An ATSC 3.0 tuner adds NextGen TV to the TV you already own. The catch is encryption: many stations scramble their NextGen broadcasts, and not every box can play them. Here are the tuners worth buying and what to check first.
The best ATSC 3.0 tuner is the ZapperBox M1 (~$320): two tuners, certified support for encrypted NextGen channels, a DVR, and 4K HDR with Dolby Atmos over HDMI.
For NextGen TV on every screen in the house, the HDHomeRun Flex 4K (~$200) is the best network tuner, though encrypted NextGen channels may not play on it yet.
ATSC 3.0, marketed as NextGen TV, is the newer U.S. broadcast standard. It can carry 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos and AC-4 audio, and interactive features, though in practice most NextGen broadcasts are still 1080p. Most TVs, and most antenna DVRs, have only the older ATSC 1.0 tuner. An ATSC 3.0 tuner box connects to your antenna and your TV's HDMI port (or your home network) and adds NextGen reception.
You don't need one yet to watch local TV. Stations that broadcast in NextGen also send a standard ATSC 1.0 signal today, and the FCC is still deciding how and when that requirement ends. An ATSC 3.0 box makes sense if your stations already broadcast NextGen and you want the better picture and sound, or if you want to be ready before ATSC 1.0 winds down.
Many broadcasters encrypt their ATSC 3.0 streams under a security system run by the industry group A3SA. An encrypted channel only plays on a tuner that's certified to decrypt it, and some devices also need an internet connection to do it. Encryption can also limit recording and block out-of-home viewing. Before you buy, check which of your local stations are encrypted (search "ATSC 3.0" plus your city, or check a NextGen station list), and make sure the box you choose can play them.
| Tuner | Tuners | Plays encrypted channels | DVR | Connects by | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZapperBox M1 | 2 | Yes (certified) | Yes | HDMI + whole-home gateway | ~$320 |
| HDHomeRun Flex 4K | 4 (2 NextGen) | Not currently | Yes (USB drive) | Network, app on each TV | ~$200 |
ZapperBox says its receivers are certified for secure, DRM-protected NextGen channels, and Techlicious's 2026 testing named the M1 the best NextGen receiver and the only one formally licensed as a full gateway. It outputs 4K with HDR10, HLG, and Advanced HDR by Technicolor, passes Dolby Atmos and AC-4 to your soundbar or receiver, records to storage you add, and can stream live and recorded TV to ZapperBox Mini units in other rooms.
Worth knowing: it's the most expensive box here, and some DVR features (the extended guide and series recording) need a yearly subscription. ZapperBox says the M1 currently receives NextGen broadcasts that use the ROUTE/DASH protocol, with MMT support coming in a software update. It needs an internet connection, and there's no app for streaming players yet.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.Instead of plugging into one TV, the HDHomeRun connects to your router and streams live TV and recordings to the free HDHomeRun app on Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV, Xbox, phones, and computers. It also works with Plex, Emby, and Channels. Four tuners let a family watch and record several channels at once, and two of them receive NextGen TV.
Worth knowing: SiliconDust says DRM-encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels may not currently play on it. When that happens, it automatically uses the station's standard ATSC 1.0 broadcast instead, so you keep the channel, just not the NextGen version. See our OTA DVR guide for the full HDHomeRun lineup.
Check price on Amazon Prices change often — verify current pricing on Amazon.ADTH's NextGen TV boxes promise encrypted-channel support, but the Gen 2 box was listed as out of stock on ADTH's site when we checked, its product page gives conflicting information about whether encrypted channels need the internet, and Techlicious reported slow channel changes and freezes. We'll revisit it if that changes.
Some TVs have an ATSC 3.0 tuner built in, but not all brands include one, and support varies by model year. Check the spec sheet for "ATSC 3.0" or "NEXTGEN TV" before counting on it. A built-in tuner also has the same DRM question as a box, so confirm the TV can play your encrypted stations.
NextGen TV uses the same antennas and the same channels as today's broadcasts, so any antenna that receives your stations now will work. Find your towers on our antenna pointing map and choose an antenna by distance in our TV antenna guide.