Getting Started with Your ADTH NextGen TV Box

Modified on Fri, 7 Aug at 6:56 AM

This page walks you through setting up your ADTH NextGen TV Box for the first time: connecting it to your TV and antenna, powering it on, pairing the remote, and finishing setup. If you have already done this and something is not working the way this page describes, skip ahead to "If that did not work".

Setting up your box

STEP 1: Connect your TV. Connect your ADTH box to an HDMI port on the back of your TV using the included HDMI cable. If your TV does not automatically switch to the box's picture, use your TV remote to select that HDMI input (for example HDMI1 or HDMI2, matching the port you used).

STEP 2: Connect your antenna. Place your antenna near a window or outdoors, pointing towards your local broadcast towers. If you do not know where those are, enter your address at antennaweb.org, which shows the towers near you and which direction to point. Connect the antenna to the box using the coaxial connection. For more on placement, see Achieving Better Channel Reception with Your Antenna.

STEP 3: Connect to power. Use the included power adaptor to connect your box to a wall outlet. After a short wait, your TV should show a picture from the box, such as a startup screen or the setup process beginning. If your screen stays blank, see No picture at all below.

STEP 4: Insert batteries. Slide open the cover on the back of your remote and insert the batteries. A pairing screen may appear on your TV. If it does, follow the prompt to pair your remote. From software version 1.0.101, pairing is optional: the remote still works if you skip it or it does not complete.

STEP 5: Follow the on-screen setup, including the channel scan. Please connect to a Wi-Fi network during setup if one is available, so your box can check for a software update in the next step.

STEP 6: Check for software updates. Go to Settings > About to see your version, then check for an update. Full steps are in How to update the system software.

This step matters more than it looks. Some NextGen TV channels are encrypted by the broadcaster, and as of software version 2.0.0 (1 April 2025) your box can play them without an internet connection, because it receives what it needs over the broadcast signal itself. On software older than 2.0.0, those channels need an internet connection to play at all. So if your box arrived on older software, updating it is what lets encrypted channels work offline.

If that did not work

No picture at all, or your TV says there is no signal

This is very often the TV rather than the box. Using your TV remote, press the button usually labelled "Source" or "Input" and cycle through the options until you find the one showing your ADTH box (whichever HDMI port you used in Step 1). Then check the HDMI cable is firmly seated at both ends, and that the power adaptor is plugged in at both ends.

If you have checked the input and the cable and still see nothing, see Basic Troubleshooting Steps for General Problems.

Setup finished, but you found no channels, or only a few

This is the most common issue in the first week, and it usually comes down to over-the-air reception rather than a fault with the box. How many channels you receive depends on your distance from the broadcast towers and where your antenna is placed, including windows, walls and nearby electronics.

Start with "Achieving Better Channel Reception with Your Antenna" for placement, and "Scanning for channels" to run another scan, including the option to add newly found channels without losing the ones you already have.

Some customers find all of their standard channels but none of the NextGen TV ones. NextGen TV signals do not always reach as far or as reliably as the older digital signals, so if the signal is not reaching your antenna, a rescan alone will not fix it.

The remote will not pair

If your box is on software version 1.0.101 or later, pairing is optional and the remote works without it. If you still want to pair it, follow the remote re-pairing guide. If pairing will not complete and you cannot control the box at all, please contact support.

Some channels play, but the NextGen TV ones do not

Many NextGen TV channels are encrypted by the broadcaster. Without one they may still appear in your channel list but will not play, and may show a message about content protection.

Check your software version first, on the About page in Settings. As of version 2.0.0 (1 April 2025) your box plays encrypted channels without an internet connection, because it receives what it needs over the broadcast signal. On software older than 2.0.0 those channels need an internet connection, so if your box arrived on older software, updating it is what fixes this. See How to update the system software.

If you are on 2.0.0 or later and encrypted channels still will not play, see How to play encrypted channels for the full checks.

Still stuck?

Please contact support and include:

Your serial number, both halves in full.
Your software version, from Settings > About.
What you were doing when it went wrong (first setup, channel scan, or remote pairing), and if it relates to channels, roughly how many the scan found and whether you were connected to Wi-Fi.

Last reviewed: 7 August 2026.