The ATSC 3.0 (or NextGenTV) broadcast standard makes it possible to pick up 4K TV over the air, without paying for anything. Here's how it works and what you need for it.

When high-definition TVs first appeared, it took years for shows and movies to actually show up in HD over broadcast. Most channels still don’t display 1080p, and instead broadcast in inferior 720p and 1080i resolutions. You're more likely to get true HD channels via cable or satellite, but those services are expensive. Many people have switched entirely to streaming services that offer tons of HD and 4K content, but those subscriptions can add up as well. This begs the question: How can you watch TV at its crispest and cleanest without paying anything?

ATSC 3.0(Opens in a new window) , or NextGenTV, is a new broadcast standard that enables TV stations to transmit 1080p and even 4K video over the air. The good news is that several stations have started to broadcast via this standard. The bad news is that they’re few and far between. And, unless you bought your TV very recently, it likely doesn't support ATSC 3.0.

Here's what you need to know about ATSC 3.0 and how you can get high-definition and 4K broadcasts from your local TV stations, at least eventually.

ATSC stands for Advanced Television Standards Committee and is the industry organization that sets standards for digital television broadcasts. It has defined how broadcast stations and cable television services handle digital television signals since the conversion from analog TV broadcasts in 2009.

ATSC (or ATSC 1.0 more specifically) is also the name of the organization’s digital TV standard, which is what North America and South Korea use. It supports up to 1080p resolution, but stations and cable services much more commonly use it to transmit video in 720p and 1080i. 

The “p” and “i” in those resolutions stand for “progressive” and “interlaced.” Progressive scan means every horizontal line of each frame is drawn on the TV before the next frame appears. Interlaced means the horizontal rows of pixels of each frame are split into two fields of alternating rows, which TVs switch between rapidly. Regardless of the resolution, ATSC 1.0 supports only up to 30 frames per second (30Hz).

ATSC 3.0 supports both 1080p and 4K resolutions at up to 120 frames per second (120Hz). 4K has a resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, four times the number of pixels of 1080p. ATSC 3.0 can also handle high dynamic range (HDR) content, so not only can broadcasts look sharper and smoother, but they can show higher levels of contrast and a wider range of colors.

Both ATSC 3.0 and NextGen TV are technically correct, because two separate industry organizations use different names for the same thing for different reasons.

The ATSC calls it ATSC 3.0 and frames it only as an industry standard. The group focuses on setting standards and pushing for deployment across manufacturers and broadcasters; it doesn’t directly address consumer interests. So formally, the system is named ATSC 3.0.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) refers to the standard as NextGen TV. The CTA takes a much broader look at all consumer technology (it’s the group that runs CES every year). It coined the term NextGen TV, which admittedly sounds a bit friendlier and more marketable than ATSC 3.0. It also created the NextGen TV logo, which some TVs that have ATSC 3.0 tuners display on their packaging (we discuss branding a bit later).

So, to sum up, ATSC 3.0 and NextGen TV refer to the same thing: ATSC 3.0 is the technical name and NextGen TV is the marketing name.

When analog broadcast TV converted to a digital standard, analog-only TVs couldn’t show the digital channels. They had tuners from the NTSC (National Television Standards Committee), which was the standard at the time. However, newer TVs started to switch over to ATSC 1.0 tuners that could accept these signals. Because few people wanted to throw out and replace their TVs, many turned to digital converter boxes as a solution. These boxes had ATSC 1.0 tuners that could process the digital TV signals and output them through wires as analog signals that older TVs could display.

ATSC 3.0 works the same way, requiring a tuner that supports it. Unfortunately, the vast majority of TVs available today still use an ATSC 1.0 tuner. Even if your TV supports 4K HDR content, this might only be through streaming services or devices you connect via HDMI. Both of those options can facilitate much higher data bandwidth than over-the-air (OTA) transmissions of ATSC 1.0 TV stations. ATSC 3.0 fixes that problem, but if your TV’s tuner isn’t built to handle it, you’re out of luck.

Some newer TVs are launching with ATSC 3.0 tuners in anticipation of broad adoption of the standard. LG, Samsung, and Sony rolled out TVs with ATSC 3.0 tuners last year, while Hisense plans to ship its first ATSC 3.0 TVs(Opens in a new window) this year. Currently, those are the only brands that support NextGen TV. TCL, Vizio, and other manufacturers haven't announced any models with compatible tuners.

If you want to keep your old TV, you need to do what consumers had to do during the digital TV switch: Get a separate tuner. They’re rare and expensive (typically at least $200), but they enable you to get ATSC 3.0 broadcasts on your TV. The first one to market was the HDHomeRun Flex 4K(Opens in a new window) , though others are beginning to appear online.

If you’re looking at TVs in a store or online, you have to look closely. Some TVs promote NextGen TV on their boxes, store placards, or online listings. If they don’t say NextGen TV, look at the full specs and see if ATSC 3.0 appears. If neither are there, the TV probably doesn’t have an ATSC 3.0 tuner.

You can also check the CTA’s NextGen TV device page(Opens in a new window) . It lists all TVs with ATSC 3.0 tuners currently available in the US. This list doesn’t include TVs that are set to launch later this year, like those from Hisense.

Here’s a short list of ATSC 3.0-compatible TVs you can buy now or soon from major manufacturers:

Hisense: U7H, U8H, and U9H

LG: G1 OLED, G2 OLED, and Signature Z2 OLED

Samsung: QLED QN85B, QLED QN90A, QLED QN90B, QLED QN95B, and OLED S95B

Sony: Bravia A80J, Bravia A90J, Bravia X80J, Bravia X85J, Bravia X90J, and Bravia X95J

What you can watch depends on where you live. Stations in a few dozen markets have started to broadcast in ATSC 3.0. That list includes Austin, Baltimore, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Portland, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Residents in several other major cities should start to see NextGen TV broadcasts later this summer, including in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, and San Francisco.

Some medium-size cities also have ATSC 3.0 stations, like Albuquerque, NM; Buffalo, NY; Harrisburg, PA; Hartford, CT; Little Rock, AR; and Springfield, MO. New markets should get NextGen TV at some point in the next few years, starting with cities and then eventually less populous areas. To keep an eye on which markets have ATSC 3.0 stations, the CTA’s NextGen TV availability page(Opens in a new window) offers an up-to-date overview of coverage.

Even if you can get an ATSC 3.0 signal where you are, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can pick up 4K video on your favorite channel. The quality of the picture depends on each station and even each show.

If you aren’t planning to pick up NextGen TV as it rolls out and prefer streaming services over cable or satellite options, check out our list of the top TVs regardless of ATSC 3.0 support. As you now know, TVs with ATSC 3.0 tuners are rare and expensive, plus you can always get a converter box later!

Sign up for Tips & Tricks newsletter for expert advice to get the most out of your technology.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).

Home theater technology (TVs, media streamers, and soundbars)

Smart speakers and smart displays

I test TVs with a Klein K-80 colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, a HDFury Diva 4K HDMI matrix, and Portrait Displays’ Calman software. That’s a lot of complicated equipment specifically for screens, but that doesn’t cover what I run on a daily basis.

I use an Asus ROG Zephyr 14 gaming laptop as my primary system for both work and PC gaming (and both, when I review gaming headsets and controllers), along with an aging Samsung Notebook 7 as my portable writing station. I keep the Asus laptop in my home office, with a Das Keyboard 4S and an LG ultrawide monitor attached to it. The Samsung laptop stays in my bag, along with a Keychron K8 mechanical keyboard, because I’m the sort of person who will sit down in a coffee shop and bust out not only a laptop, but a separate keyboard. Mechanical just feels better.

For my own home theater, I have a modest but bright and accurate TCL 55R635 TV and a Roku Streambar Pro; bigger and louder would usually be better, but not in a Brooklyn apartment. I keep a Nintendo Switch dock connected to it, along with a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X so I can test any peripheral that comes out no matter what system it’s for. I also have a Chromecast With Google TV for general content streaming.

As for mobile gear, I’m surprisingly phone-ambivalent and have swapped between iPhones and Pixels from generation to generation. I favor the iPhone for general snapshots when I need to take pictures of products or cover events, but I also have a Sony Alpha A6000 camera for when I feel like photo walking.

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

© 1996-2022 Ziff Davis. PCMag Digital Group

PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.