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The meter you see above is Toner Cable's latest signal meter. It's one of the least expensive and most capable devices for measuring ATSC 3.0 signals. It's also significantly more expensive than our SignalScout ATSC 1.0 meter. Yes, Toner's device brings more to the table, but we're asked frequently why there isn't a lower-priced ATSC 3.0 meter available. After all the technology for measuring ATSC 3.0 signals isn't incredibly special. If you actually want to get a live picture, you have to pay for licenses for several patents, but even that probably isn't too expensive.
In order to understand why ATSC 3.0 signal meters are so expensive in 2024, you have to look at the way these devices are made.
It is absolutely mindboggling how inexpensive it is to actually make an electronic device. You can find incredibly capable devices on overseas web sites for well under $100. There's a simple reason for that. The technology for making computer chips and boards is very mature. There are a lot of factories doing it. Those factories are often in foreign companies where labor is cheap and safety regulations are lax. So no, actually making the thing isn't the real cost center. There are two other things which really make a difference in the retail price.
Creating and testing a new device can cost millions of dollars, if not billions. Before the first manufacturing order is placed, a device has to be designed, thoroughly tested, and submitted for regulatory approval. Something made for US-only use only needs FCC approval, but if it's being used worldwide it needs to go to several different global agencies, all with different requirements.
Doing all this work takes high-priced engineers working together. It takes time, and often there are engineering projects that don't pan out. Altogether, this creates a huge fixed cost that a company needs to pass on to customers in order to stay in business. That leads to the other factor:
When a device is new, it's usually made in fairly small volumes. Keep in mind for this kind of manufacturing, anything under 100,000 is a small volume and anything under 10,000 is a tiny volume. The smaller the manufacturing run, the bigger the share of those engineering costs that needs to be borne by each piece. If a device costs $30 to make (which is very possible, believe it or not) it still may need to carry $150 or more in engineering costs in order for the company to stay profitable.
Large companies like Apple can forecast the lifespan of their products easily. They can estimate several production runs and spread out engineering costs over that time. That iPhone in your hand may only cost $200 to make, but it cost billions to engineer. Luckily they'll sell billions of them so they can spread that cost out easily.
Something like an ATSC 3.0 signal meter may have only one manufacturing run of under 10,000. That means if it cost a million bucks to engineer (quite possible) each device might need to carry $100 in engineering costs. It might also carry another $100 in regulatory costs. That's what drives costs up on small-volume electronic devices.
Absolutely. We're already seeing low-cost ATSC 3.0 converter boxes. Each one of those has a full-featured signal meter in them, whether or not it's accessible to the user. The real breakthrough will come when demand for ATSC 3.0 is high enough to interest a major chipmaker.
There are companies out there that do nothing but create "reference designs." They do all the engineering to make something work and then they license out those designs to multiple chip makers. Then those chip makers create "reference designs" of completed products and resell those to multiple board manufacturers. Those boards can be made at scale for very little money and when that happens, retail costs plummet.
A perfect example of this is what happened with DVRs in the early 2010s. The tech had gotten so mature that companies like Broadcom came up with general-purpose chips and reference boards that could be adapted to multiple providers. Pretty much every cable and satellite company took advantage of this so they could get new hardware out on the market. The final devices all looked different, but the tech inside was remarkably similar. What's more, prices dropped quickly.
That's up to you. I think most folks don't need an ATSC 3.0 meter today. ATSC 3.0 signals are generally broadcast on the same towers as ATSC 1.0 signals. So, if you have a good ATSC 1.0 meter, you'll be able to aim for the 3.0 signals as well. If you're a professional, a good versatile meter is important, but home users might not need to spend the cash right now.
In the end, no matter what you decide, you'll find what you need when you shop at Solid Signal. We have the best selection of everything you need for over-the-air, satellite, cable, and streaming television. Shop the great selection or, if you need personal service call the experts at 888-233-7563. We're here for you during East Coast business hours. If it's after hours, fill out the form below! We'll get right back to you!
The post Why are ATSC 3.0 meters so expensive? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
In order to understand why ATSC 3.0 signal meters are so expensive in 2024, you have to look at the way these devices are made.
The fact: manufacturing costs aren't the issue
It is absolutely mindboggling how inexpensive it is to actually make an electronic device. You can find incredibly capable devices on overseas web sites for well under $100. There's a simple reason for that. The technology for making computer chips and boards is very mature. There are a lot of factories doing it. Those factories are often in foreign companies where labor is cheap and safety regulations are lax. So no, actually making the thing isn't the real cost center. There are two other things which really make a difference in the retail price.
The biggest cost: engineering
Creating and testing a new device can cost millions of dollars, if not billions. Before the first manufacturing order is placed, a device has to be designed, thoroughly tested, and submitted for regulatory approval. Something made for US-only use only needs FCC approval, but if it's being used worldwide it needs to go to several different global agencies, all with different requirements.
Doing all this work takes high-priced engineers working together. It takes time, and often there are engineering projects that don't pan out. Altogether, this creates a huge fixed cost that a company needs to pass on to customers in order to stay in business. That leads to the other factor:
Manufacturing volume is a huge part of it.
When a device is new, it's usually made in fairly small volumes. Keep in mind for this kind of manufacturing, anything under 100,000 is a small volume and anything under 10,000 is a tiny volume. The smaller the manufacturing run, the bigger the share of those engineering costs that needs to be borne by each piece. If a device costs $30 to make (which is very possible, believe it or not) it still may need to carry $150 or more in engineering costs in order for the company to stay profitable.
Large companies like Apple can forecast the lifespan of their products easily. They can estimate several production runs and spread out engineering costs over that time. That iPhone in your hand may only cost $200 to make, but it cost billions to engineer. Luckily they'll sell billions of them so they can spread that cost out easily.
Something like an ATSC 3.0 signal meter may have only one manufacturing run of under 10,000. That means if it cost a million bucks to engineer (quite possible) each device might need to carry $100 in engineering costs. It might also carry another $100 in regulatory costs. That's what drives costs up on small-volume electronic devices.
Is there hope for less expensive ATSC 3.0 meters?
Absolutely. We're already seeing low-cost ATSC 3.0 converter boxes. Each one of those has a full-featured signal meter in them, whether or not it's accessible to the user. The real breakthrough will come when demand for ATSC 3.0 is high enough to interest a major chipmaker.
There are companies out there that do nothing but create "reference designs." They do all the engineering to make something work and then they license out those designs to multiple chip makers. Then those chip makers create "reference designs" of completed products and resell those to multiple board manufacturers. Those boards can be made at scale for very little money and when that happens, retail costs plummet.
A perfect example of this is what happened with DVRs in the early 2010s. The tech had gotten so mature that companies like Broadcom came up with general-purpose chips and reference boards that could be adapted to multiple providers. Pretty much every cable and satellite company took advantage of this so they could get new hardware out on the market. The final devices all looked different, but the tech inside was remarkably similar. What's more, prices dropped quickly.
Does this mean you should wait on an ATSC 3.0 meter?
That's up to you. I think most folks don't need an ATSC 3.0 meter today. ATSC 3.0 signals are generally broadcast on the same towers as ATSC 1.0 signals. So, if you have a good ATSC 1.0 meter, you'll be able to aim for the 3.0 signals as well. If you're a professional, a good versatile meter is important, but home users might not need to spend the cash right now.
In the end, no matter what you decide, you'll find what you need when you shop at Solid Signal. We have the best selection of everything you need for over-the-air, satellite, cable, and streaming television. Shop the great selection or, if you need personal service call the experts at 888-233-7563. We're here for you during East Coast business hours. If it's after hours, fill out the form below! We'll get right back to you!
The post Why are ATSC 3.0 meters so expensive? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
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499 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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5 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68506 Replies
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2671308 views
Marques Brownlee
Time for another AWESOME video from Marques Brownlee!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
0 Replies
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5 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
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17 views
For quite a while now, people with a VIP211k have been losing their recordings on their activated external HDDs... even when there's nothing physically wrong with HDD. I believe this is an intentional and underhanded tactic that Dish is pulling in an attempt to force users away from the VIP211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
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7496 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Has anyone subscribed to NBA League Pass for 2026-27 and try to link their account to NBA.com to stream League Pass? I purchased it for 2026-27, and when I linked, I got a message saying success, but then I receive an error that my linked subscription does not include the preseason games for NBA League Pass. Is that how it has always been? I know satellite doesn't have the preseason games on the NBA League Pass channels, but I thought that I was able to stream the preseason once I linked my account on NBA.com?
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87 views
Supporting Founder
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
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1468 views
Nah, you just don't understand how ignore works, which is why you made your own NFL thread thinking there wasn't one
For some reason, the satelliteguys.us site is loading a lot slower than usual on both Chrome on my Asus laptop and Safari on my iPhone.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
530 Replies
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18125 views
Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat. 
WTF… …What the Foxbat!Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat.
S
wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming youWTF… …What the Foxbat!
I know. Here's what Scott has in store for me if I get out of line:wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming you
S
OMG to freaking funny
You're no fun.
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
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158 views
Supporting Founder
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K. New Siri AI and hands-free control. Stunning picture and immersive HomePod surround sound. Works with your Apple and smart home devices.
www.apple.com
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333 views
S
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade..
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
You should have looked in the APP STORE instead.
