You might have heard about ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV. It’s a possible broadcast standard that’s being tested out all over the country. Starting in 2017, broadcasters have been allowed to test this new tech alongside current channels. It took a while to get off the ground, but over 75% of people have access to at least one ATSC 3.0 channel now. Keep in mind that this is the same content you’ll get from regular TV stations, but the technology has changed.
With ATSC 3.0, you’ll be able to watch TV in a moving vehicle, although you’ll still need internet access in some cases. Overall picture quality, even on HD channels, can be a little better as well. In the future, ATSC 3.0 promises to bring on-demand programming and 4K, but that’s still a long way off.
This ADTH converter box will let you receive any ATSC 3.0 broadcasts in your area. It will also tune today’s ATSC 1.0 signals so you can use it as a complete antenna solution. But how can you know what stations are available in your area?
There are a number of sites that will show ATSC 3.0 stations in your area. I personally prefer antennaweb.org. It’s run by a consortium of broadcasters who are dedicated to over-the-air television, and it’s completely free. Put in your location and you’ll get a list of stations you can receive, along with the kind of antenna you’ll need. If you’re worried about privacy, you can put in just your ZIP code or even the ZIP code of a neighboring town and it doesn’t make much difference.
It will also show you what stations in your area support ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. This table is for the Novi, Michigan area where Solid Signal is located. We have several stations with ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV broadcasts as well as ATSC 1.0 broadcasts. Keep in mind that you’ll always see the same content on ATSC 3.0 that’s available on an ATSC 1.0 broadcasts as well.
Because ATSC 3.0 channels are different from ATSC 1.0 channels, they may come in stronger or weaker than their ATSC 1.0 counterparts. In rare cases you’ll need a different kind of antenna to get them, because they may be on VHF while the ATSC 1.0 channels are on UHF. You can get all sorts of granular information by checking out rabbitears.info, which is supported and maintained by volunteers. On this site you can get some very detailed information about every station available in your area and others. It’s not as simple or pretty as AntennaWeb, so it may seem like a challenge to casual users. But once you get comfortable with it, it’s pretty easy to find what you want.
I also need to say again that you won’t get 4K or any unique content on ATSC 3.0 as I write this in mid-2024. That stuff may be on the horizon, but for now, broadcasters are only allowed to show the exact same content they show on their regular broadcast stations. The difference in quality can come from better-quality encoding, but not from higher resolutions. Sometimes you’ll read or hear that these stations are in 4K, but that’s not true.
Solid Signal has been serving the over-the-air antenna community for over 20 years. We have the best selection of top brands plus everything you’ll need to properly mount and connect your over-the-air antenna. Check out the great selection here! If you have questions, call the experts at 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you!
The post How can you know what ATSC 3.0 / NextGenTV channels are available in your area? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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With ATSC 3.0, you’ll be able to watch TV in a moving vehicle, although you’ll still need internet access in some cases. Overall picture quality, even on HD channels, can be a little better as well. In the future, ATSC 3.0 promises to bring on-demand programming and 4K, but that’s still a long way off.
How to try ATSC 3.0 test broadcasts
This ADTH converter box will let you receive any ATSC 3.0 broadcasts in your area. It will also tune today’s ATSC 1.0 signals so you can use it as a complete antenna solution. But how can you know what stations are available in your area?
There are a number of sites that will show ATSC 3.0 stations in your area. I personally prefer antennaweb.org. It’s run by a consortium of broadcasters who are dedicated to over-the-air television, and it’s completely free. Put in your location and you’ll get a list of stations you can receive, along with the kind of antenna you’ll need. If you’re worried about privacy, you can put in just your ZIP code or even the ZIP code of a neighboring town and it doesn’t make much difference.
It will also show you what stations in your area support ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. This table is for the Novi, Michigan area where Solid Signal is located. We have several stations with ATSC 3.0/NextGen TV broadcasts as well as ATSC 1.0 broadcasts. Keep in mind that you’ll always see the same content on ATSC 3.0 that’s available on an ATSC 1.0 broadcasts as well.
Something to consider
Because ATSC 3.0 channels are different from ATSC 1.0 channels, they may come in stronger or weaker than their ATSC 1.0 counterparts. In rare cases you’ll need a different kind of antenna to get them, because they may be on VHF while the ATSC 1.0 channels are on UHF. You can get all sorts of granular information by checking out rabbitears.info, which is supported and maintained by volunteers. On this site you can get some very detailed information about every station available in your area and others. It’s not as simple or pretty as AntennaWeb, so it may seem like a challenge to casual users. But once you get comfortable with it, it’s pretty easy to find what you want.
I also need to say again that you won’t get 4K or any unique content on ATSC 3.0 as I write this in mid-2024. That stuff may be on the horizon, but for now, broadcasters are only allowed to show the exact same content they show on their regular broadcast stations. The difference in quality can come from better-quality encoding, but not from higher resolutions. Sometimes you’ll read or hear that these stations are in 4K, but that’s not true.
Get everything you need for your antenna from Solid Signal
Solid Signal has been serving the over-the-air antenna community for over 20 years. We have the best selection of top brands plus everything you’ll need to properly mount and connect your over-the-air antenna. Check out the great selection here! If you have questions, call the experts at 888-233-7563. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you!
The post How can you know what ATSC 3.0 / NextGenTV channels are available in your area? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
