Well, you’ve been hearing me talk about ATSC 3.0, the proposed next generation of TV broadcasting in the US, for about a decade now. Seriously. Check out all these articles. If it becomes the law of the land, ATSC 3.0 offers on-demand programming, 4K, and interactive features using an off-the-air antenna. (More on that in a minute.) But what kind of antenna will you need? What if you’ve been using the same antenna that a previous homeowner put up in 1960? How could that possibly work for something as technologically advanced as ATSC 3.0?
Most people won’t need a new antenna in order to enjoy ATSC 3.0 if it does happen. An antenna is a surprisingly simple thing. It’s really just a piece of metal of a particular size. That size corresponds to the wavelength of the signal you want it to receive. When that signal hits the antenna, it sets up a chain reaction that’s full of a lot of advanced physics that really don’t matter here. What does matter is that the signal gets to your TV’s tuner, it’s decoded, and you watch TV.
Let me say that again another way. The only thing that an antenna is going to care about is the frequency that the signal is on. Frequency and wavelength are two different ways to describe essentially the same thing. I have other articles if you want to learn more about that. It doesn’t matter if that signal is black-and-white standard definition or 4K HDR. The only thing that matters is that the range of frequencies used by the signal are the same. And that’s the good thing about all this: the US has been using the same frequencies for television since the 1940s. As long as your antenna is designed to pick up channels 7-35 (and occasionally channels 2-6) you’re golden.
Broadcasters can choose to encrypt ATSC 3.0 signals. In other words, they can copy protect them so you can’t make pure digital copies of TV shows and put them on YouTube. Because apparently, the studios think that’s a thing. It isn’t really, but that’s not the point. More and more broadcasters are choosing to add that encryption, and if your local signals are encrypted, you’ll need an active internet connection in order to watch them.
You’ll also need an internet connection for those interactive features I mentioned earlier in the article. The basic idea is that your antenna would function as the basic way you get TV, but it would be completely integrated with a smart TV so that you could also watch on-demand content without going to a different app.
If your area has test broadcasts, and not every area does, you’ll either need a television with an ATSC 3.0 tuner or a separate box that does that work for the TV. For years, these devices were hundreds of dollars. And then, Solid Signal got involved.
This is the ADTH NextGenTV converter box. It replaces your TV’s tuner and gives you access to today’s TV signals and tomorrow’s as well. It’s the first box of its type under $100. Yet, it has advanced features like upgradeable firmware, a Bluetooth remote, and even a DVR function (requires a separate hard drive not included.) It’s a simple and reliable way to get the next generation of TV signals with the antenna you already have.
At this point in the evolution of ATSC 3.0, not every city has a test broadcast. There are no cities where every ATSC 1.0 (old-school) channel has an ATSC 3.0 equivalent. And, because these are test signals, 4K broadcasting is off the table for now. There are plans for ATSC 3.0 to become the law of the land as early as 2027, but first that law has to make its way through Congress.
So for now, it’s a cool hobbyist toy, and at that price you can check out what all the fuss is about. It’s even better because you don’t have to buy a special antenna to get those broadcasts. Just hook up what you have, scan for channels, and you’re on your way.
The post Do you need a special antenna for ATSC 3.0? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
Surprise, surprise, you won’t need a new antenna
Most people won’t need a new antenna in order to enjoy ATSC 3.0 if it does happen. An antenna is a surprisingly simple thing. It’s really just a piece of metal of a particular size. That size corresponds to the wavelength of the signal you want it to receive. When that signal hits the antenna, it sets up a chain reaction that’s full of a lot of advanced physics that really don’t matter here. What does matter is that the signal gets to your TV’s tuner, it’s decoded, and you watch TV.
Let me say that again another way. The only thing that an antenna is going to care about is the frequency that the signal is on. Frequency and wavelength are two different ways to describe essentially the same thing. I have other articles if you want to learn more about that. It doesn’t matter if that signal is black-and-white standard definition or 4K HDR. The only thing that matters is that the range of frequencies used by the signal are the same. And that’s the good thing about all this: the US has been using the same frequencies for television since the 1940s. As long as your antenna is designed to pick up channels 7-35 (and occasionally channels 2-6) you’re golden.
But, you might need more than an antenna
Broadcasters can choose to encrypt ATSC 3.0 signals. In other words, they can copy protect them so you can’t make pure digital copies of TV shows and put them on YouTube. Because apparently, the studios think that’s a thing. It isn’t really, but that’s not the point. More and more broadcasters are choosing to add that encryption, and if your local signals are encrypted, you’ll need an active internet connection in order to watch them.
You’ll also need an internet connection for those interactive features I mentioned earlier in the article. The basic idea is that your antenna would function as the basic way you get TV, but it would be completely integrated with a smart TV so that you could also watch on-demand content without going to a different app.
How can you receive over-the-air ATSC 3.0 broadcasts today?
If your area has test broadcasts, and not every area does, you’ll either need a television with an ATSC 3.0 tuner or a separate box that does that work for the TV. For years, these devices were hundreds of dollars. And then, Solid Signal got involved.
This is the ADTH NextGenTV converter box. It replaces your TV’s tuner and gives you access to today’s TV signals and tomorrow’s as well. It’s the first box of its type under $100. Yet, it has advanced features like upgradeable firmware, a Bluetooth remote, and even a DVR function (requires a separate hard drive not included.) It’s a simple and reliable way to get the next generation of TV signals with the antenna you already have.
A word to the wise
At this point in the evolution of ATSC 3.0, not every city has a test broadcast. There are no cities where every ATSC 1.0 (old-school) channel has an ATSC 3.0 equivalent. And, because these are test signals, 4K broadcasting is off the table for now. There are plans for ATSC 3.0 to become the law of the land as early as 2027, but first that law has to make its way through Congress.
So for now, it’s a cool hobbyist toy, and at that price you can check out what all the fuss is about. It’s even better because you don’t have to buy a special antenna to get those broadcasts. Just hook up what you have, scan for channels, and you’re on your way.
The post Do you need a special antenna for ATSC 3.0? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
