NextGen TV and ATSC 3.0: what the FCC has proposed, and whether your next TV needs the tuner

If you watch local channels through an antenna, a decision the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not yet made could affect the next TV you buy. Broadcasters are moving to a new transmission standard, ATSC 3.0, also called Next Gen TV, and the FCC has proposed letting stations that switch stop broadcasting in today's format, ATSC 1.0. The FCC says the vast majority of TVs in use can receive only ATSC 1.0 signals.

What ATSC 3.0 is

ATSC 3.0 is an internet protocol-based standard developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee to eventually replace ATSC 1.0, using the same 6 MHz channels. According to the FCC, it can carry ultra-high-definition pictures and immersive audio, reach mobile screens as well as TVs, and deliver emergency alerts targeted to particular communities, including alerts that can wake sleeping devices. It is not backward-compatible: most existing TVs and receivers have only ATSC 1.0 and analog tuners, and cannot show a 3.0 signal.

Where the rules stand

Since 2017, stations have been allowed to switch to ATSC 3.0 voluntarily. With very limited exceptions, a station that does so must keep airing at least its main channel in ATSC 1.0 through a partner station in the same market, an arrangement called local simulcasting. The FCC says it intended this requirement to be temporary.

On October 28, 2025, the FCC adopted a proposal (FCC 25-72) that tentatively concludes it should end the simulcasting requirement for stations that move to 3.0, while still letting them simulcast voluntarily. It also asks whether ATSC 1.0 broadcasting should eventually end, and whether that should happen on a set date or when market conditions are met. Comments closed on January 20, 2026, and replies on February 18, 2026.

As of October 29, 2026, no final rule in the proceeding had been published in the Federal Register, and the agenda the FCC published for its October 29, 2026, open meeting lists no item from it. The most recent final rule, in September 2025, restored rule text that had been dropped by mistake and changed no obligations. On October 8, 2026, the FCC asked for public comment on extending its paperwork approval for the current Next Gen TV local simulcasting rules.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has asked for deadlines. Under its plan, full-power stations in the top 55 markets, which reach about 70% of viewers, would end all ATSC 1.0 broadcasting in February 2028, and those in the remaining markets in February 2030. NAB does not propose requiring low-power stations or TV translators to switch.

The tuner question

NAB also wants a rule requiring every new TV to include an ATSC 3.0 tuner. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) says the market is working and a mandate is unnecessary. The FCC decided against a tuner mandate in 2017, when it expected broadcasters to keep transmitting ATSC 1.0 indefinitely. It has now asked whether new TVs should be required to receive 3.0 at some point, how much lead time manufacturers would need, and whether TVs without a 3.0 tuner should carry a point-of-sale label, as analog-only sets did during the digital TV transition.

Price is part of the debate. In a survey of six 55-inch 4K mini-LED QLED sets from a national retailer, CTA found the models with ATSC 3.0 tuners cost $80 more on average than the ATSC 1.0 models. CTA also estimates that by 2028 more than half of the TVs sold each year will have 3.0 tuners, even without FCC action.

Encryption can block some channels

The ATSC 3.0 standard allows broadcasters to encrypt signals with digital rights management (DRM). The program is administered by the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA), a private body founded by major networks and broadcast groups. The FCC says that as stations began encrypting 3.0 signals that had previously aired without encryption, many viewers could not watch some of them on equipment they bought for that purpose, and thousands of consumers filed comments opposing encryption of free broadcasts. The FCC has asked whether it should set rules on encrypting free over-the-air signals.

What to check before you buy

• Start with how you watch. The tuner matters for channels received through an antenna, not for channels delivered by cable, satellite or a streaming service.
• Read the tuner line on the spec sheet. Look for an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which broadcasters promote as NEXTGEN TV. A set with only an ATSC 1.0 tuner would lose any station that stops simulcasting, if the FCC allows it.
• Weigh the price gap against how long you keep a TV. The $80 average in CTA's survey covered six 55-inch sets, so check the models you are comparing.
• If you plan to add an external 3.0 converter later, check that its maker says it can play encrypted (DRM) broadcasts.
• For the rest of the spec sheet, from HDMI ports to the EnergyGuide label, see our guide to reading a TV spec sheet.

Nothing changes yet. Under the rules in force, a station that switches to 3.0 must keep simulcasting its main channel in ATSC 1.0, so a TV with only an ATSC 1.0 tuner still receives it.

What this guide cannot tell you

It cannot tell you whether the FCC will end simulcasting, set deadlines or require 3.0 tuners, or when. It also cannot tell you which stations in your area broadcast in 3.0 or whether they encrypt. Check your local stations, and the FCC's docket for the proceeding, No. 16-142, for decisions.