Hisense, Tablo, and broadcasters keep ATSC 3.0 niche
This article discusses the current state of ATSC 3.0, also known as NextGen TV, noting its continued irrelevance for most cord-cutters due to limited 4K content, high cost of compatible hardware, and ongoing simulcasting of ATSC 1.0. While TV manufacturers like Hisense are integrating ATSC 3.0 tuners into more models and external tuner options are emerging, the full benefits and widespread adoption are still years away. Broadcasters are cautious about discontinuing ATSC 1.0 due to a significant audience still relying on the older standard.
Key Takeaways
- Hisense will add ATSC 3.0 tuners to most 2022 ULED TVs, becoming the fourth TV maker to support the standard.
- Sony includes NextGen TV tuners across all its televisions, while LG and Samsung limit support to premium OLED and Neo QLED models.
- SiliconDust’s HDHomeRun Flex 4K costs $200 and streams over Wi‑Fi instead of plugging directly into a TV.
- Nuvyyo’s ATSC 3.0 Tablo Quad HDMI DVR costs $300, $100 more than the ATSC 1.0 version, and cannot stream to other devices around the house.
- The FCC requires ATSC 1.0/3.0 simulcasting through February 2023, and about 15% of U.S. homes still watch over-the-air TV with the current standard.
Why It Matters
For cord-cutters, ATSC 3.0 is still an optional upgrade, not a required shift: broadcasters are simulcasting ATSC 1.0, and existing TVs and OTA DVRs keep working. The broader ecosystem is moving unevenly, with Hisense adding tuner support to more ULED sets while Vizio, TCL, Toshiba, and Insignia have not announced support. The feature set is also incomplete, since 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos depend on broadcaster investment. Watch whether Pearl TV’s cheaper sub-$60 converter boxes arrive after the supply-chain issues it flagged for 2023.
Read full article at techhive.com