Zinwell ZAT-600B tuner review: NextGen TV, internet optional

The Zinwell ZAT-600B is an Android-based set-top tuner for NextGen TV broadcasts; it’s sold by Channel Master. In addition to the new NextGen TV broadcasts, the box is also compatible with first-generation digital TV broadcasts and supports the encryption and online features of NextGen TV.

What is NextGen TV?

NextGen TV is a new digital TV broadcasting format that promises several improvements over the existing digital format, such as immersive audio, HDR images, resolution up to 4K and hybrid broadcasting that takes advantage of both an over-the-air signal and the internet.

Transmissions using the format are already available to about 80 percent of U.S. households but, unless you have a newer TV with built-in support, you’ll need a set-top box like this one.

You’ll need an antenna to pull in broadcast TV; we think these are the best over-the-air TV antennas.

Installing the Zinwell ZAT-600B

Getting the box up and running was easy. A consequence of Android is that there are two settings menus: One controls the set-top box functions, such as screen resolution and audio, while the other controls the TV viewing experiences, such as subtitles and channel tuning.

The box automatically selected the best video format for my TV, but these can be manually set from 4K all the way down to standard definition: 480p.

Zinwell ZAT-600B feature set

The most basic feature of a set-top box is tuning in local channels and making them available, and in this aspect, the Zinwell ZAT-600B did well. It has a sensitive tuner that picked up all my local TV stations and those from a neighboring market.

One of the Zinwell ZAT-600B’s best features is its ability to tune in encrypted NextGen TV broadcasts without relying on an internet connection.

When you auto-tune, it scans both first-generation (ATSC 1.0) and NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) signals, making installation easy. In use, there was a delay of about 5 seconds between switching channels and the program playing. When going to NextGen TV stations, this was a little longer at around 7 seconds.

The delay isn’t anything unusual if you’re used to watching streaming services, but it’s a lot slower than channel surfing was in the analog TV era. This is one price we pay for progress, I guess.

The box has an integrated electronic program guide that pulls in program data from the over-the-air signal. That means it’s a little slow to propagate for all channels—versus downloading the information from the internet—but this didn’t prove to be an obstacle once everything was set up.

As you channel surf, the current and next program are displayed in a box that appears at the bottom of the screen on each new channel.

The box doesn’t have a DVR, which is a shame, but one nice feature is an on-screen signal meter that comes up each time you tune in a new channel. Should you have any reception issues, this can really help narrow down if the problem stems from a poor broadcast signal or not.

Encrypted channels

One of the main features of the Zinwell box is its ability to receive encrypted broadcasts without an broadband connection. Encryption has been recently added to many NextGen TV channels, necessitating the use of a set-top box that supports the feature.

The otherwise excellent Silicon Dust HDHomeRun Flex 4K doesn’t support encryption, so it cannot show many NextGen TV channels, while the ADTH NextGen TV set-top box I reviewed in April does support it, but it depends on a connection to the internet.

So, what happens if you buy ADTH’s product, but you don’t have strong enough Wi-Fi near your TV, or you live in a rural area without high-speed internet, or you don’t have a broadband connection at all?

Until now, people in those situations just wouldn’t be able to view encrypted NextGen TV stations. The Zinwell box changes that. In my tests, it successfully decoded encrypted broadcasts without being connected to the internet.

Online TV and apps

That said, you’ll still need a broadband connection to watch NextGen TV’s internet-based content, which comes in two flavors: broadcaster apps and virtual channels.

Broadcaster apps are interactive apps that appear on some channels, offering enhanced features such as TV on demand. Not every NextGen TV station offers this functionality, but my local CBS station offers on-demand news, sports, and weather reports via its app.

The app worked great over the internet; however, I found it impossible to get rid of the initial wrap around on some channels that advertises the presence of an app. The ADTH set-top box also supports apps, and I could remove this graphic element by pressing the “back” button on the remote, but this didn’t work not on the Zinwell remote. The feature is new enough that I suspect this will be eventually fixed through a firmware update or change in the way the app is coded. For now, it’s an annoyance.

You’ll also need an internet connection to watch virtual channels. You’ll find these listed in the over-the-air electronic program guide, but they’re delivered over the internet. The Sinclair Broadcast Group recently started this feature to broadcast its tennis-centric “T2” network as a virtual channel in 43 television markets.

In our tests, the Zinwell box listed T2 in the program guide, but showed a blank screen when selected. This appears to be a bug in the software and it will hopefully be fixed soon.

Should you buy the Zinwell ZAT-600B?

The Zinwell ZAT-600B packs some great features into a small form factor. The ability to decode NextGen TV without an internet connection is welcome and should make set-up easier, although we hope a future software update fixes the issue with hybrid TV. If you’re in the market for a NextGen TV tuner, this box should suit your needs.