America's broadcasters are launching the NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program, a new initiative designed to provide millions of American viewers with a low-cost option for upgrading their TV viewing to NEXTGEN TV. The program is now open to consumer electronics manufacturers interested in the estimated market of more than 20 million U.S. households that use an antenna on at least one television to watch local channels. Initial prototype converter boxes from ADTH, Skyworth, and Zinwell will be on display at NAB Show 2026 at the ATSC booth (Central Hall 1655) beginning Sunday and continuing through Wednesday.
This effort brings together broadcasters who are transmitting in ATSC 3.0 with high-volume consumer electronics companies who see the potential to sell low-cost receivers with a simple purpose - easily and affordably making the jump to NEXTGEN TV with a simple converter box that will connect to a display via HDMI, just like other accessory components. At the NAB Show in Las Vegas, we're officially launching the NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program and inviting qualified electronics companies to join with broadcasters to offer a new range of receivers, says Anne Schelle, Managing Director, Pearl TV.
More than 75% of U.S. households are now reached by NEXTGEN TV broadcasts from local stations, as TV broadcasters move from HDTV (ATSC 1.0) to NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0). Of approximately 23 million over-the-air households in the U.S., Pearl TV estimates at least 15 million will be looking for this type of device.
The NEXTGEN TV Converter Box is built to serve that market: a compact, easy-to-use HDMI accessory that delivers the NEXTGEN TV experience on any existing display, at a suggested retail price of $60 or less. We know that not every consumer will want to buy a new TV, which is why the NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program is so critical for a successful transition from ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0. A device that qualifies under our Converter Box Program will not include an integrated display or a digital video recorder and will have no more than one tuner. This keeps the design lean, the bill of materials manageable, and the $60 price point achievable, Schelle explained.
This is a new product category - distinct from existing retail ATSC 3.0 set-top receivers and smart TVs - with its own branding under the NEXTGEN TV umbrella.
The program is open to all qualified device manufacturers on a fair and non-discriminatory basis, with no preference for any chipset, operating system, software stack, or supply chain approach.
Core device requirements include:
Full ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 reception, supporting both broadcast standards
4K-capable HEVC video decoding with High Dynamic Range (HDR) support
Dolby surround audio
Support for emergency alerts, closed captioning, audio descriptions, dialog enhancement, and parental controls
Over-the-air electronic program guide
Simple, consumer-first user interface
No internet connection required
Device manufacturers may also offer more fully-featured receivers that include broadband connectivity for access to additional programming options.
Devices must meet NEXTGEN TV Converter Box certification requirements covering applicable standards from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA), as well as new RF sensitivity and user interface standards. Interested manufacturers should contact [email protected].
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Ikegami announces a major expansion to its range of broadcast-quality live production cameras. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegami booth 708 at NAB New York, ...
08/10/2026
Calrec will be located at Booth 444.
Freedom to choose
The media landscape is evolving quickly, and the broadcasters best placed for what comes next will be...
08/10/2026
LiveU has announced that CRD Audiovisuel relied on LiveUs LU900Q intelligent production unit, with built-in native LiveU IQ (LIQ ) connectivity, to deliver live...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
America's broadcasters are launching the NEXTGEN TV Converter Box Program, a new initiative designed to provide millions of American viewers with a low-cost option for upgrading their TV viewing to NEXTGEN TV. The program is now open to consumer electronics manufacturers interested in the estimated market of more than 20 million U.S. households that use an antenna on at least one television to watch local channels. Initial prototype converter boxes from ADTH, Skyworth, and Zinwell will be on display at NAB Show 2026 at the ATSC booth (Central Hall 1655) beginning Sunday and continuing through Wednesday.
