I’m writing this article in August, 2022. I’m telling you this because things last forever on the internet, and I want you to know my perspective from here. If you’re reading this from some time in the future, things may have changed. Or, they may not. It’s hard to know from where I stand.
A little bit about 4K over-the-air television
Today’s television standards were created in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Back then, it was hard to know when technology would advance enough to let you have 4K. 4K was mostly a pipe dream, because the 35mm film standards of the day really equated out to HD resolution anyway. No one was focused on 4K back then. In fact the first time I saw 4K at all was back in 2012. It’s still not incredibly common.
The technology we all use in our televisions today won’t allow for 4K over-the-air reception. But, the TV itself isn’t to blame. It would just need a tuner that’s capable of doing it. There are a few TVs today that will receive these broadcasts, but I wouldn’t buy them. The standards are still evolving and they’ll surely be obsolete soon.
In order to transition to 4K over-the-air television, all TVs must adopt a new standard for reception. This standard is mostly complete. It’s called ATSC 3.0, or NextGEN TV. In addition to over-the-air 4K, it will allow on-demand programming if the TV is connected to the internet, plus advertising that takes your household into consideration.
Tests have been going on across the country since 2017, and it seems like a new city lights up an ATSC 3.0 transmitter about once a month.
So what’s the problem?
I’m sure you’ll have a hard time believing where the real problem lies. (Yeah, right.)
See, because over-the-air broadcasting takes place on public airwaves, Congress must authorize any change to broadcast technology. The last time this happened, in the mid-2000s, it took about four years to fully transition and implement. You might remember that there was a program that gave every household the right to get two converter boxes for free, and there were all sorts of delays in finally ending the old-style broadcasts in favor of the digital ones we use now.
Keep in mind that as messed up as Congress was 20 years ago, we can all agree that it’s probably ten times as messed up now. If all the tests were done right now, we could count on about 18 months of argument and posturing before anything actually got done. At that point the four-year clock would probably start… bringing us to the inevitable likelihood of…
2029.
That’s right, friends. You might be able to get 4K over-the-air today in some cities with some content, but the earliest that it looks like everything will be switched over is 2029. Think about that. Seven more years of talking about this and nothing happening. Who even knows what over-the-air TV will be like by then? With streaming becoming more and more common, will traditional OTA even survive? Remember people never thought newspapers would go away, and now most mid-size cities don’t even have a local paper anymore. The future is wide-open, and it could go either way for over-the-air broadcasting.
Finally some good news
Here’s the good news, though… the antennas you buy today will be compatible with 4K, whenever it does come. It’s the same with the antenna you bought a decade ago, or even the one your grandparents put up 70 years ago. As long as the broadcast frequencies don’t change, then every antenna will stay compatible.
That means you don’t have to wait. If you’re interested in getting into antenna TV, or if you’re thinking of improving the system you have, you can shop for an antenna at Solid Signal now and know it will be futureproof. Don’t know which one to pick? Give us a call! We’re here for you at 888-233-7563 during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below! We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
