ATSC 3.0 converter boxes: which one, and whether to buy yet

If your TV has no 3.0 tuner (check here), a converter box is how you keep your channels after your market switches off its old signals. Here’s every option that exists, what it costs, and the honest answer on timing.

Our advice right now: wait, unless you want 3.0 today

No station can legally switch off its old signal before July 17, 2027, and the FCC hasn’t set a date after that. Broadcasters are promising sub-$60 boxes in early 2027. Buying a $90–$275 box in 2026 only makes sense if you want 4K broadcasts, better reception, or a DVR now. If you just want to keep watching, enter your zip and we’ll tell you the day your market gets a real date.

ZapperBox M1

$250 single tuner · $275 dual tuner (list)

Best for: People who want a real DVR and don't mind paying for it

Good
  • Receives both old (1.0) and new (3.0) signals, so one box covers everything
  • Certified for encrypted (DRM) 3.0 channels, including recording them
  • Regular firmware updates; the longest track record of any 3.0 box
  • ZapperBox Mini ($ less) extends one DVR to other TVs
Not so good
  • Expensive — most of the cost is the DVR you may not want
  • Guide data for the DVR is a subscription: $5/month, $30/year, or $240 lifetime
  • Encrypted channels need an internet connection to watch

ZapperBox on Amazon →

ADTH NextGen TV Box (Gen 2)

About $90

Best for: The cheapest box you can buy today

Good
  • Receives both 1.0 and 3.0; 4K HDR over HDMI; composite output for very old TVs
  • Certified for encrypted (DRM) channels; a mode that works without internet for some channels
  • Less than half the price of a ZapperBox
Not so good
  • Frequently out of stock at the manufacturer
  • DVR has been 'coming soon' since 2024 — buy it as a tuner, not a recorder
  • Interface is plainer and slower than the ZapperBox

ADTH box on Amazon →

ADTH NextGen TV USB tuner (for Android TV / Fire TV)

Varies; typically under $100

Best for: Anyone whose TV already runs Android TV, Google TV or Fire TV

Good
  • No extra box or remote — plugs into the USB port on a streaming TV or stick and runs as an app
  • Decrypts DRM channels
  • Cheapest route if you already have a compatible smart TV
Not so good
  • Doesn't work on LG (webOS), Samsung (Tizen), Roku or Vizio TVs
  • App quality depends on your TV's processor; older sticks struggle with 4K

ADTH USB tuner on Amazon →

Zinwell NextGen TV box

About $129

Best for: A middle option if ADTH is sold out

Good
  • Both 1.0 and 3.0 tuners; simple HDMI box
  • Usually in stock
Not so good
  • Fewer reviews and a shorter update history than ZapperBox or ADTH
  • No DVR

Zinwell on Amazon →

The coming $60 'basic' boxes

Target under $60 — not yet for sale

Best for: Most households, once they exist

Good
  • Pearl TV (the broadcasters' group) is certifying stripped-down boxes: live TV only, plug into HDMI, done
  • Designed for exactly the household this site is for — an older TV and an antenna
Not so good
  • As of October 2026 no manufacturer has shipped one; Pearl TV now says 'early 2027'
  • The $60 target may slip — memory-chip shortages have already pushed up streaming-box prices
  • No recording, no watching on other TVs

We'll email you when they ship →

Three things nobody tells you

  1. Your antenna is fine. ATSC 3.0 uses the same channels and frequencies. Do not buy a “NextGen TV antenna” — it’s marketing.
  2. Some 3.0 channels are encrypted. Many big-network stations scramble their 3.0 signal (“DRM”). Only certified boxes can show them, and they usually need an internet connection to do it. Every box above is certified; HDHomeRun network tuners are not.
  3. A box doesn’t make an old TV 4K. It converts the signal; your TV still shows its own resolution. The benefit on an older set is keeping the channels, not better pictures.

Prices are list prices as of October 2026 and change often. Sources: PCWorld, “How ATSC 3.0 aims to win over cord-cutters in 2026” (Jan 2026) and ZapperBox M1 review (updated Jul 2024); The Desk, Pearl TV converter-box progress (Oct 19, 2026); ADTH and Value Electronics product pages. Amazon links may be affiliate links; they don’t change our recommendations.