These Charlotte TV stations upgraded broadcasts. Here’s what that means for viewers.
Charlotte just got its first major update to broadcast TV since the government-mandated switch from analog to digital broadcasting in 2009.
Five Charlotte TV stations upgraded their signals Wednesday to NextGen TV, which bills itself as the new big thing for folks who don’t pay for television. The tech claims to merge over-the-air TV with broadband internet. The following Charlotte stations are now transmitting NextGen TV: WBTV (CBS, Channel 3), WCNC (NBC, Channel 36), WJZY (Fox, Channel 46), WSOC (ABC, Channel 9) and WAXN (Channel 64).
Charlotte is among 38 cities that currently have stations using this tech. Stations in Raleigh upgraded their signal in November Other cities with NextGen TV broadcasts include Detroit, Denver and Las Vegas.
Here’s what Charlotte-area TV viewers should know about NextGen TV:
What is NextGen TV?
NextGen TV — also known as ATSC 3.0 — provides cleaner audio and video, sharper voice clarity, more uniform volume across channels and 4K HDR images.
Some NextGenTV broadcasts are also enhanced with interactive internet content, according to NextGen TV’s website.
Is it free?
At the moment, all NextGen TV content remains free. In the future, some major screening events may be available only on a pay-per-view basis.
Do I need a new antenna or TV?
Consumers do not need to buy new antennas or TVs.
However, only TVs marked with a NextGen TV logo and connected to broadband internet — or those with a ATSC 3.0 tuner — will be able to receive “the most immersive, rich entertainment experience possible,” according to NextGen TV’s website. These TVs will also be able to receive future upgrades as they become available.
Televisions do not need to be connected to WiFi to receive NextGen TV stations.
Some antenna users may need to rescan their TVs to continue accessing these stations.
How do I rescan my TV/antenna?
The steps for rescanning an antenna vary from device to device. The following guide provides step-by-step instructions for the most common brands of television:
How many viewers still use an antenna?
The percentage of Americans who still use an antenna grew dramatically in 2020. About 40% of TV-viewing adults reported owning an antenna by December 2020, up from 29% in 2019, according to a study by Horowitz Research.
Viewers between ages 18 and 34 saw the greatest increase, from 20% in 2019 to 42% in 2020.