No. of Recommendations: 3
According to this report, the FCC has authorized TV stations to shut down their ATSC 1.0 transmitters, and transmit using the ATSC 3.0 system only, whenever they please. Most TVs in use and for sale now do not have an ATSC 3.0 tuner, due to the additional cost.
What the guy does not address is whether the DRM issue has been sorted out. DRM is an integral part of ATSC 3.0. A lot of people who have paid up for ATSC 3.0 TVs, have found nothing but a rude message about DRM, when they try to watch their favorite program, because the body that runs the ATSC 3.0 standard does not communicate well with the body that runs the DRM.
This entire mess will probably impact at least two or three people, beside me, in metro Detroit, who use an antenna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3vW_eNryX4Steve
No. of Recommendations: 4
So the relatively new Korean Samsung does not support it, but (coincidently) new Chinese TCL being delivered today does.
Not as bleak as post indicates:
Here are the key details:
Recent Rule Change: On October 28, 2025, the FCC adopted new rules to accelerate the transition to NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) by ending the previous requirement for stations to maintain an ATSC 1.0 simulcast indefinitely.
Voluntary Transition: The transition remains market-driven and voluntary. The new rules give broadcasters more flexibility and authority to set their own conversion schedules.
Conditions Apply: Stations must file a specific application with the FCC's Media Bureau to cease ATSC 1.0 transmission and must demonstrate how they will maintain service coverage and access for viewers who do not have 3.0-compatible devices.
No Mandatory Cutoff Date: There is no single, mandatory nationwide cutoff date imposed by the FCC. Instead, the process will happen on a market-by-market basis.
Current Simulcast Requirement: Until a station's application to stop is approved, current rules still require stations to simulcast their primary programming stream in ATSC 1.0, typically through a "host" station partnership, to ensure existing viewers are not immediately cut off. This requirement was extended to at least mid-2027 in a previous decision.
Consumer Impact: The change means that viewers relying solely on over-the-air broadcasts with older TVs or antennas may eventually need to acquire an external ATSC 3.0 tuner/adapter or a new TV with a built-in 3.0 tuner to continue receiving those channels.
Jeff
No. of Recommendations: 2
So the relatively new Korean Samsung does not support it, but (coincidently) new Chinese TCL being delivered today does.
Last time I looked, Samsung did support 3.0, in some high end models. LG was sued by a company that is not in the 3.0 patent pool, and lost. LG paid the royalties for the 3.0 tuners they had already produced, but omitted 3.0 tuners from future production.
Due to the cost, 3.0 tuners are only installed in high end TVs. At last report, no TVs sold at Walmart, as a for instance, have a 3.0 tuner. I have seen some models at Best Buy, with 3.0 tuners, but they all have over 50" screens, far larger than the space I have for a TV would allow.
Here in Detroit, one station has a 3.0 transmitter. The local Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC stations rent space on it, for their primary channels. The secondary channels, like H&I and MeTV are only broadcast in 1.0, on their old transmitters. Additionally, the CW and PBS affiliates are not on 3.0 at all. Right now, the Nextgen TV web site shows 5 channels broadcast in 3.0, and 95 channels broadcast in 1.0, here in Detroit.
There are technical reasons promised to want to watch 3.0, but I would suspect the main driver is the use of DRM, so content providers can more tightly control their content. Hah! Jokes on them. Their content is poo. I don't watch any network entertainment programming. :^)
In the long run, the cell phone operators want all the spectrum that is currently used for broadcast TV.
Steve
