ATLANTA—TV viewers who aren’t ready to buy a new set but want access to NextGen TV will soon have a new, affordable way to bring ATSC 3.0 into their homes.
Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) Atlanta DTH this week announced its DGI-NexGen-Solo, a USB-powered plug-in ATSC 3.0 digital TV receiver designed for use with Android TV, Android set top boxes and the Windows and Linux operating systems.
Shipping with software that turns an Android device or computer into a gateway to platforms, such as iOS and Roku devices, the product is compatible with third-party streaming media services like Plex.
The DGI-NexGen-Solo is a USB 2.0 ultra-compact plug-in with both an ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 tuner. Power is sourced directly from the USB port. The device has an integral screw-thread coax input for a TV antenna.
Atlanta DTH does not sell directly to consumers but works with other vendors that will offer the DGI-NexGen-Solo as a retail product, said company spokesman Alex Day. Shipments have begun in South Korea, and the first deliveries to U.S. consumers are expected to begin in Q2 2022.
As an ODM, Atlanta DTH does not determine the retail price; however, Day estimates the DGI-NexGen-Solo will cost between $50 and $60.
Besides allowing viewers to watch live TV, the DGI-NexGen-Solo offers pause, storage of the program stream for up to 60 minutes and a rewind to go back five minutes. Viewers have access to the electronic program guide, program synopsis information and closed captioning.
Atlanta DTH is also working on an ATSC 3.0 home gateway that will receive over-the-air television signals and retransmit them throughout the home over a Wi-Fi network. Prototypes are expected in Q1, and delivery is scheduled to begin at the end of Q2 or the beginning of Q3, said Day.
More information is available on the company’s website.
