A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ANTENNA WITH NEXTGEN TV
NEXTGEN TV (technically known as ATSC 3.0) is the newest achievement in digital broadcast TV technology, and a giant technological step forward for TV viewers who love the financial freedom of a properly installed outdoor antenna. NextGen TV delivers 4K capabilities with brilliant color, sharper images, and deeper contrast. And it’s built with the Dolby Audio System for NEXTGEN TV, which intelligently enhances dialogue making it easier to hear the dialogue in news, sports, TV shows, and movies.
When connected to the internet, NEXTGEN TV combines broadcast TV with streaming content from the internet. That means NEXTGEN TV will be able to deliver a lot more sports, news, and weather stats information — all in real time. Scores from all over the league will now be available on your screen with nothing but an antenna and a low-cost internet connection.
Here in Denver, three of the four major stations (ABC, NBC, FOX) have upgraded their broadcast towers to carry NextGen TV signals. Local CBS 4 is still operating on the 1st generation of digital broadcast but we expect them to be on NextGen TV very soon.
WHY DOES NEXTGEN TV MATTER?
NEXTGEN TV is the biggest leap forward in TV in years and combines the benefits of broadcast with broadband TV viewing. Local broadcasters are on-air reaching over 50% of US households with plans to add more markets throughout this year.
The biggest advancement of all is NextGen TV’s ability to broadcast signals back to the main tower. This means you can have interactive TV, DVR services, streaming shows like on Netflix, video on demand – all of these features will be possible with NextGen TV.
HOW IS NEXTGEN TV DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I SEE WITH MY ANTENNA NOW?
Current broadcast standards, ATSC 1.0, delivers clear pictures and great sound now, but NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) will be even better with Dolby enhancements and 4K capability. The current generation of broadcast signals, while crisp and clear, do not have the ability to carry 4K signals.Instead of broadcasting on a single, large, frequency band like traditional radio and ATSC 1.0, ATSC 3.0 consists of many many narrow bands that broadcast at the same time. This means the signal is both stronger – reaching much further away from a tower. Which means, people who live even further away from the large broadcast towers will be able to ditch satellite and get an antenna that delivers FREE TV!
DO I NEED TO UPGRADE MY ANTENNA?
Nope. If StreamWise installed the antenna, you are NextGen TV ready.
DO I NEED TO UPGRADE MY STREAMING MEDIA PLAYERS?
No. However, to take full advantage of the new features you will need to upgrade the box that connects your antenna to your home WiFi. But don’t worry, the older standard (ATSC 1.0) will still be simultaneously broadcast alongside the newer NextGen TV standard (ATSC 3.0) for many years to come.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
We have tested several NextGen TV options already but we are waiting for 2 things (freeATSC3.0 DVR and CBS4 to upgrade) before we start recommending devices to our customers.
We will update this blog as we get new information. The best place to learn more is at the NextGen TV website.
4K TVs with built in NextGenTV ATSC 3.0 OTA tuners
- Panasonic W95 Ultra HD 4K w NextGen ATSC 3.0 tuner
- NextGen TV LG OLED G1 Series 4k Smart OLED
- NextGen TV SAMSUNG Neo QLED 4K UHD QN90A
Alternative ATSC 3.0 4K TV tuner & network DVR option
ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV is the new standard for 4K OTA – most TVs and DVRs are not ATSC 3.0 NextGen ready. The HDHomeRun 3.0 solves this problem and is a great option if you are techy. While the setup can be a challenge and the UI isnt the best, watching live TV is top quality. Here is all of the hardware you need to get to set it up right:
- HDHomeRun 4K ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV tuner & DVR
- USB External Hard Drive (for DVR storage) – required for DVR
- Nvidia Shield (for DVR server) – required for DVR
- Whole-home Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Network (faster & better Wi-Fi coverage) – highly recommended
- Amazon Fire TV 4K Max w/ WiFi 6 – (best streaming device for all TVs) – highly recommended
