Loyal readers, I have a request.
Do you have a TV that can make use of NEXTGEN TV, the new over-the-air digital technology, and have you tried it? Some stations in Boston have begun broadcasting with it (but not New Hampshire’s WMUR, at least not yet) and I’d like to hear opinions from anybody who has experienced it.
If that’s you, drop me a line: dbrooks@cmonitor.com
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Full disclosure I’m the president of ATSC, the organization that developed ATSC 3.0 aka NextGenTV. However, putting on my consumer hat, I’d like to share my experience. I live in Quincy MA. I have a Next Gen TV and get my content by antenna so. Once Boston started transmitting I could compare 3.0 vs. 1.0. The 3.0 video is noticeably better. We watched Celtics basketball and the Superbowl on 3.0 broadcast and both looked terrific. Channel change time is fine – similar to 1.0. WGBH has some early stage interactivity – click for QR code to donate, see upcoming program schedule and switch to GHB World. All those features worked fine. There may be other benefits that i haven’t explored yet, such as Voice+. Im just getting started exploring.
Thanks. I haven’t heard from any readers or others despite queries in the paper and social media outlets. Not very well known yet!
My house is fully wired for TV with fiber, internet, and UHF ant. connected to all of my 6 flatscreen TV’s.
Using an amplified rooftop antenna for UHF gets me about 25 digital channels without rotating the antenna. Unfortunately, these do not include Boston channels, meaning that I do not have access to all of the major networks. I believe that my inability to see the Boston TV channels is because the stations reduced their power when they converted to digital. I used to receive analog UHF from two of the three Boston stations.
Until the Boston stations make some attempt to reach a broader market, there is not much point for those of us in the wilds to pay for ATSC 3.0 tuners.
Having said that I will probably try the service when the price of aftermarket tuners comes down.
I live in Jamaica Plain and have an LG Gallery G2 with ATSC 3.0 tuner. The only channels that come up in the scan of OTA NextGen TV channels are the WCRN ones, which are very low quality signal. The local OTA channels like WGBH , 4, 5, NBC all look good but I see no indication that they are ATSC 3.0. The WCRN channels have a NextGen TV logo next to them. I’m using rabbit ears. How can I tell if what I’m seeing is 3.0 vs. 1.0?