The Zinwell ATSC 3.0 tuner box is a nifty device that can be used with your smart TV, allowing you to enjoy all broadcast content, including NextGen TV, on your existing television. But, as with all tech, it comes with its quirks.

One major limitation is that the Zinwell box and your streaming platforms, like Roku, don’t play well together. When you switch to the HDMI input for the Zinwell box, you’re locked into broadcast content. To watch your favorite streaming channels, you have to switch back to the HDMI port connected to your Roku and use the Roku remote. This constant back-and-forth can be quite cumbersome and inconvenient.

The NextGen TV app promises enhanced broadcast content and interactive features, but it doesn’t integrate streaming services into the same platform either. This separation makes the user experience less seamless and more fragmented. Ideally, WiFi-enabled tuners should be able to integrate both broadcast and streaming platforms, but until that happens, NextGen TV remains a long way from being truly user-friendly.

NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) is primarily designed for over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts, meaning it relies on an antenna to receive the signal. Cable TV, on the other hand, does not currently broadcast NextGen TV signals. So, that integration appears to be a no-go, as well.

There are ongoing efforts to integrate ATSC 3.0 capabilities with cable systems, which would allow cable subscribers to access NextGen TV features through their existing cable service. However, these efforts are still in the early stages, and widespread implementation may take some time.

For now, if your DMA offers NextGen TV and you want to experience it, you’ll need an ATSC 3.0 tuner and an antenna to receive the OTA broadcasts. This setup will provide you with enhanced video and audio quality, as well as interactive features that are not available through traditional cable TV or traditional ATSC 1.0 broadcasts.

Alternatively, you can buy a television with a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner. In it, it may contain platforms which could integrate both ATSC 3.0 and streaming more effectively. While this integration is still evolving, we can only hope that then trends is moving towards a more user-friendly experience where both broadcast and streaming content can be accessed seamlessly on one platform.