital terrestrial television broadcasting. The project serves as a foundation for the generational transition, with its commercial rollout expected to begin in 2026. The Brazilian DTV+ standard, previously so-called TV 3.0, innovates by incorporating ATSC 3.0 physical layer features like Multiple-Input MultipleOutput (MIMO), dual polarization transmission, Transmission Identification (TxID), and Layered Division Multiplexing (LDM) combined to maximize spectral and energy efficiency. Additionally, a 6 MHz RF channel in the new spectrum band for DTV+, so-called 300 MHz frequency band, was selected to allocate carriers from the two lighthouse stations and enable the indoor reception studies in this band. By implementing two “high-power, high-tower”stations in Rio de Janeiro operating in Single Frequency Network (SFN), it is possible to get a glimpse of what the next generation will be, with high quality multimedia content, interactivity features, geographic segmentation feed and definitively integrating typically digital metrics and business models into the broadcast signal.