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Since you mentioned it’s Android base, is there a apk for the software that is download able? Android has plenty of tv tuner dongle but software sucks.
@@pearlrival3124 When did I say I was done with 3.0??? I also reviewed several Tablo models on my channel. I didn't get to the recent one yet because they seemed to pull out of a sponsorship on my channel possibly due to me speaking out against DRM encryption. Tablo is now owned by Scripps which has turned on DRM encryption on their channels.
Excellent review of the ADTH tuner/DVR box! I really appreciate your passion for investigating and evaluating OA technology and sharing your knowledge with subscribers in layman’s language. Keep up the good work!
I appreciate the kind words. As far as the "professional presentation," I try my best but I'm not Lester Holt. I'm working on a new studio where I can sit down and present in a more relaxed manner as opposed to my basement studio where I feel a bit tense considering it's less than 50 degrees down there in the winter.
Hopefully this trend of ATSC 3.0 tuners using android will result in some form of community maintenance, rather than neglect resulting in security risks
@riceexe The current implementation of DRM via Google Widevine only works in Android-based systems. Lon Seidman covered it his video below. ATSC 3.0 seems to be a whole "pay to play" system full of conflicts of interest. ruclips.net/video/e1vTpSJHVyo/видео.htmlsi=_STEVqJ58x43d1rn
Thanks for a great review! I can see that I can just hold off on an ATSC 3.0 box - I get all my locals great here in the Detroit area. No 'trash' Lo-VHF channels except one I don't watch anyway.
This is PERFECT. I have a senior dad who WILL NOT SWITCH TO STREAMING yet. He complained that his new 65" 4k screen is looking worse than his broken 1080p screen for OTA channels and thought this might be the answer. He lives not too far away from the broadcasting stations, and if this device doesn't give us 4k, maybe a better antenna will be better. Thanks for your video!
This seems like progress, but I still need a box that allows for network connectivity based on where my antenna is in relation to my tv. I was very excited about ATSC 3.0 and was thrilled to be able to finally get all my locals - until the DRM started. My expectation is that the local broadcasters will require an internet connection to de-crypt and eventually start charging for access. Very disappointing.
I agree, stick with 1.0 as long as you can. I know few people who even knows about broadcast tv and most just watch on a roku or fire stick. To me, its a best kept secret that i use daily. I soent quite a bit if time finding the right antenna to receive from two directions at the same time and a good booster and splitter setup to get over 80 channels to 3 tvs and 2 stereos. I will just keep it to myself and hope it does not get outdated.
Thanks for this review. I was looking at the Reddit reviews of this device when it first came out, and it sounds like ADTH has made an effort to improve the user experience since that time. In the Washington DC market, Howard University is hosting the ATSC 3.0 channels and their ATSC 1.0 channel moved to a VHF frequency shared with the ABC affiliate that is hard to get. This box is at a price point where it is worth trying just to get back that PBS station which often has different programming from WETA. It might also help with the multipath interference problem once the leaves are back on the trees.
Yeah...The only reason I have in any of these ATSC 3 tuners is because when ATSC 3 came to NYC the resulting frequency shuffles resulted in the PBS station being rendered unreceivable. BUT the ATSC 3 simulcast of the PBS channel (WLIW/) should be receivable. So I'm in a very slice of the population that has to watch an un-encrypted 3.0 channel ( or stream WLIW through the internet). The DRM on the commercial ATSC 3 channels seems a nightmare.
Should be that encryption is illegal and/or unethical on public frequencies. That will probably have to get tested to formulate case law. The citizens lose in the meantime.
When WPVI-TV (formerly WFIL-TV) was analog on channel 6, they ran ERP of 74.1 KW Visual and 7.41 KW Aural. Or, 48.7 dBm. With a decent antenna, they were often received in the D.C. area after WTTG had signed-off. And, sometimes with WTTG on. Not a "trash" signal, by any means! Today, they run 45 KW ERP. Or, 46.5 dBm. Since a -3 dB power reduction is a 50% power attenuation, that -2.2 dB cut is a 1/3 power loss. Remember that power change is measured via logarithmic calculation as it's not linear. It's that low-power signal that's the problem. Low-Band VHF is not "trash". At any given power level, the signal propagates better than High-Band VHF, and definitely UHF.. That's why in the analog era, the FCC set max visual ERP at 100 KW for VHF-low, 316 KW for VHF-hi, and 5,000 KW for UHF, to give stations "an equal playing field" in coverage. Yes, Low-Band VHF creates problems with ATSC 1.0 that didn't exist, or went unnoticed at analog. The "ghosts" of multipath in analog creates packet collisions and/or delayed packets in ATSC 1.0. This is due to the ancient FEC (Forward Error Correction) protocol in VSB-8/ATSC 1.0. This should not be a problem with ATSC 3.0 as it uses COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) for error correction. However, here in the D.C. area at least, the CP's for ATSC 3.0 operation use power levels even lower than those for ATSC 1.0. While coverage can be dependent upon the emission type used, RF is not unlike a pipe. It doesn't care what you shove down it. These lower power levels do not bode well for the future of ATSC 3.0 via antenna. Also, I have to disagree with you just a bit on what video resolution ATSC 3.0 provides. While you are correct that what you'll find today are either direct or upscaled 720p or 1080i signals, ATSC 3.0 is fully capable of 3840p HEVC video. However, as was the case in the original digital conversion, it'll take time for the broadcasters to purchase or adapt equipment to the higher resolutions. A very serious investment. Especially coming so soon after the digital transmission conversion (Which cost most broadcasters an average of $6 million per station), not to mention costs incurred in the repack, where channels 38-51 were re-allocated from Broadcast. Also, please keep in mind that the higher the resolution of your primary stream, the less bandwidth you have for either secondary streams (The so-called "sub-channels"), or in this post repack era, a "host" station being able to accommodate a "guest" station. For these reasons, I would expect "4K" to actually be sent at a lower resolution. Probably the 2160p commonly seen online.. DRM is another kettle of fish. Rotten fish that should be thrown back in the sewage treatment plant. Existing copyright law is sufficient to stop another "Lo-Cast" or similar "provider". However, it needs to be remembered that in addition to intellectual property rights of content providers, everything transmitted by a broadcaster is legally protected from copying and/or retransmission under copyright law via "compilation copyright". The demise of what used to be called a "sign-on/sign-off" does not invalidate or even weaken that copyright. (Remember "Programs intended for home reception, without charge for admission", etc.?) Tyler, sorry this ran so long. But, as a retired broadcast engineer of 45 years, I hate seeing VHF-Lo getting dissed after it served us so well for so long. You are not the first with those feelings. Not far from you is WGAL-TV. I suggest you look and read why it went from channel 4 to channel 8. The FCC has been having "problems" with that part of the spectrum since the 1940's. I do like your channel overall.
As someone who has recurring issues with WPVI reception... can you confirm or deny the fact that low VHF reception can be affected by many more factors than a high VHF or UHF signal? Most notably, FM radio, LED bulbs, weather, etc?
I’m in Northern MD and can get the trash signal of WPVI (ATSC 1.0) on many summer nights; many times better than the other Philly stations. It’s cool that they still use their old news theme from the 70s. Also, K03IM-D is the only ATSC 3.0 station that I know of that is in 4K. They have three 4K, two 1080p and one 480p.
@@jeffreykoerber6595 I'm trying to think why your name is ringing bells with me! I just looked at the tech specs on K03IM-D. What a joke! I run more RF power on six meters (50-54 MHz) than they do! 56 watts! That's supposed to impress? I do like their video specs at 4K for the most part. But, that bit rate of 4-5 Mbps per stream shows the limitations of working with a 6 MHz wide channel. It would be interesting to see what their 1080p streams look like at 600 Kbps and 750 Kbps.
@@Swoliosis1 Definitely confirm! That's why they need to run more power than 45KW ERP. Channel 6 can have problems with FM stations at the bottom of the dial. There's also electrical interference from poorly maintained aerial plant (Think arcing at insulators on poles.) not to mention Sporadic E-Skip bringing-in co-channel stations from about 1,000 miles away. A weak signal opens up those gremlins. But, as a broadcaster, on a daily basis, I'll take the lower transmitter electric bill of a low-band VHF over the cost of a VHF-Hi or UHF. Remember that Digital has the transmitter running at a 100% duty cycle. In the analog days, the video transmitter power consumption varied with how "dark" the modulation depth of the video was.
@@johnpinckney4979 My experience with WPVI has been very frustrating... I am relatively new to OTA. I am about 45 miles from WPVI.. I thought I had NO HOPE of receiving it... especially after installing a High-VHF / UHF antenna in my attic. Low and behold, night 1... WPVI came in clear as a bell! I was flabbergasted... Then on day 2.. it didn't... I did tons of research... and decided that I'd modify the high-VHF dipole for RF6... there were no other VHF channels I was interested in. Eureka!! It came in perfectly for months... until it did not.... You can see similar results from a live scanner near my location... see the huge recent light green gap? It is not just me... rabbitears.info/tvdx/render_graph/108123BC/tuner0/WPVI-TV/-180days/now Though it seems to be improving a bit here recently... I gather it is something to do with the season? Either that, or a problem at the station?? I'm now battling with the idea of further modifications.... or maybe buying an ATSC 3.0 tuner as they do broadcast on UHF now... but you need the 3.0 tuner..... Quite a battle!
Thanks for the review. I now own a ZapperBox M1 but wanted a 2nd device for our master bedroom and just don't have the $200 to $275 to do that so this cheaper ADTH may be a perfect addition for upstairs. I like the ZapperBox M1 and will be our main box but having a 2nd device for a 2nd room will be nice. I used your affiliate link so hopefully you see a few $$ from when I buy one.
I actually have two of these boxes. And the signal held up well for the Super Bowl. And that update to rescan and keep my current channels was a godsend for me. Because I had better luck tuning into NextGen TV out of Miami, as my local lighthouse in West Palm Beach is low-powered. A distant full-powered signal is better than a non-existent local signal, I guess...
DRM and encryption have made such a pig's breakfast of the whole thing that I am not going to bother getting a new set top box. The need for a internet connection means that I may as well replace my TV with a computer an just watch stuff over the internet rather than bother with any over the air encryption nonsense. For now the ATSC-1.0 is still working well enough for me. When that quits, the TV goes out to the curb.
Tyler, to answer answer your question about finding the frequency for a given digital channel, use this formula: F=6N+389, with N being the channel number.
@@be236 And if you don't have an Internet connection? That's part of the concern here when it comes to DRM, isn't it? Not requiring an Internet connection...
@@johnpinckney4979 Yeah, requiring Internet to get DRM channels really sucks! Not sure how they can ever resolve that, other than FCC stepping in somehow.
Thanks for sharing! I didn't know there was a formula. I still don't understand why ADTH thought the average non technical consumer (who think HD antennas are a thing) would know the specific frequencies TV channels.
I receive 94 channels over the air with the Televes antenna in the upstate of South Carolina using the Tablo HDMI unit with two tuners. It's OK but the tuner needs improvement. Some of the channels drop off but the same channels on my 2009 Magnavox OA DVR hold steady. Love your info video on the Nextgen TV DVR.
@AntennaMan Excellent Review as always!! Out of all these boxes ADTH , Zapperbox etc which on you think is the best so far? Thank you very much appreciate it!!
Thanks for your response to the "what's the best box?" question and the review of this ADTH box. My only current "need" for an ATSC 3 tuner is due to the intro of ATSC 3 into the NYC area a few months ago. The resulting frequency shifts caused the loss of the main WLIW channel, but it is also broadcast as ATSC 3. Anyway, this box is only a little more expensive than the GTMedia HDTV Mate + $20 Walmart ONN Google TV hockey puck. Do you think SW updates for this box are more likely than the GT Media HDTV Mate? Thanks!
I watch my local over the air channels via desktop with internal Hauppauge tuner. I can schedule recordings up to two weeks in advance using Titan TV. No lack of storage on my hard drive and no monthly fees.
I like how ADTH brings major improvements to every update. I got Kodi and VLC (32 bit) each installed, but can't get the select button on the remote to work in Kodi. Also tried an HEVC 4:2:2 file and seems to be no-go.
You got vlc installed. Great to hear.! I installed some iptv app, I think. Kinda worked but not perfectly. A pita to get to, so I abandoned the box 3 months ago. It is just sitting there disconnected. It was a little more iffy on certain stations, and tuned slower than my built in Sony. The DVR sucked because no compression, no ability to fast forward or find your precious place. Without compression all of my external USB powered hard could barely keep up, and too many failures. No 1980 vrc schedule available. I was thinking of giving it to a relative. Might be useful for an antenna pointing in the opposite direction. They should add iptv and improve the DVR, then it would be nice. I like the hdmi seamless interface, no special remote needed, which the tablo lacks.
My first reaction: Why can't we just get a remote with channel numbers on a tuner like this? Otherwise, it has potential if it improves the DVR feature, and allows entering RF numbers. I'd rather not have to look up the frequency.
I'm also not a fan of the slow removal of channel numbers on remotes. The last two TVs I purchased don't have them (Fire TVs) and it seems that Roku smart TVs don't have them either. Thankfully, you can favorite channels on the ADTH tuner.
Thank u Tyler! Now, for an "Ole fart" on a fixed income, what do we do if u have no internet service & basically use antennas like when WE were kids on 3.0? What boxes do we need? Or what are our options? U have helped me immensely on antenna choices, or I would have definitely bought the wrong one 👍
No need to worry about any changes right now. We're still in the very early stages of ATSC 3.0. All of your current equipment will continue to work for at least another ten years. See video below: ruclips.net/video/8Kjj5xVZ5nY/видео.html
I bought this box when it first came out in December. I just installed the unit today on an older Vizio 4k tv. The colors are richer via this tuner than on the installed Vizio Atsc 1.0 tuner. I like the ad-free program guide, my tv does not have Vizio’s Watchfree+ program guide. I had to use SlingFree’s program guide which compresses the antenna signal. The big selling point with 3.0 is that it is 4k compatible but my local stations are broadcasting in 1080p and 720p. My local PBS and ABC stations have interactive menus embedded in their 3.0 channels with lots of content. Antenna Man did not cover the interactive channel menus. Wi-Fi capability is a big plus. It’s really not so different than using my Roku remote. 😐In the evening, haven't been able to tune to the ATSC 3.0 stations. It works during the day, but not at night. My ATSC 1.0 tuner works at night. I am using a splitter to connect to 2 different tuning devices.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't really notice things like richer colors. Any HD video signal looks fine to me. In fact, I'd have no issue if all channels were 720p.
I ended up returning the ADTH tuner i ordered last month. I’m in Austin, TX and there are two lighthouse stations. One lighthouse station came in just fine, but then would start stuttering. The other would just spin and spin and not play the channels on that lighthouse. Their UI is horrible, as well. It’s not ready for prime time.
The spinning issue on the 3.0 channels might've been related to a weak signal from your antenna ais it's what ATSC 3.0 does when the signal is low. It doesn't pixelate like ATSC 1.0.
Looks like this could be a good future option. But since my Tablo was on sale for $79 I think it still has an edge. Although Tablo missing an HDMI option does give this one a little bump. Tablo 4th gen is still buggy as well. We are currently working multiple issues with support...... and not good support.
All new tech products will have bugs for weeks or months after they're first released. It's one of the reasons I waited to review this product along with the newest generation Tablo.
No Play Back of recordings on other devices have ("No sound issues") because of Dolby AC4 audio codec used in ATSC 3.0 NEXTGEN-TV does not have a legal open source license to decode legally on many devices.
I still have some VHS tapes. I still have CRT based TVs. The tapes are because I didn't throw them away. The TVs are because they are too heavy to lift.
The FCC really needs to enforce no DRM on OTA broadcasts. DRM is going to kill ATSC 3.0. What is the point of OTA when it requires an internet connection??? The FCC needs to give all the OTA spectrum away to companies that dont have DRM.
Part of me thinks the FCC isn't doing anything because they're waiting for the broadcasters to fall flat on their face with DRM on ATSC 3.0. There have been nothing but problems with it so far. It's so bad that it likely hurt consumer adoption of ATSC 3.0.
@@AntennaMan I hope no TV manufactures install ATSC 3.0 tuners, only 2.0. That will ensure it and drm dies. You cant have OTA that relies on internet. I was not alive then, but this seems like a repeat of ON TV. My dad called it Sears TV. We were in the chicago area. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ON_TV_(TV_network) When I was a kid, I saw him remove a small arm antenna attachment off the main roof antenna. He said it was from when Sears had a TV service and is not used anymore.
this device is the only one on the market that records DRM encryption that should take care of that issue I find it odd that the 250$ zapper box can't record encrypted channels.
I believe the Zapperbox should be able to record DRM encrypted channels within the next month or two after a software update. The website lists it as something they're working on.
ATSC 3.0 is just a complete mess, and so are these boxes using custom versions of Android that I have a feeling will only get a few updates at best, and then leave consumers with a giant security hole, or a box not able to decode the channels when they update the security keys. Stay ATSC 1.0 if you can get your channels fine, or just stream since you need internet for ATSC 3.0 to work anyways, as many local TV stations offer their newscast on an app, or via their website.
I really am not worried about updates. My toaster and my microwave haven't had an update. I expect a TV to be just like that. You buy it and it works basically forever with not even once connecting to the internet.
@@kensmith5694 You clearly don't get it, that's not how this works with ATSC 3.0 it needs a consistent internet connection for the ever changing DRM decryption keys, so it's always updating every time you tune into an ATSC 3.0 DRM encrypted channel, or it won't work, plus if the version of Android on the turner box stops getting updates, and thus becomes uncertified you can't watch those ATSC 3.0 channels period, and you are also left with a potential security hole in your home network. So again this is not ATSC 1.0 of buy it once, and forget about it!!! Know what you're speaking about before speaking!
@@CommodoreFan64 o, you are the one who doesn't get it. DRM and encryption is junk. It makes a nonsense of "the public airwaves". It is not needed and it is just making trouble for people who want to watch TV. It is technology that is making life worse. Anyone who is in favor of it should be flogged around the fleet, keelhauled and then kicked. The day my TV needs to be connected to the internet to work is the day it goes out to the curb. If I need the internet, I may as well just watch cat videos on a computer.
@@kensmith5694 No dude you clearly missed what I'm saying, as I'm not in favor of it based on my original comment, I'm just saying what it is, and how ATSC 3.0 works, so if, and when ATSC 1.0 get shut down we are shi*t out of luck for OTA TV if we don't fight the DRM instead of just being a luddite, and going whatever, and not worrying about it, as it's a public safety issue if the internet goes down, and there is an emergency/disaster with people needing to know what to do, and a small taste of it was shown what can happen yesterday with AT&T's wireless network being down, which means for many who only have a phone, and no other way to access the internet they were sh%t out of luck, and they would have been even more so if we only had DRM ATSC 3.0, so we need to fight it, and fight it hard.
Ultimately this will fail to gain any ground in the market place for several reasons: 1. Lack of awareness. I dont know a single person that is even aware atsc3.0 is available. 2. Manufacturers like LG are bailing because of patten trolls. 3. Drm is making each device pointless. 4. Streaming is clearly the preferred delivery method nowadays. While an antenna can supplement services ( I personally have an American flag and indoor antenna ) and antennas have the best pure signal to watch sports, people like the simplicity of using internet services, especially as it offers a clean look with wall mounted tvs. 4. Lack of government support/oversite. The conversion from analog to digital signals allowed a lot more spectrum to be reclaimed by the government and they provided financial support for purchasing converter boxes.
This is actually a decent unit... The box seems to pick up the weaker ATSC 1.0 channels better than my TV Tuner (assuming it finds them via scanning)... and the ATSC 3.0 channels all come in, with clarity... The guide although finicky, is a nice touch... One annoyance is the delay between selecting the channel and the picture coming in perfectly.. So if you are a "channel surfer", this may be a deal breaker. Also, having to use a second remote... is annoying, though it can perform some of the TV functions via its remote (power on / volume). I'm a little let down by the "tweakability" of the unit. Example: The volume control simply hijacks my TV's volume control... the device does not have a "built in" volume control... at least not one that I have found.
2024 April it was a hard choice what ATSC 3.0 box to purchase previously had zapperbox earlier time amount of channels didnt match my LG tuner.. so I decided to buy ADTH tuner for what little I record I didn t want to over pay and be disapointed
The current experience is leaps and bounds better than even a couple months ago. My bad antenna in my bedroom can’t pickup the new ATSC 3 channels that dropped in Chicago this month, but it was fine with the channel master antenna in the living room. Watched the Super Bowl in ATSC 3, but it cut out around every 15 minutes and rebooted every hour or so, probably from over heating as the box doesn’t have any active cooling to decode x265 and AC4. Some channels appear to broadcast in HDR even though the source material isn’t in HDR like the local FOX 32. The channels appear to broadcast in 1080i and have way less compression artifacts than ATSC 1. These basic devices will only get cheaper and better as time goes on, so it probably isn’t a good idea to buy one today.
ADTH should make toasters or blenders or rakes. A $100 box to connect to your TV, and then do battle to watch the Dukes of Hazard isn't my slice of pie. ATSC 3.0 would be better if it never descrambled for anybody. An Internet connection required? That's worse than when Dish required a phone line stuck into the back of their box. Fake channels? What is getting really old is hearing that ATSC 3.0 "comes in better". If I had the ADTH box, it would be in the trash in a day.
Surprised you had no issues with the adth box. Yes you can sideload apps on the box it has an app section which you likely used in the app and in the system settings itself. However one thing to note is the app is unusable on a pihole dns household as the app crashes everytime you load an atsc 3.0 channel. You have to exclude it from pihole.
thank you question maybe you can cannot find out WNYE TV PBS steadily holding on is it my tv filter televees antenna you reccomended allowing this to happen or did WNYE PBS 25 NYC switch RF signal hard to tell no contact at website they have
I bought this tuner box and have a really good Outdoor Antenna setup. I receive all the ATSC 1.0 channels normally but none of the ATSC 3.0 channels. Don't exactly know why. The tv signals I'm getting is from New York City. I don't if that has anything to do with it
yes its coming that's why they are encrypted, cable model over the air. as you said, its coming, people that buy the boxes are giving away their freedom to watch free over the air tv without any incumbence whatsoever
It has already started. When you buy the box, you are buying from a company that had to pay a silly nonsense "certification" fee. The cost of this is passed along to you.
Probably in 15-20 years. The broadcasters are hoping to push ATSC 3.0 to the FCC and shut down ATSC 1.0 within the next ten years. After that, it's the wild west.
Here we go again?.... another Cable TV box....it is weird we end up going backwards...I recently connected an Antenna...I found all network stations...but..the TV keeps going back to smart cast .. keeps saying I am not connected to a network....how do i get rid of it... keep it from that.... thanks for the videos 😊
"ATSC 3.0 is the same 720p or 1080i" - 1080i, are you sure? Hasn't ATSC 3.0 done away with interlaced TV? "ATSC 3.0 codec has less compression than MPEG-2 on ATSC 1.0" - actually, ATSC 3.0 codec can use higher compression than MPEG-2 at the same visual quality. "Picture quality on live sporting events may look a little better" - how so? ATSC 1.0 is 30i/60p, and ATSC 3.0 does not use higher rates (it can, but it does not). Even if you uploaded your video at 60p, at the very best it would prove that 3.0 is as good as 1.0 in terms of motion portrayal. Although it may look better because the image does not break into macroblocks or turn into mush as easily as with bit-starved 1.0.
Yes, ATSC 3.0 is still the same 720p or 1080i channels from ATSC 1.0. 1080i networks like NBC and CBS are interlaced because that's how the TV station is getting the feed from the network and outputting their signal to the ATSC 3.0 lighthouse. I meant to say that ATSC 3.0 has less compression artifacts than MPEG-2. Understand I work really hard on these videos so a simple typo in the script is to be expected.
@@AntennaMan They may be getting their feed as 1080i, but I thought they deinterlace it and broadcast as 1080p, specifically as 1080p60. I thought that interlaced broadcast is finally abolished with the 3.0, is it not? Centralized deinterlacing with a high-quality tool has a potential to deliver better quality than a deinterlacer built into a TV set.
attempted ADTH tuner Failed well attempted to try ADTH 1.0 3.1 no DVR untill latter this yr company ADTH told me by email in the mean time could not record well only allows 30 60 90 minutes no rewind fast forward returning for refund down the road will consider zapperbox. was impresded with future updates however previously tried could not punch in VHF 11.1 like my LG TV tuner can to adjust my antenna hopefully zapperbox will adjust there software to be more sensitive.in this feature... hoping they go lower on price
Yeah basically this is probably a similar device to that homeworks thing that a lot of us bought. I like that homework thing. I could see possibly purchasing this sometime maybe down the road. The zapper box is like the ultimate king of it all. That's like the super tablo of everything. But yeah this might be an option for people. I mean it sounds like when you did the firmware upgrade it improved the tuner sensitivity. I figure even if it's a TV station I don't watch I still like to pull it in just to say I can get 124 TV stations in the Chicago area. You know I'm a DX kind of a person and I just like to challenge myself to see what I can get.
interesting how the android operating system seems to be the key to the poor mans ATSC 3.. nice price/product/review.... this company figured it out...
Other than buying an atsc 3.0 tuner, is there a way to find out whether the atsc 3.0 stations near me are even drm encrypted? Can we assume all fox, nbc, abc, and CBS nextgen stations are encrypting?
Nice review. I wonder how this compares to the one from Geniatech and Vbox Communications? Would you do a review of those also and select a winner? Those seem to be the only three on the market for now.
I bet the target buyer right now for the ADTH Box now are likely to be NASCAR fans and WWE fans who watch NXT regularly because of The CW move, don't tell them.
Kind of sucks to only get 12-24 hours of EPG data. This makes setting up dvr recordings a major hassle. Too bad i could not use my Schedules Direct subscription with it.
The EPG issue is less of a problem than what he said about how buggy the recording feature is. In the small hours of the morning tomorrow there is an old movie I haven't seen. The DVR feature of this this is so broken that you can't set it up to record it while I sleep.
@@kensmith5694 I would assume not ready for prime time yet for the market. It would be great to get more feedback after April if ADTH updates the firmware. I tested the HDHomerun Flex 4k a while back and it worked great as a DVR using Jellyfin and Schedules Direct however when you recorded a 3.0 Non encrypted channels it did not playback any sound because the open source decoder in Jellyfin could not decode AC4 sound because Dolby needs to have a license. I am told this may get fixed this year by the open source ffcodec. I just don't want to pay $35 more a year for a DVR subscription from Channels DVR.
You could probably put APK files on a microSD card and put the card in the tuner. That way you could install third party app stores such as Aptoide TV. But you would have to tell Android to allow the installation of apps from unknown sources. If this build of Android does not permit the installation of apps from unknown sources, then you're SOL and JWF.
@kensmith5694 well if you can access developer options by going to Settings, About Device, Software Information, and then click on Build Information seven times, that would be much easier.
So when those guys say beta, they aren't talking about it having a variety of bugs that need fixing, but instead it is missing common features you would expect to be in a DVR.
I have a feeling the lack of controls has to due with the restrictions the A3SA has for a DVR to be DRM certified. Broadcasters would love it if there was no way for consumers to skip passed commercials. It would guarantee their advertisers that the commercial is viewed.
Finally returned this tuner for a refund had to ask for a pre paid lable A to Z claim through amazon.. still freezes up when frozen crashes then auto reboots no rewind fast forward no schedueled recording avaiable till latter this yr gave up returned for refund.... reconsidering zapperbox or channelmasters atsc 3.0 tuner...
I was going to get one when they came out had issues with the site ordered one from Walmart about 4 weeks ago tuner seems to work better then the one in the TCL rouku TV
I am goinv to have to dig to discover which ATSC standard my most recent TV with a built in tuner has. Vizio PX65-G1 because the manual and android remote don't seem to show it. Because it's a few years old there's zero chance it's ATSC 3, but hopefully it's not locked to ATSC 1... I suppose I should check to see if Vizio offers an ATSC 3 component to plug into the antenna input for the PX65-G1. Seems doubtful though.
DRM encryption is a deal breaker as far as i am concerned and I really don't care who's fault it is. DRM encryption runs counter to Free TV. that coupled with having to have an internet connection just makes it a flat out deal breaker.
@AntennaMan can you review the The Zinwell "NextGen TV Box" (Model ZAT-600B)? World's first NextGen TV Device Certified by A3SA for Unconnected Operation. (No Internet Connection Required for DRM Encrypted Channels.)
What format are the recorded files saved in? Would I be able to record to a USB hard drive and then plug the hard drive into a Windows PC to watch the recordings?
It records files in .TS files. You can access recordings of ATSC 1.0 channels on a PC with the USB hard drive but recordings on ATSC 3.0 channels are encrypted and won't play.
@@AntennaMan Thanks for the reply. I wonder whether the manufacturer will release any software to allow the encrypted ATSC 3 files to be played on a PC. Since the device can decrypt and play the files, it should be possible for a PC to do so as well, with the correct software.
Can you please clarify the saved .TS files are accessible and can be manipulated (converted to a different file format). Yes I would assume a file recorded from a DRM encrypted 3.0 channel can't be moved or manipulated, but what about a program recorded from a 3.0 channel that was not encrypted with DRM? Can it be played in VLC player and have the fast forward functionality? If so you could render the video and play it through Jellyfin from a server. If not then it is best to stick with 1.0 broadcast recordings. Also HEVC codec uses AC4 Dolby that can't be decoded without a license (big issue with HDHomerun Flex 4k).
Is there an option to update firmware without internet? Such as via a flash drive? A large part of the draw for over the air broadcasts to people like me is independence from the internet and lack of bidirectional communication which concretely prevents any creepy user surveillance, analysis, analytics. Additionally, I am curious if there are any non-DRM receivers available for purchase? I for one could not stand even a cent going to A3SA or similarly corrupting organisations.
I believe the file of the firmware update can be installed on a flash drive and loaded on the device but I'm not 100% sure. See video below for a 3.0 device that is non-DRM. The HDHomerun is another option. I agree with your thought process of not giving a cent to the A3SA to continue to gate keep devices. ruclips.net/video/K1lrzezUwzk/видео.html
Will getting this device help me if my current antenna will no longer pickup the channel that converted to nextgen??? Was oblivious to the conversion entering my San Antonio market till just a couple days ago. It went into effect thus afternoon. I was forced to realize it because the change caused me to lose the ABC affiliate though not the sub channels underneath. Found the affiliate's web page describing this change but it unhelpfully suggested I get a new "outdoor" antenna than the channel master flat indoor antenna I've been using if a rescan didn't bring it back.
I have had one fail too. The issue is a problem in the power supply circuit. It is a design fault. The capacitors they are using to smooth out the power don't last while passing that much ripple current.
I had a homeworx unit fail after 9 months. I bought a naxa unit instead because the power supply transformer is not inside the unit but outside where you plug it into the wall. I'm hoping it'll be more reliable, and should that fail, I hope I could simply buy another power supply to get the unit working again. Time, of course, will tell...
Tyler says "in plain English there is no 4k tv" ??? Well, really curious about the Paris 2024 olympics. I read that the whole thing is being produced in 4k. Where does that leave us? Will the summer olympics this year be available OTA in 4k and hopefully HDR? I believe I've seen 1080p HDR10 from a streaming service I use and I have to say it looked amazing. Hopefully we get HDR10 soon on broadcast TV.
What can I do to get my channels out of the red on my signal meter on my TV should I put long hangers or all short ones on my coat hanger antenna I've got 6 channels in the green now some in Yello I can't afford an I outdoors antenna they won't let me have one up
Try a signal meter to find a better location for the antenna. See video below. Also make sure you have a decent indoor antenna like the Channel Master FLATenna. ruclips.net/video/1_Cy08x5qeY/видео.html
Yes, as mentioned in the video an ATSC 3.0 will improve reception if a trash VHF station in your area is carried on the ATSC 3.0, which is the case in most markets.
@@AntennaMan - Appreciate the info I've been on the fence for weeks now on these tuners. What about stations that don't carry ATSC 3.0, absolutely nothing to improve those stations? I've got a Televes Beixa, and I feel like I am doing just fine went from 84 to 142 channels I'm picking up now. I know you mentioned if you pick up all the networks fine its not worth it to pick up one of these turners, DVR isn't that important to me, but if there is anything these boxes can do outside of 3.0, I think I might get one. Hope I am not wasting your time, but really appreciate the info.
Tuner sensitivity is key for me. Does anybody know how the ADTH box tuner sensitivity compares to Zinwell ZAT600B or ZapperBox M1? The fact that channel master decided to partner with Zinwell makes me think it makes the mark?
📺 Affiliate link to the ADTH Tuner 👉 amzn.to/3Lgz3VZ
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www.antennamanpa.com/antenna-recommendations.html
i thought you were done with 3.0? bit surprised you have yet to cover tablo tv.
Since you mentioned it’s Android base, is there a apk for the software that is download able? Android has plenty of tv tuner dongle but software sucks.
Thank you Tyler for your reply
Hi Tyler, I already have subscribed
@@pearlrival3124 When did I say I was done with 3.0??? I also reviewed several Tablo models on my channel. I didn't get to the recent one yet because they seemed to pull out of a sponsorship on my channel possibly due to me speaking out against DRM encryption. Tablo is now owned by Scripps which has turned on DRM encryption on their channels.
Tyler... My go to guy for anything antenna related...
Excellent review of the ADTH tuner/DVR box! I really appreciate your passion for investigating and evaluating OA technology and sharing your knowledge with subscribers in layman’s language. Keep up the good work!
Thank you again for another in-depth review with your very nice professional presentation!
I appreciate the kind words. As far as the "professional presentation," I try my best but I'm not Lester Holt. I'm working on a new studio where I can sit down and present in a more relaxed manner as opposed to my basement studio where I feel a bit tense considering it's less than 50 degrees down there in the winter.
Thank God you're now Lester!
Hopefully this trend of ATSC 3.0 tuners using android will result in some form of community maintenance, rather than neglect resulting in security risks
fyi: the fruit phone system is just as hackable .....💯😤🤔
Yeah right, try repairing one.
Better yet would be to just remove the need for internet so there are no security risks.
@riceexe The current implementation of DRM via Google Widevine only works in Android-based systems. Lon Seidman covered it his video below. ATSC 3.0 seems to be a whole "pay to play" system full of conflicts of interest. ruclips.net/video/e1vTpSJHVyo/видео.htmlsi=_STEVqJ58x43d1rn
Thanks for a great review! I can see that I can just hold off on an ATSC 3.0 box - I get all my locals great here in the Detroit area. No 'trash' Lo-VHF channels except one I don't watch anyway.
This is PERFECT. I have a senior dad who WILL NOT SWITCH TO STREAMING yet. He complained that his new 65" 4k screen is looking worse than his broken 1080p screen for OTA channels and thought this might be the answer.
He lives not too far away from the broadcasting stations, and if this device doesn't give us 4k, maybe a better antenna will be better. Thanks for your video!
Thanks for the review. The good news here is that ATSC 1.0 will be with us for a good while longer. I'm not anxious to give up my OTA Tivo.
I also use the TiVo Edge OTA but I’m worried about its long term prospects as the OTA TiVo Edge is no longer appearing on TiVo’s site.
Need free Air channels forever in USA!
This seems like progress, but I still need a box that allows for network connectivity based on where my antenna is in relation to my tv. I was very excited about ATSC 3.0 and was thrilled to be able to finally get all my locals - until the DRM started. My expectation is that the local broadcasters will require an internet connection to de-crypt and eventually start charging for access. Very disappointing.
I agree, stick with 1.0 as long as you can. I know few people who even knows about broadcast tv and most just watch on a roku or fire stick. To me, its a best kept secret that i use daily. I soent quite a bit if time finding the right antenna to receive from two directions at the same time and a good booster and splitter setup to get over 80 channels to 3 tvs and 2 stereos. I will just keep it to myself and hope it does not get outdated.
Thanks for this review. I was looking at the Reddit reviews of this device when it first came out, and it sounds like ADTH has made an effort to improve the user experience since that time. In the Washington DC market, Howard University is hosting the ATSC 3.0 channels and their ATSC 1.0 channel moved to a VHF frequency shared with the ABC affiliate that is hard to get. This box is at a price point where it is worth trying just to get back that PBS station which often has different programming from WETA. It might also help with the multipath interference problem once the leaves are back on the trees.
Finally a model "worth buying," yet there's so little worth watching or recording.
Yeah...The only reason I have in any of these ATSC 3 tuners is because when ATSC 3 came to NYC the resulting frequency shuffles resulted in the PBS station being rendered unreceivable. BUT the ATSC 3 simulcast of the PBS channel (WLIW/) should be receivable. So I'm in a very slice of the population that has to watch an un-encrypted 3.0 channel ( or stream WLIW through the internet). The DRM on the commercial ATSC 3 channels seems a nightmare.
Should be that encryption is illegal and/or unethical on public frequencies. That will probably have to get tested to formulate case law. The citizens lose in the meantime.
Thanks for the review. But I have no interest in getting anything ATSC 3.0 until the broadcasters drop the DRM.
I don't blame you one bit!
ATSC 1.0 real TV freedom forever. Your old ATSC 1.0 TV video recordings will still play 100 years from now on something.
1:46 I see Tay Tay snuck into the scene there LOL! Nice job Tyler, just ordered one using your affiliate link. Thanks
Going to go ATSC 3.0 after I can save the recording. Still concerned that it's not going to make it.
Unfortunately this might never happen. I think the goal of broadcasters is to tie a recording to a device so it can expire.
When WPVI-TV (formerly WFIL-TV) was analog on channel 6, they ran ERP of 74.1 KW Visual and 7.41 KW Aural. Or, 48.7 dBm. With a decent antenna, they were often received in the D.C. area after WTTG had signed-off. And, sometimes with WTTG on. Not a "trash" signal, by any means! Today, they run 45 KW ERP. Or, 46.5 dBm. Since a -3 dB power reduction is a 50% power attenuation, that -2.2 dB cut is a 1/3 power loss. Remember that power change is measured via logarithmic calculation as it's not linear. It's that low-power signal that's the problem. Low-Band VHF is not "trash". At any given power level, the signal propagates better than High-Band VHF, and definitely UHF.. That's why in the analog era, the FCC set max visual ERP at 100 KW for VHF-low, 316 KW for VHF-hi, and 5,000 KW for UHF, to give stations "an equal playing field" in coverage. Yes, Low-Band VHF creates problems with ATSC 1.0 that didn't exist, or went unnoticed at analog. The "ghosts" of multipath in analog creates packet collisions and/or delayed packets in ATSC 1.0. This is due to the ancient FEC (Forward Error Correction) protocol in VSB-8/ATSC 1.0. This should not be a problem with ATSC 3.0 as it uses COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) for error correction. However, here in the D.C. area at least, the CP's for ATSC 3.0 operation use power levels even lower than those for ATSC 1.0. While coverage can be dependent upon the emission type used, RF is not unlike a pipe. It doesn't care what you shove down it. These lower power levels do not bode well for the future of ATSC 3.0 via antenna.
Also, I have to disagree with you just a bit on what video resolution ATSC 3.0 provides. While you are correct that what you'll find today are either direct or upscaled 720p or 1080i signals, ATSC 3.0 is fully capable of 3840p HEVC video. However, as was the case in the original digital conversion, it'll take time for the broadcasters to purchase or adapt equipment to the higher resolutions. A very serious investment. Especially coming so soon after the digital transmission conversion (Which cost most broadcasters an average of $6 million per station), not to mention costs incurred in the repack, where channels 38-51 were re-allocated from Broadcast. Also, please keep in mind that the higher the resolution of your primary stream, the less bandwidth you have for either secondary streams (The so-called "sub-channels"), or in this post repack era, a "host" station being able to accommodate a "guest" station. For these reasons, I would expect "4K" to actually be sent at a lower resolution. Probably the 2160p commonly seen online..
DRM is another kettle of fish. Rotten fish that should be thrown back in the sewage treatment plant. Existing copyright law is sufficient to stop another "Lo-Cast" or similar "provider". However, it needs to be remembered that in addition to intellectual property rights of content providers, everything transmitted by a broadcaster is legally protected from copying and/or retransmission under copyright law via "compilation copyright". The demise of what used to be called a "sign-on/sign-off" does not invalidate or even weaken that copyright. (Remember "Programs intended for home reception, without charge for admission", etc.?)
Tyler, sorry this ran so long. But, as a retired broadcast engineer of 45 years, I hate seeing VHF-Lo getting dissed after it served us so well for so long. You are not the first with those feelings. Not far from you is WGAL-TV. I suggest you look and read why it went from channel 4 to channel 8. The FCC has been having "problems" with that part of the spectrum since the 1940's. I do like your channel overall.
As someone who has recurring issues with WPVI reception... can you confirm or deny the fact that low VHF reception can be affected by many more factors than a high VHF or UHF signal? Most notably, FM radio, LED bulbs, weather, etc?
I’m in Northern MD and can get the trash signal of WPVI (ATSC 1.0) on many summer nights; many times better than the other Philly stations. It’s cool that they still use their old news theme from the 70s. Also, K03IM-D is the only ATSC 3.0 station that I know of that is in 4K. They have three 4K, two 1080p and one 480p.
@@jeffreykoerber6595 I'm trying to think why your name is ringing bells with me!
I just looked at the tech specs on K03IM-D. What a joke! I run more RF power on six meters (50-54 MHz) than they do! 56 watts! That's supposed to impress? I do like their video specs at 4K for the most part. But, that bit rate of 4-5 Mbps per stream shows the limitations of working with a 6 MHz wide channel. It would be interesting to see what their 1080p streams look like at 600 Kbps and 750 Kbps.
@@Swoliosis1 Definitely confirm! That's why they need to run more power than 45KW ERP. Channel 6 can have problems with FM stations at the bottom of the dial. There's also electrical interference from poorly maintained aerial plant (Think arcing at insulators on poles.) not to mention Sporadic E-Skip bringing-in co-channel stations from about 1,000 miles away. A weak signal opens up those gremlins. But, as a broadcaster, on a daily basis, I'll take the lower transmitter electric bill of a low-band VHF over the cost of a VHF-Hi or UHF. Remember that Digital has the transmitter running at a 100% duty cycle. In the analog days, the video transmitter power consumption varied with how "dark" the modulation depth of the video was.
@@johnpinckney4979 My experience with WPVI has been very frustrating...
I am relatively new to OTA. I am about 45 miles from WPVI.. I thought I had NO HOPE of receiving it... especially after installing a High-VHF / UHF antenna in my attic. Low and behold, night 1... WPVI came in clear as a bell! I was flabbergasted... Then on day 2.. it didn't...
I did tons of research... and decided that I'd modify the high-VHF dipole for RF6... there were no other VHF channels I was interested in. Eureka!! It came in perfectly for months... until it did not....
You can see similar results from a live scanner near my location... see the huge recent light green gap? It is not just me...
rabbitears.info/tvdx/render_graph/108123BC/tuner0/WPVI-TV/-180days/now
Though it seems to be improving a bit here recently... I gather it is something to do with the season? Either that, or a problem at the station??
I'm now battling with the idea of further modifications.... or maybe buying an ATSC 3.0 tuner as they do broadcast on UHF now... but you need the 3.0 tuner.....
Quite a battle!
Seeing that you can get WPVI 6abc is all I need to know. Thanks so much, from another Philadelphian!
Thanks for the review. I now own a ZapperBox M1 but wanted a 2nd device for our master bedroom and just don't have the $200 to $275 to do that so this cheaper ADTH may be a perfect addition for upstairs. I like the ZapperBox M1 and will be our main box but having a 2nd device for a 2nd room will be nice. I used your affiliate link so hopefully you see a few $$ from when I buy one.
I actually have two of these boxes. And the signal held up well for the Super Bowl. And that update to rescan and keep my current channels was a godsend for me. Because I had better luck tuning into NextGen TV out of Miami, as my local lighthouse in West Palm Beach is low-powered. A distant full-powered signal is better than a non-existent local signal, I guess...
DRM and encryption have made such a pig's breakfast of the whole thing that I am not going to bother getting a new set top box. The need for a internet connection means that I may as well replace my TV with a computer an just watch stuff over the internet rather than bother with any over the air encryption nonsense. For now the ATSC-1.0 is still working well enough for me. When that quits, the TV goes out to the curb.
let me know if thats a crt!!🤣
@@suplexpizza Yes, it is not just a CRT it is a coal fired one. Somewhere I still have straps for strapping it onto a dinosaur. Why do you ask?
ADTH box hasn’t worked well for me. I get pixelation, freezing, and signals drop off. I had to go back to my old IVIEW-3500STBA III ATSC 1.0 box
Tyler, to answer answer your question about finding the frequency for a given digital channel, use this formula: F=6N+389, with N being the channel number.
Or Google will tell you the frequency for the RF channel number.
@@be236 And if you don't have an Internet connection? That's part of the concern here when it comes to DRM, isn't it? Not requiring an Internet connection...
@@johnpinckney4979 Yeah, requiring Internet to get DRM channels really sucks! Not sure how they can ever resolve that, other than FCC stepping in somehow.
Thanks for sharing! I didn't know there was a formula. I still don't understand why ADTH thought the average non technical consumer (who think HD antennas are a thing) would know the specific frequencies TV channels.
only for uhf channels tho
Tyler, Thank You. I live about 90 miles south of Tulsa OK and get good results with my Channel Master antenna. This tells me I'm good for a while!
That's my experience with this box. Pretty buggy to start. Now, it's working pretty darn good. Another excellent review.
I receive 94 channels over the air with the Televes antenna in the upstate of South Carolina using the Tablo HDMI unit with two tuners. It's OK but the tuner needs improvement. Some of the channels drop off but the same channels on my 2009 Magnavox OA DVR hold steady. Love your info video on the Nextgen TV DVR.
@AntennaMan Excellent Review as always!! Out of all these boxes ADTH , Zapperbox etc which on you think is the best so far? Thank you very much appreciate it!!
Zapperbox is probably the best right not but there aren't may options to say the least.
Thanks for your response to the "what's the best box?" question and the review of this ADTH box. My only current "need" for an ATSC 3 tuner is due to the intro of ATSC 3 into the NYC area a few months ago. The resulting frequency shifts caused the loss of the main WLIW channel, but it is also broadcast as ATSC 3.
Anyway, this box is only a little more expensive than the GTMedia HDTV Mate + $20 Walmart ONN Google TV hockey puck.
Do you think SW updates for this box are more likely than the GT Media HDTV Mate?
Thanks!
Thank you@@AntennaMan
Thank you for keeping us informed on new dvr's.
Nice tuner. Won't buy that or any other as long as ATSC 3.0 has any encryption requiring an internet connection phoning home.
I watch my local over the air channels via desktop with internal Hauppauge tuner. I can schedule recordings up to two weeks in advance using Titan TV. No lack of storage on my hard drive and no monthly fees.
Yes, that will work until they screw it up for you. I have a USB tuner thing. It works fine and the software I have works well enough.
I like how ADTH brings major improvements to every update. I got Kodi and VLC (32 bit) each installed, but can't get the select button on the remote to work in Kodi. Also tried an HEVC 4:2:2 file and seems to be no-go.
You got vlc installed. Great to hear.! I installed some iptv app, I think. Kinda worked but not perfectly.
A pita to get to, so I abandoned the box 3 months ago. It is just sitting there disconnected. It was a little more iffy on certain stations, and tuned slower than my built in Sony.
The DVR sucked because no compression, no ability to fast forward or find your precious place. Without compression all of my external USB powered hard could barely keep up, and too many failures. No 1980 vrc schedule available.
I was thinking of giving it to a relative. Might be useful for an antenna pointing in the opposite direction.
They should add iptv and improve the DVR, then it would be nice.
I like the hdmi seamless interface, no special remote needed, which the tablo lacks.
My first reaction: Why can't we just get a remote with channel numbers on a tuner like this? Otherwise, it has potential if it improves the DVR feature, and allows entering RF numbers. I'd rather not have to look up the frequency.
I'm also not a fan of the slow removal of channel numbers on remotes. The last two TVs I purchased don't have them (Fire TVs) and it seems that Roku smart TVs don't have them either. Thankfully, you can favorite channels on the ADTH tuner.
Thank you so much..the only ch I cannot get is my local ch 12 here on San Antonio tx. So mad about it
Thank u Tyler! Now, for an "Ole fart" on a fixed income, what do we do if u have no internet service & basically use antennas like when WE were kids on 3.0? What boxes do we need? Or what are our options?
U have helped me immensely on antenna choices, or I would have definitely bought the wrong one
👍
No need to worry about any changes right now. We're still in the very early stages of ATSC 3.0. All of your current equipment will continue to work for at least another ten years. See video below: ruclips.net/video/8Kjj5xVZ5nY/видео.html
I bought this box when it first came out in December. I just installed the unit today on an older Vizio 4k tv. The colors are richer via this tuner than on the installed Vizio Atsc 1.0 tuner. I like the ad-free program guide, my tv does not have Vizio’s Watchfree+ program guide. I had to use SlingFree’s program guide which compresses the antenna signal. The big selling point with 3.0 is that it is 4k compatible but my local stations are broadcasting in 1080p and 720p. My local PBS and ABC stations have interactive menus embedded in their 3.0 channels with lots of content. Antenna Man did not cover the interactive channel menus. Wi-Fi capability is a big plus. It’s really not so different than using my Roku remote. 😐In the evening, haven't been able to tune to the ATSC 3.0 stations. It works during the day, but not at night. My ATSC 1.0 tuner works at night. I am using a splitter to connect to 2 different tuning devices.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't really notice things like richer colors. Any HD video signal looks fine to me. In fact, I'd have no issue if all channels were 720p.
I ended up returning the ADTH tuner i ordered last month. I’m in Austin, TX and there are two lighthouse stations. One lighthouse station came in just fine, but then would start stuttering. The other would just spin and spin and not play the channels on that lighthouse.
Their UI is horrible, as well. It’s not ready for prime time.
The spinning issue on the 3.0 channels might've been related to a weak signal from your antenna ais it's what ATSC 3.0 does when the signal is low. It doesn't pixelate like ATSC 1.0.
The UI is clunky and hard to navigate.
Thanks Tyler! I may get this to take care of that ABC Philly issue. I would definitely get it through the link.
Looks like this could be a good future option. But since my Tablo was on sale for $79 I think it still has an edge. Although Tablo missing an HDMI option does give this one a little bump. Tablo 4th gen is still buggy as well. We are currently working multiple issues with support...... and not good support.
All new tech products will have bugs for weeks or months after they're first released. It's one of the reasons I waited to review this product along with the newest generation Tablo.
Could you plug in the thumb drive into a computer and see if you're able to access the recordings? Even the DRM encrypted ones?
You can with recordings from ATSC 1.0 channels but recordings on DRM encrypted channels will not play on any device outside of the ADTH box.
No Play Back of recordings on other devices have ("No sound issues") because of Dolby AC4 audio codec used in ATSC 3.0 NEXTGEN-TV does not have a legal open source license to decode legally on many devices.
A friend only has VHS tapes and an old CRT TV. I think he still watch Gilligans Island
I still have some VHS tapes. I still have CRT based TVs. The tapes are because I didn't throw them away. The TVs are because they are too heavy to lift.
The FCC really needs to enforce no DRM on OTA broadcasts. DRM is going to kill ATSC 3.0. What is the point of OTA when it requires an internet connection???
The FCC needs to give all the OTA spectrum away to companies that dont have DRM.
Part of me thinks the FCC isn't doing anything because they're waiting for the broadcasters to fall flat on their face with DRM on ATSC 3.0. There have been nothing but problems with it so far. It's so bad that it likely hurt consumer adoption of ATSC 3.0.
@@AntennaMan
I hope no TV manufactures install ATSC 3.0 tuners, only 2.0. That will ensure it and drm dies. You cant have OTA that relies on internet.
I was not alive then, but this seems like a repeat of ON TV. My dad called it Sears TV. We were in the chicago area.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ON_TV_(TV_network)
When I was a kid, I saw him remove a small arm antenna attachment off the main roof antenna. He said it was from when Sears had a TV service and is not used anymore.
@@AntennaMan
You should make a video about those 70s/80s pay OTA services like ON TV and Selectv.
@@common_c3nts I already made a video on them. Look up "Paid OTA TV service expands"
this device is the only one on the market that records DRM encryption that should take care of that issue I find it odd that the 250$ zapper box can't record encrypted channels.
I believe the Zapperbox should be able to record DRM encrypted channels within the next month or two after a software update. The website lists it as something they're working on.
@@AntennaMan was there a update for the older models.if so than why all the fuss about DRM encryption.
ATSC 3.0 is just a complete mess, and so are these boxes using custom versions of Android that I have a feeling will only get a few updates at best, and then leave consumers with a giant security hole, or a box not able to decode the channels when they update the security keys. Stay ATSC 1.0 if you can get your channels fine, or just stream since you need internet for ATSC 3.0 to work anyways, as many local TV stations offer their newscast on an app, or via their website.
I really am not worried about updates. My toaster and my microwave haven't had an update. I expect a TV to be just like that. You buy it and it works basically forever with not even once connecting to the internet.
@@kensmith5694 You clearly don't get it, that's not how this works with ATSC 3.0 it needs a consistent internet connection for the ever changing DRM decryption keys, so it's always updating every time you tune into an ATSC 3.0 DRM encrypted channel, or it won't work, plus if the version of Android on the turner box stops getting updates, and thus becomes uncertified you can't watch those ATSC 3.0 channels period, and you are also left with a potential security hole in your home network. So again this is not ATSC 1.0 of buy it once, and forget about it!!! Know what you're speaking about before speaking!
@@CommodoreFan64 o, you are the one who doesn't get it. DRM and encryption is junk. It makes a nonsense of "the public airwaves". It is not needed and it is just making trouble for people who want to watch TV. It is technology that is making life worse. Anyone who is in favor of it should be flogged around the fleet, keelhauled and then kicked. The day my TV needs to be connected to the internet to work is the day it goes out to the curb. If I need the internet, I may as well just watch cat videos on a computer.
@@kensmith5694 No dude you clearly missed what I'm saying, as I'm not in favor of it based on my original comment, I'm just saying what it is, and how ATSC 3.0 works, so if, and when ATSC 1.0 get shut down we are shi*t out of luck for OTA TV if we don't fight the DRM instead of just being a luddite, and going whatever, and not worrying about it, as it's a public safety issue if the internet goes down, and there is an emergency/disaster with people needing to know what to do, and a small taste of it was shown what can happen yesterday with AT&T's wireless network being down, which means for many who only have a phone, and no other way to access the internet they were sh%t out of luck, and they would have been even more so if we only had DRM ATSC 3.0, so we need to fight it, and fight it hard.
Ultimately this will fail to gain any ground in the market place for several reasons:
1. Lack of awareness. I dont know a single person that is even aware atsc3.0 is available.
2. Manufacturers like LG are bailing because of patten trolls.
3. Drm is making each device pointless.
4. Streaming is clearly the preferred delivery method nowadays. While an antenna can supplement services ( I personally have an American flag and indoor antenna ) and antennas have the best pure signal to watch sports, people like the simplicity of using internet services, especially as it offers a clean look with wall mounted tvs.
4. Lack of government support/oversite. The conversion from analog to digital signals allowed a lot more spectrum to be reclaimed by the government and they provided financial support for purchasing converter boxes.
This is actually a decent unit...
The box seems to pick up the weaker ATSC 1.0 channels better than my TV Tuner (assuming it finds them via scanning)... and the ATSC 3.0 channels all come in, with clarity...
The guide although finicky, is a nice touch...
One annoyance is the delay between selecting the channel and the picture coming in perfectly.. So if you are a "channel surfer", this may be a deal breaker.
Also, having to use a second remote... is annoying, though it can perform some of the TV functions via its remote (power on / volume).
I'm a little let down by the "tweakability" of the unit. Example: The volume control simply hijacks my TV's volume control... the device does not have a "built in" volume control... at least not one that I have found.
2024 April
it was a hard choice what ATSC 3.0 box to purchase previously had zapperbox earlier
time amount of channels didnt match my
LG tuner..
so I decided to buy ADTH tuner for what little I record I didn t want to over pay and be disapointed
The current experience is leaps and bounds better than even a couple months ago. My bad antenna in my bedroom can’t pickup the new ATSC 3 channels that dropped in Chicago this month, but it was fine with the channel master antenna in the living room. Watched the Super Bowl in ATSC 3, but it cut out around every 15 minutes and rebooted every hour or so, probably from over heating as the box doesn’t have any active cooling to decode x265 and AC4. Some channels appear to broadcast in HDR even though the source material isn’t in HDR like the local FOX 32. The channels appear to broadcast in 1080i and have way less compression artifacts than ATSC 1. These basic devices will only get cheaper and better as time goes on, so it probably isn’t a good idea to buy one today.
Another great video and not a bad product for the price !
thank you for the updates
ADTH should make toasters or blenders or rakes. A $100 box to connect to your TV, and then do battle to watch the Dukes of Hazard isn't my slice of pie. ATSC 3.0 would be better if it never descrambled for anybody. An Internet connection required? That's worse than when Dish required a phone line stuck into the back of their box. Fake channels? What is getting really old is hearing that ATSC 3.0 "comes in better". If I had the ADTH box, it would be in the trash in a day.
Surprised you had no issues with the adth box. Yes you can sideload apps on the box it has an app section which you likely used in the app and in the system settings itself.
However one thing to note is the app is unusable on a pihole dns household as the app crashes everytime you load an atsc 3.0 channel. You have to exclude it from pihole.
Eh? Why not just allow the addresses it wants to resolve?
The Zapperbox freezes up every day because it uses Google software. What is this using?
This ADTH tuner uses the same Android-based software but a different app developed by ADTH rather than Zapperbox.
These boxes don’t have the processing and tuning power for ATSC 3.0.
Will these new ATSC 3.0 converters always require a internet connection for DRM channels?
That's to be determined.
What does it have on the back? I’m guessing just HDMI?
It has an HDMI output, ethernet port, and AV out jack to connect to an old TV with RCA cables.
@@AntennaMan Wow! Ethernet in a $90 (your Walmart link) ATSC 3/1 tuner Android box. That's sorta amazing...
@@AntennaMan thanks!
I got a message in my news feed the other day about a Channel Master ATSC 3.0 tuner box that they were releasing. Have you seen anything about this?
Device only uses 2-3 watts at idle... 4-5 watts while displaying channel.
Question
how sensitive is this ADTH 3.0 tuner compared to zapperbox
can we see a side by side compared
sensitivity matters too me...
No way for me to tell exactly but both tuners seemed to pick up all of the channels fine in my area.
thank you
question maybe you can cannot find out WNYE TV PBS
steadily holding on
is it my tv filter televees antenna you reccomended allowing this to happen
or did WNYE PBS 25 NYC
switch RF signal hard to tell
no contact at website they have
6:33 move closer to your world @antenna man
I bought this tuner box and have a really good Outdoor Antenna setup. I receive all the ATSC 1.0 channels normally but none of the ATSC 3.0 channels. Don't exactly know why. The tv signals I'm getting is from New York City. I don't if that has anything to do with it
Almost all remotes on all devices,
are confusing,
and complicated.
At least this remote seems simple.
ADTH uses a Bluetooth remote.
When do we start paying for ota channels?It's coming.
yes its coming that's why they are encrypted, cable model over the air. as you said, its coming,
people that buy the boxes are giving away their freedom to watch free over the air tv without any incumbence whatsoever
It has already started. When you buy the box, you are buying from a company that had to pay a silly nonsense "certification" fee. The cost of this is passed along to you.
Probably in 15-20 years. The broadcasters are hoping to push ATSC 3.0 to the FCC and shut down ATSC 1.0 within the next ten years. After that, it's the wild west.
Here we go again?.... another Cable TV box....it is weird we end up going backwards...I recently connected an Antenna...I found all network stations...but..the TV keeps going back to smart cast .. keeps saying I am not connected to a network....how do i get rid of it... keep it from that.... thanks for the videos 😊
I purchased this it s on it s way will update on local networks connecticut nyc market
previous zapperbox to costly
"ATSC 3.0 is the same 720p or 1080i" - 1080i, are you sure? Hasn't ATSC 3.0 done away with interlaced TV? "ATSC 3.0 codec has less compression than MPEG-2 on ATSC 1.0" - actually, ATSC 3.0 codec can use higher compression than MPEG-2 at the same visual quality. "Picture quality on live sporting events may look a little better" - how so? ATSC 1.0 is 30i/60p, and ATSC 3.0 does not use higher rates (it can, but it does not). Even if you uploaded your video at 60p, at the very best it would prove that 3.0 is as good as 1.0 in terms of motion portrayal. Although it may look better because the image does not break into macroblocks or turn into mush as easily as with bit-starved 1.0.
Yes, ATSC 3.0 is still the same 720p or 1080i channels from ATSC 1.0. 1080i networks like NBC and CBS are interlaced because that's how the TV station is getting the feed from the network and outputting their signal to the ATSC 3.0 lighthouse.
I meant to say that ATSC 3.0 has less compression artifacts than MPEG-2. Understand I work really hard on these videos so a simple typo in the script is to be expected.
@@AntennaMan They may be getting their feed as 1080i, but I thought they deinterlace it and broadcast as 1080p, specifically as 1080p60. I thought that interlaced broadcast is finally abolished with the 3.0, is it not? Centralized deinterlacing with a high-quality tool has a potential to deliver better quality than a deinterlacer built into a TV set.
Great video I learned a lot.
I have this box and I love it. 😜
attempted ADTH tuner Failed
well attempted to try ADTH 1.0 3.1 no DVR untill latter this yr company ADTH told me by email in the mean time
could not record well only allows 30 60 90 minutes no rewind fast forward
returning for refund down the road will consider zapperbox. was impresded with future updates however previously tried
could not punch in VHF 11.1 like my LG TV
tuner can to adjust my antenna
hopefully zapperbox will adjust there software to be more sensitive.in this feature...
hoping they go lower on price
Yeah basically this is probably a similar device to that homeworks thing that a lot of us bought. I like that homework thing. I could see possibly purchasing this sometime maybe down the road. The zapper box is like the ultimate king of it all. That's like the super tablo of everything. But yeah this might be an option for people. I mean it sounds like when you did the firmware upgrade it improved the tuner sensitivity. I figure even if it's a TV station I don't watch I still like to pull it in just to say I can get 124 TV stations in the Chicago area. You know I'm a DX kind of a person and I just like to challenge myself to see what I can get.
interesting how the android operating system seems to be the key to the poor mans ATSC 3.. nice price/product/review.... this company figured it out...
Other than buying an atsc 3.0 tuner, is there a way to find out whether the atsc 3.0 stations near me are even drm encrypted? Can we assume all fox, nbc, abc, and CBS nextgen stations are encrypting?
Nice review. I wonder how this compares to the one from Geniatech and Vbox Communications? Would you do a review of those also and select a winner? Those seem to be the only three on the market for now.
Thanks for the review. The box sounds pretty terrible in it's current state with the extensive DVR limitations.
I bet the target buyer right now for the ADTH Box now are likely to be NASCAR fans and WWE fans who watch NXT regularly because of The CW move, don't tell them.
How do u do a factory set
Kind of sucks to only get 12-24 hours of EPG data. This makes setting up dvr recordings a major hassle. Too bad i could not use my Schedules Direct subscription with it.
The EPG issue is less of a problem than what he said about how buggy the recording feature is. In the small hours of the morning tomorrow there is an old movie I haven't seen. The DVR feature of this this is so broken that you can't set it up to record it while I sleep.
@@kensmith5694 I would assume not ready for prime time yet for the market. It would be great to get more feedback after April if ADTH updates the firmware. I tested the HDHomerun Flex 4k a while back and it worked great as a DVR using Jellyfin and Schedules Direct however when you recorded a 3.0 Non encrypted channels it did not playback any sound because the open source decoder in Jellyfin could not decode AC4 sound because Dolby needs to have a license. I am told this may get fixed this year by the open source ffcodec. I just don't want to pay $35 more a year for a DVR subscription from Channels DVR.
You could probably put APK files on a microSD card and put the card in the tuner. That way you could install third party app stores such as Aptoide TV. But you would have to tell Android to allow the installation of apps from unknown sources. If this build of Android does not permit the installation of apps from unknown sources, then you're SOL and JWF.
There may be ways to do it by opening the box and getting at the PCB or by fooling the device into thinking it is getting an update.
@kensmith5694 well if you can access developer options by going to Settings, About Device, Software Information, and then click on Build Information seven times, that would be much easier.
I’m waiting for the adth usb tuner
So when those guys say beta, they aren't talking about it having a variety of bugs that need fixing, but instead it is missing common features you would expect to be in a DVR.
I have a feeling the lack of controls has to due with the restrictions the A3SA has for a DVR to be DRM certified. Broadcasters would love it if there was no way for consumers to skip passed commercials. It would guarantee their advertisers that the commercial is viewed.
Finally returned this tuner for a refund had to ask for a pre paid lable A to Z claim through amazon..
still freezes up when frozen crashes then auto reboots no rewind fast forward no schedueled recording avaiable till latter this yr
gave up returned for refund....
reconsidering zapperbox or channelmasters
atsc 3.0 tuner...
I was going to get one when they came out had issues with the site ordered one from Walmart about 4 weeks ago tuner seems to work better then the one in the TCL rouku TV
It's a decent tuner for sure!
I looked at my antenna results in my area now I have a low VHF CHANNEL 4
I am goinv to have to dig to discover which ATSC standard my most recent TV with a built in tuner has. Vizio PX65-G1 because the manual and android remote don't seem to show it. Because it's a few years old there's zero chance it's ATSC 3, but hopefully it's not locked to ATSC 1... I suppose I should check to see if Vizio offers an ATSC 3 component to plug into the antenna input for the PX65-G1. Seems doubtful though.
great video
can you do a two room set up using same antenna I d be interested how well that workd
DRM encryption is a deal breaker as far as i
am concerned and I really don't care who's fault it is. DRM encryption runs counter to Free TV. that coupled with having to have an internet connection just makes it a flat out deal breaker.
I agree. As soon as internet is needed you may as well just use a computer to watch videos
@AntennaMan can you review the The Zinwell "NextGen TV Box" (Model ZAT-600B)? World's first NextGen TV Device Certified by A3SA for Unconnected Operation. (No Internet Connection Required for DRM Encrypted Channels.)
I plan to review this in a few weeks. @LonSeidman just reviewed it so be sure to watch it on his channel in the meantime.
Unless they step away from DRM, ATSC 3.0 will be DOA.
I really hope so but sadly very dad ideas sometimes get a life of their own.
ATSC 1.0 real TV freedom forever. Your old ATSC 1.0 TV video recordings will still play 100 years from now on something.
Thanks
What format are the recorded files saved in? Would I be able to record to a USB hard drive and then plug the hard drive into a Windows PC to watch the recordings?
It records files in .TS files. You can access recordings of ATSC 1.0 channels on a PC with the USB hard drive but recordings on ATSC 3.0 channels are encrypted and won't play.
@@AntennaMan Thanks for the reply. I wonder whether the manufacturer will release any software to allow the encrypted ATSC 3 files to be played on a PC. Since the device can decrypt and play the files, it should be possible for a PC to do so as well, with the correct software.
Can you please clarify the saved .TS files are accessible and can be manipulated (converted to a different file format). Yes I would assume a file recorded from a DRM encrypted 3.0 channel can't be moved or manipulated, but what about a program recorded from a 3.0 channel that was not encrypted with DRM? Can it be played in VLC player and have the fast forward functionality? If so you could render the video and play it through Jellyfin from a server. If not then it is best to stick with 1.0 broadcast recordings. Also HEVC codec uses AC4 Dolby that can't be decoded without a license (big issue with HDHomerun Flex 4k).
Is there an option to update firmware without internet? Such as via a flash drive?
A large part of the draw for over the air broadcasts to people like me is independence from the internet and lack of bidirectional communication which concretely prevents any creepy user surveillance, analysis, analytics.
Additionally, I am curious if there are any non-DRM receivers available for purchase? I for one could not stand even a cent going to A3SA or similarly corrupting organisations.
I believe the file of the firmware update can be installed on a flash drive and loaded on the device but I'm not 100% sure. See video below for a 3.0 device that is non-DRM. The HDHomerun is another option. I agree with your thought process of not giving a cent to the A3SA to continue to gate keep devices. ruclips.net/video/K1lrzezUwzk/видео.html
Will getting this device help me if my current antenna will no longer pickup the channel that converted to nextgen???
Was oblivious to the conversion entering my San Antonio market till just a couple days ago. It went into effect thus afternoon. I was forced to realize it because the change caused me to lose the ABC affiliate though not the sub channels underneath. Found the affiliate's web page describing this change but it unhelpfully suggested I get a new "outdoor" antenna than the channel master flat indoor antenna I've been using if a rescan didn't bring it back.
Are there any ATSC 3.0 TV’s on the market and this time?
Great review I just don't think this is for me
It's not needed in most locations.
If an ATSC 3.0 channel is available do most or all of the broadcasters allow decoding the video? Thanks, Antennaman!
I bought the Homeworx DVR tuner you made a video on. It stopped working after about a year. I wonder of this one is any better?
I have had one fail too. The issue is a problem in the power supply circuit. It is a design fault. The capacitors they are using to smooth out the power don't last while passing that much ripple current.
This one is probably better since it's made by a US-based company rather than a generic company from China.
I had a homeworx unit fail after 9 months. I bought a naxa unit instead because the power supply transformer is not inside the unit but outside where you plug it into the wall. I'm hoping it'll be more reliable, and should that fail, I hope I could simply buy another power supply to get the unit working again. Time, of course, will tell...
Tyler says "in plain English there is no 4k tv" ??? Well, really curious about the Paris 2024 olympics. I read that the whole thing is being produced in 4k. Where does that leave us? Will the summer olympics this year be available OTA in 4k and hopefully HDR? I believe I've seen 1080p HDR10 from a streaming service I use and I have to say it looked amazing. Hopefully we get HDR10 soon on broadcast TV.
What can I do to get my channels out of the red on my signal meter on my TV should I put long hangers or all short ones on my coat hanger antenna I've got 6 channels in the green now some in Yello I can't afford an I outdoors antenna they won't let me have one up
Try a signal meter to find a better location for the antenna. See video below. Also make sure you have a decent indoor antenna like the Channel Master FLATenna. ruclips.net/video/1_Cy08x5qeY/видео.html
I'm done with streaming services, I'm glad I'm using DVD player. I'm gonna gonna use a raspberry pi, throw up a antenna, pre amp and a tuner.
Is there a pcie atsc card for windows pc?
Can i connect it to my Labtop as long as it has a place for HDMI which it does. Alsp is there a subscription or is it a one time cost?
Yes you can connect it to your laptop if the laptop has an HDMI input or if you order an HDMI card. There is no subscription with this unit.
Will these ATSC 3.0 Tuners help improve reception and picture even for trash VHF stations? Picture and audio quality is my primary focus with OTA TV.
Yes, as mentioned in the video it will help if the trash VHF channel is carried on the ATSC 3.0 signal in a market, which it is in most areas.
Yes, as mentioned in the video an ATSC 3.0 will improve reception if a trash VHF station in your area is carried on the ATSC 3.0, which is the case in most markets.
@@AntennaMan - Appreciate the info I've been on the fence for weeks now on these tuners. What about stations that don't carry ATSC 3.0, absolutely nothing to improve those stations? I've got a Televes Beixa, and I feel like I am doing just fine went from 84 to 142 channels I'm picking up now. I know you mentioned if you pick up all the networks fine its not worth it to pick up one of these turners, DVR isn't that important to me, but if there is anything these boxes can do outside of 3.0, I think I might get one.
Hope I am not wasting your time, but really appreciate the info.
Tuner sensitivity is key for me. Does anybody know how the ADTH box tuner sensitivity compares to Zinwell ZAT600B or ZapperBox M1? The fact that channel master decided to partner with Zinwell makes me think it makes the mark?
The Zapperbox has the best tuner sensitivity.
Like everything else, you get what you pay for. :)@@AntennaMan