Frequently Asked Questions
We get new questions about ZapperBox all the time, and we will post our answers here as we have them. If you have a question about ZapperBox, please write to us here.
Yes. ZapperBox has been shipping since July 2022. We ship within 48 hours and shipping is free within USA.
Yes. The ZapperBox M1 has one USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port and one SD-Micro slot. You can see a 360-degree view of the ZapperBox at this link. Scroll down to the second panel.
DVR works with USB 3.0 drives or the micro-SD card. Both are not needed. DVR requires a minimum storage of 128GB. There is no maximum drive size restriction. See FAQ #22 for more on supported drives.
Currently, the ZapperBox does not support streaming to remote devices. It is on our roadmap published under Release Notes.
You do not need to buy a new TV. However, regular HD TVs typically support a resolution of 1920x1080. A 4K TV supports a resolution that is 4 times higher or 3840x2160. 4K TVs are also referred to as UHD, or Ultra High Definition TVs. A new feature called HDR (High Dynamic Range) for rich colors is supported in most new 4K TVs. Technically, it is possible for regular HD TVs to also support HDR, but that is unlikely.ATSC 3.0 has three main advantages: 4K, HDR and Dolby® AC-4. If you have an HDR capable TV you can enjoy HDR colors. If your TV does not support HDR, you can still enjoy Dolby® AC-4 features. The ZapperBox M1 will support HDR10 and HLG formats for HDR. It will not support Dolby Vision or SL-HDR.
The main reason for connecting the ZapperBox M1 to the Internet is to allow for software updates. It can also be used to watch YouTube content.
If the box is not connected to the Internet, it will still work but will not be able to download software updates. ATSC 3.0 specifications will continue to evolve for several years and it is highly recommended to keep the box connected to the Internet.
At this time, we do not recommend buying the ZapperBox if you do not have Internet access.
Look out for some really interesting features that will be added via software updates.
The dual-tuner version of ZapperBox has the following advantages:
1. While one tuner is being used to watch TV, the other tuner is used in the background to keep updating guide data being received over the air on other frequencies. This way, whenever you press the guide button, you see the most current guide data.
2. Once we update the box with DVR capabilities the second tuner can be used to record a program that is not currently being watched.
3. A dual tuner box can record two programs simultaneously while a third pre-recorded program is being watched. A single-tuner device can record one program at a time while another pre-recorded program is being watched.
Quad tuner hardware is ready, but we are delaying its release because it needs to be tested with content security (aka encryption aka DRM) and DVR. Both features impact CPU usage and amount of data that needs to be handled by the USB bus. Once support for content security is working with DVR by October 2023, we will test the quad tuner hardware to see if can record four ATSC 3.0 4K secure content streams while playing one back. If this works reliably, we will annouce the ship date. If it does not, we will delay the release.
14-day guide data, is priced at $29.99/year for up to two units at the same address. Extended guide data requires an Internet connection. Devices under the same account, same physical address and same IP address are considered to be at the same address. Subscription fees for additional devices beyond two units is priced at $15/year.
A 14-day guide data subscription allows you to use the following advanced DVR features:
1. Record from the OTA grid guide
2. Record from the search menu.
Without a subscription you can still use the following DVR features:
1. Record the current show being watched.
2. Schedule a manual recording by specifying the channel number, date and time.
Yes. All ZapperBox units are field upgradeable to support content security (aka encrypted channels aka DRM). These field upgrades will require an Internet connection. We expect to start field upgrades towards the end of September. More information will follow to existing customers via email. If you purchased your ZapperBox on Amazon, please register for our newsletter updates at the bottom of our home page using the “Newsletter Sign UP” block.
We had offered 3 years of free DVR subscription, valued at $90, to customers who purchased or ordered their devices before July 5, 2022. This credit has been applied to pre-order customer accounts. The three-year period will end on July 31, 2026.
This answer has been moved to the "Release Notes" page under the "Roadmap" section.
When you press the red power button on the remote control, the ZapperBox does not really turn off. It goes into standby (red light). During this time the HDMI output is turned off but all other internal functions keep working. In standby mode, a single-tuner box does channel scans to update guide data. A dual-tuner box is continuously using the second tuner to do channel scans whether it is on or in standby. Therefore, it is more important to put a single tuner box in standby and not so much a dual-tuner box. Putting a box in standby does not save any power.
The ZapperBox remote control uses NEC IR wave forms. Here are the hex codes for each key:
On/Off: 45
Mute: 80
DVR: D2
Live TV: 5D
Record: 95
BA: D0
Guide: 19
Info: 99
Up: CA
Left: 99
OK: CE
Right: C1
Down: D2
Zap: 42
Menu: 41
1: 43
2: 03
3: 44
4: 46
5: 07
6: 47
7: 55
8: 17
9: 56
Decimal: C3
0: 1B
Back: 11
All ATSC 3.0 broadcasts in the US carry Dolby AC-4 audio. The ZapperBox M1 can:
1. Transcode AC-4 to Dolby Digital Plus or MAT when connected to newer AV receivers and Dolby Digital when connected to legacy AV receivers.
2. Decode any Dolby encoding to PCM stereo in Downmix Mode and send it over HDMI.
3. Passthrough AC-4 audio over HDMI if the connected device is capable of decoding AC-4 audio.
Please see this one-minute video on our YouTube channel for a quick review of how to program the LEARNING KEYS.
No. At this time we do not recommend using the ZapperBox without an Internet connection. Also see FAQ #5.
Yes. The FCC has announced that ATSC 1.0 will be around until 2027. We have paid a lot of attention to supporting it as well as ATSC 3.0. All tuners used in ZapperBox support both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0.
5.3 Click on "Account Information" to change your Name and Email Address.
5.4 Click on "Payment Methods" to change or add credit card number.
Please read this blog post about the problem with most microSD cards. We recommend turning the pause buffer off when using Flash storage. This will increase the life of the Flash memory. This feature will be available starting with v2.2.
SanDisk 256GB Ultra microSD card - https://a.co/d/84y2l1Z
For pause/play (not DVR) 32GB microSD card - https://a.co/d/4AxOC7z
We plan to offer two programs to involve the developer community. More details will follow when we are ready.
1) We’ll open our box as a developer platform for A/344 app development after we release A/344 support.
2) We plan to add IP controls to our box and will open up the SDK to developers for smart home integration.
ZapperBox requires a minimum drive size 128GB for DVR and 16GB for a pause/play buffer. DVR features will not work unless the storage device in use is at least 128GB in size. HD and 4K recordings require about 5GB/hour and 1080p recordings require about 2.2GB/hour. This means that a 1TB drive can store 200 hours of HD or 4K video and about 450 hours of 1080p video.
Drives formatted by some operating systems like the version of Linux used by Tablo TV devices cannot be recognized by Android unless they are first reformatted by tools such as "Disk Management" under Windows 10 (we have not tested this process under Windows 11).
Most hard disk drives work with ZapperBox but require an external powered USB hub or external power. Flash drives and solid-state drives do not require external power. However, Flash storage has a “burnout” problem unless SLC memory is used or the pause buffer is disabled. Read about it in this blog post. The USB ports on the ZapperBox do not supply enough power for hard disk drives. So far, all external disk drives that we have tested work fine with the ZapperBox. We have tested a few different USB powered hubs for supporting disk drives and they all work fine. Here is one that is Amazon’s Choice and works fine.
We use the following three websites to see what channels are available at a given address. These are ranked by ease of use. The more complex websites provide more technical info but add complexity.
If you have a USB keyboard you can use it like a wired remote. Just plug in the keyboard into a free USB port. Press ‘m’. Does the Menu pop-up? Voila! Your keyboard is working. Here are the key mappings for all the ZapperBox remote keys:
Red power button – none. This key is trapped by Android. It cannot be entered from a keyboard.
DVR – PgDn
LiveTV – F9
Record – F4
BA – F3
Guide – g
Info – i
Zap – F8
Menu – m
Left, Right, Up, Down – arrow keys
OK – Enter
Digits & decimal – digits & decimal
Exit/back – Esc/backspace
Yes. The ZapperBox can work with any Dolby Surround or Dolby Atmos capable AV receiver (AVR). The ZapperBox has three settings for audio decoding:
1. Auto (let the ZB and AVR decide)
2. Stereo downmix (ZB decodes to stereo)
3. Passthrough (ZB passes undecoded audio to connected device).
There are two ways to connect the ZapperBox, AVR and TV.
1. Connect the ZapperBox to an HDMI input of the AVR and connect the AVR HDMI output to the TV.
2. Connect the ZapperBox to the TV first and connect the TV to the AVR via an HDMI-ARC (Audio Return Channel) port on the TV.
Please follow this process to get guide data for your new zip code:
1. Plug in your box and do a new full channel scan.
2. Go to https://zapperbox.com/, hover on “Subscription” in the menu bar at the top and click on “Manage my Subscription”.
3. Enter your email address and click on Continue.
4. Check your email for a 6-digit one-time password.
5. Enter the 6-digit number.
6. Click on the dollar value of the subscription plan.
7. Click on the zip code and enter your new zip code.
8. Click “Update”.
9. Click the ‘X’ to exit.
10. Place your ZapperBox in standby mode by pressing the red power button.
11. Wait a few seconds.
12. Press the red power button to come out of standby.
13. In a few minutes the new guide data should appear.
14. If we do not have any existing customers in the new zip codes, it will take 24 hours to start generating guide data for your new zip code.
15. Please email us on our support email ID if guide data does not refresh within 24 hours.
If LTE signals are strong enough in your area and you put them through an LNA, the signals can cause distortion products that spread out through the whole TV band, not just the adjacent channels. The distortion products of an overloaded amp include frequencies that are differences and sums of all the different signals going through the amp.
An LTE (Long-Term Evolution) filter is typically used to mitigate interference from nearby LTE or 4G cellular signals that could negatively impact the performance of TV signals, especially in areas where these signals are strong. The placement of the LTE filter in relation to a TV signal amplifier depends on the specific situation and setup.
In most cases, it's recommended to install the LTE filter before the TV signal amplifier. Here's why:
1. Filtering Interference: An LTE filter is designed to block out unwanted LTE frequencies while allowing the TV frequencies to pass through. If the filter is installed before the amplifier, it can prevent LTE interference from reaching the amplifier and possibly being amplified along with the TV signal.
2. Amplifying Clean Signal: Placing the LTE filter before the amplifier ensures that the TV signal that is being amplified is already free from LTE interference. This can result in a cleaner, higher-quality signal being amplified, which can lead to better picture and audio quality on your television.
3. Protecting Amplifier: If LTE interference reaches the amplifier, it could potentially overload the amplifier or cause other issues that degrade the TV signal quality. By placing the LTE filter before the amplifier, you're protecting the amplifier from potential interference-related problems.
Here's the typical order of installation:
Antenna --> LTE Filter --> TV Signal Amplifier --> TV or Distribution System
However, every setup can be unique, so it's important to consider your specific situation. If you're unsure about the best placement for the LTE filter in your setup, you might want to consult with a professional who specializes in antenna and signal distribution installations. They can evaluate your situation and provide the most appropriate guidance.
You can also consider using our ZapperBox A1 Antenna by Televes. This antenna has all three components built in: Antenna, LTE filter, and amplifier. It also has a built-in antenna for 4G/LTE routers.