Broadcast TV Tuner

[Barry]

I am looking to replace my failing broadcast tv tuner, with an hdmi, that runs into my receiver than the projector. The external tuner not only gives me better images than cable, but broadcasts from another state! So I get out of state sporting events.

My old tuner is a Homeworx. 

Can anyone suggest a good one?

[Paul Heroy]

The new TV broadcast standard is ATSC 3.0 "NextGen" with 4K capability so make sure you get one that meets it.

Quite a few people use the HDHomeRun Flex 4K, from SiliconDust. It not only has an ATSC 3.0 tuner but allows you to set up a DVR type service, using either an attached external hard drive, or NAS storage. (I have one with my Synology NAS - you have to install a plugin app which is pretty easy.) The subscription for the DVR service is not expensive, like $35/yr. If you use it, it's on the primitive side though both in setup and in watching programs. But you can skip that and just watch live TV if you like.

[SRW1000]

I've been extremely happy with our OTA TiVo unit that we've had for many years now.  It came with a lifetime license when we bought it, so we've never paid any fees for it.

But, as Paul said, ATSC 3.0 is right around the corner, and they don't have any tuners with that standard yet.  How long you'd be able to use one depends on the stations in your area.  

We also have two of the older HDHomeRun units that we use for live TV around other rooms in our house, such as our home theater.  It works great and includes a basic guide for near-term programming.  We don't use it as a DVR.  You do need something as an interface between it and your display.  This can be a computer or certain streaming boxes.  We use an NVIDIA Shield.

[Barry]

so the answer to the question is wait until the new ones come out

[Paul Heroy]

Barry, ATSC 3.0 tuners are pretty widely available and are built in to many current TV sets. Broadcasts aren't as widely available, but if you live in a large city they likely are. Here's a recent article on Tom's Guide about it. 

I think what Scott was mentioning is that Tivo specifically doesn't have an ATSC 3.0 model yet so if you're a devotee (Tivotee?) then you'd need to wait. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, Scott.)

Note that you can still pick up HD broadcasts with them too so there isn't really a downside, it's more that if you live in a location with no 4K broadcasts it probably isn't worth upgrading from an older tuner. Typically they're only $100 or less though so I don't think that's much of an issue for most here. If you have a tuner that's failing, there's really no reason to not go ahead and get one.

[SRW1000]

Yep, agree with what Paul said.

Your need for ATSC 3.0 is going to depend on where you live.  I'm in the Milwaukee market, which doesn't have ATSC 3.0 stations yet, while the much smaller Green Bay market does.

it's unknow what TiVo is going to do, just be aware that if you buy a tuner today, it's not designed to work with ATSC 3.0, so it may only be a short-term solution.  The last I saw, ATSC 1.0 should still be around until July, 2025, but that could be extended. 

ATSC 3.0 also comes with new DRM rules.  Here's a short article that discusses some, but not all of the impacts of it:  ATSC 3.0 Nextgen OTA TV Makes Changes to Its DRM to Help DVRs like Tablo & HDHomeRun | Cord Cutters News

I'll do more research when the Milwaukee market finally adopts the standard, so I don't have all of the answers on it.

The HDHomeRun FLEX 4K that Paul mentioned has both types of tuners in it, so you would be somewhat future proofed.  As long as you have something that the FLEX can feed to, there isn't any real reason to wait.

[David Vaughn]

Barry is in the NY area, so he'll have ATSC 3.0 readily available since it's the biggest TV market in the country. I'd be shocked if it wasn't there. 

For me personally, I took down my HDTV antenna when my house was being painted a couple of years ago and just threw it out. I hadn't used it in years and my wife never liked the look of it. 

[SRW1000]

We have ours mounted inside, in the apex of our attic, completely invisible to the outside world.

Can't beat the price.  

[Barry]

First thanks to everyone for good suggestions!

I’ve had a broadcast TV antenna up for 35 years. First, cable TV out here on Long Island was so bad that the cable went out in bad weather. Also, honestly, we then did not have to pay for a second box, someone was always watching broadcast TV.

we then got DIRECTV, about 1977, and believe it or not, they were not allowed to give us local stations. We had to attach it to a TV antenna! That would change later

Then, we began to get HDTV, but only over broadcast television.The antenna came in handy, then.

Sadly, and I hate even thinking of this, when The World Trade Center was knocked down in 2001. cable TV stopped for quite awhile. Broadcast TV was all that we got.

Nowadays, broadcast TV still gives a better picture than cable when doing our local stations. But I’m able to pick up Connecticut stations where I live and get New England sporting events. For a while  I was getting the Boston Red Sox. so it’s still up there and we use it. 

One more thing: we used to have the antenna attached to the FM tuner to get broadcast FM radio. But now with streaming, we no longer use our FM radio.

[Paul Heroy]

Barry, it's interesting that the TV broadcast standard actually evolved and kept up with the times for video standards. FM radio really didn't to any large effect. The only update that happened, "HD Radio", was a very limited success and mainly used in a some car radios but very little home based gear. Probably not "none" but especially with the advent of internet based streaming of either radio stations or subscription music services (Spotify etc), that has pretty much killed off interest in terrestrial radio improvements.