Uh-oh, Sparklight, DirecTV: Affordable NextGen TV service to offer Boise 80+ channels, 4K
Tired of limited pay-TV choices from companies such as Sparklight, DirecTV and Dish?
Idaho is about to get a fresh, high-tech newcomer — that uses an old-school antenna.
Evoca, a new over-the-air service, plans to launch this summer in the Treasure Valley. Using ATSC 3.0 technology — often called NextGen TV — it will offer more than 80 channels for a monthly price of less than $50. No contract will be required.
“Harnessing the power of ATSC 3.0 — America’s newest broadcast standard — this service offers 80-plus news, sports, local and live TV channels for less than half the cost of cable,” according to a press release. “Evoca will feature HD and 4K picture quality that is superior to legacy broadcast TV, cable companies and virtual streaming services, bringing true 4K television to small and mid-sized markets for less than $50 per month.”
Pronounced like “evocative,” Evoca is a service of Meridian-based Edge Networks. Boise will be the first market for Evoca’s rollout.
“We’re very excited to take this next big leap in television,” said Edge Networks President and CEO Todd Achilles. “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.”
Evoca has not announced its channel lineup. More details are coming in May. “It’s going to be an equivalent package of channels to what you’ve got today from a cable company or a satellite company,” Achilles said Tuesday in a phone interview.
At a $50 price point, it would cost about the same as the YouTube TV streaming service, but without the risk of potential data cap charges imposed by an internet service provider such as Sparklight.
Customers will have the option of purchasing a proprietary Evoca set-top box or paying a small rental fee, Achilles said. Evoca’s box will not have the ability to record shows, he said, but DVR capability is a future goal. No specially equipped OTA antenna will be required. “Just a good ol’ TV antenna,” he said.
Boise is a prime candidate for Evoca, Achilles said, because it “is kind of a TV desert — meaning that you don’t have a lot of options.” Evoca likely will be offered next year in places such as Twin Falls, Idaho Falls and Bozeman, Montana, he said. The long-term plan is to expand nationwide.
Not all shows and movies will be available in 4K resolution, Achilles added, but Evoca will offer as much as possible.
“The amount of 4K content out there now is pretty thin,” Achilles said. “The vast majority of shows you’ll see are just regular HD quality. But as more content gets available, we can incorporate that into our system and push it over the air.
“It’s hard to watch regular TV after watching what 4K content looks like over the air,” he added. “It’s phenomenal.”
Customers who are interested in Evoca can sign up for more information at www.evoca.tv.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.