ATSC 3.0 and DRM Transition: A Historical Perspective

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#68

This was published nearly a year ago

ATSC 3.0 Nextgen OTA TV Makes Changes to Its DRM to Help DVRs like Tablo & HDHomeRun

For months now, ATSC 3.0 has had a serious issue with DRM, preventing it from being able to work with network DVRs like the Tablo or HDHomeRun. This meant if a channel had DRM on it you wouldn’t be able to stream it over your home network through a DVR. Now, though, the team behind ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV announced new DRM changes that will help make networked DVRs work with the new standard.

“For the past year, we’ve been working in consultation with several electronics companies who are developing devices designed to add new features for NEXTGEN TV viewers, from simple DVRs to more advanced home networking systems. After considering the various home scenarios, A3SA is pleased to release detailed specifications that will guide companies and soon provide consumers with a wealth of new options for digital video recording and more,” said Ron Wheeler, managing director of A3SA.

This change means that Tablo DVRs and HDHomeRun amount others could build DVRs for ATSC 3.0 that support the new DRM standard. This change will let them stream OTA TV channels to a long list of supported devices. “The new A3SA DVR specification supports in-home streaming to applications hosted on common media consumption platforms such as Android, Fire, Roku, WebOS, and Tizen, with iOS support in process. The spec supports dynamic memory provisioning for media playback (an advantage for consumer devices) and enables developers of new NEXTGEN TV platforms to bring to market innovative new options.” A3SA said in a statement sent to Cord Cutters News.

This is great news for fans of OTA DVRs that stream their recordings to multiple devices. Now we just have to wait for them to build these DVRs for customers.

#69

That announcement said nothing about allowing third-party apps like Channels DVR to freely access DRM content via an HDHR. It's likely that content will per A3SA rules remain encrypted and restricted to HDHR Flex devices' attached storage, and viewable only with HDHR client apps.

#70

I gave this Cordcutter article you quoted a thumbs down because a lot has happened in the last year and none of it is good for the consumer. Not meant for you personally. The comments on that page pretty much tell the story and nothing has improved from a consumer's POV.

#71

While I agree in principle on the A3SA control of DRM, the 4 largest TV groups just signed a deal for data transmission. They are also moving to DRM with an understanding that affordable decoding and new sets are readily available. They don’t see a valuable pay stream for OTA signals. I suspect we will see more movement by NAB this spring. I believe there will be more set top boxes released and likely a hub this year. I just hope Channels remains a player and can interface with HDFX.

#72

I'm not OK with the media cartels calling the shots on my* airwaves.

*as a taxpayer.

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#73

Tough sh!t. If you can’t figure out how to make a profit either improve your programming, build your own delivery infrastructure, or shutter your company. The airwaves are owned by the taxpayers for the benefit of general public. When you DRM you are limiting access to the general public and that could prove to be fatal in emergency situations.

Ask LG how that’s going. They are being sued by some clowns with a patent on a tiny portion of the tech.

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#74

We are not putting any development resources into ATSC3.

They do not mention tvOS in this statement, and have no plans to support Apple TV.

AFAIK the iOS support that was promised was never delivered.

SiliconDust was previously collaborating with the A3SA, but I'm not sure what the status is anymore. If they come up with a working technical solution then we may investigate further. But at this point I would not personally bet on ATSC3

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Orlando All DRM
Channel that just stopped working last night
#75

Thanks for the update and your work.

#76

NedS
Silicondust

Post by NedS » Thu Jan 09, 2025 7:24 pm

jrchurch55@att.net wrote: Thu Jan 09, 2025 7:20 pm I have seen the 2024 roadmap. Does this imply no movement since then? Just looking for insight.

Little or no movement from A3SA, who is the organization overseeing ATSC 3.0 DRM. It's not like there's something we can do today to make this possible. Anything decrypting ATSC 3.0 DRM requires A3SA's approval.

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Orlando All DRM
#77

Well...I guess we won't be getting any DRM-proof HDHRs then

I hope ATSC 3 just die a quick death. Theres more potential with ATSC 1 with AVC and HEVC

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#78

They will offer OTA Internet .....

Your Local OTA TV Station Wants to Be Your New Internet Provider Using ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV | Cord Cutters News

#79

That doesn’t say anything about how upstream internet would work.

#80

Or what they'll charge for it.

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#81

I doubt this. They will likely use the very limited bandwidth for mass broadcasts to smart cars and other smart devices. They may also do a pay wall for content. Elon Musk’s Starlink and Cellular internet delivery is more effective and faster. I believe streaming content will become the primary delivery method in the next decade. Exciting times but not consumer friendly for those of us who were around before Color TV!

#82

It is extraordinary that this is falling on deaf ears. OTA broadcat is the last breath of a system that can't be easily defeated remotely.

#83

You can hook a coax between a pair of rabbit ears and a TV right now and get the DRM'd signals to view. There is no problem with non-gateway devices and DRM. It's the very small number of HDHR-type users that want to use ethernet/wifi to repeat that DMR's signal to a non-TV consumer.

#84

Well also recording to a central DVR that all TVs can access. Something even Dish Network has been able to do for a decade.

#85

I disabled the ATSC3 channels on my Mother-in-laws TV because they were problematic.
Sometimes they worked, other times not so much, and she complained it took a long time for them to "come in".*

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#86

Yay?

1 Like
#87

FCC Report Suggests ATSC 3.0 Transition is Stuck? Over the air television update

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In this video, Lon Seidman discusses a recent FCC report highlighting the stalled transition to ATSC 3.0 (the latest over-the-air television standard). The report outlines significant obstacles to adoption, particularly concerning Digital Rights Management (DRM), cost, and technology compatibility. Stakeholders indicate that the adoption timeline remains unclear, as no transition date is being recommended and the current market approach is preferred over mandated deadlines.

Key Points

Report on ATSC 3.0 transition

The video outlines a report submitted to the FCC regarding the transition to ATSC 3.0, revealing that it is currently stuck due to various challenges including cost, technology, and lack of widespread consumer adoption.

Current state of ATSC 3.0 adoption

The consensus among stakeholders is that there should not be a fixed transition date yet, as consumer adoption is low, and only premium TVs mostly have ATSC 3.0 tuners. The transition is being market-driven, with no push from the FCC for a deadline.

Challenges with DRM and costs

The video highlights a 'chicken and egg' problem: high costs associated with the transition, both for consumers and cable/satellite providers, largely due to DRM requirements which complicate broadcasting and receiving ATSC 3.0 signals.

Consumer representation and issues

Consumer interests regarding DRM were not adequately represented in the report. Lon criticizes the lack of acknowledgment of consumer feedback against encrypting over-the-air signals, which creates barriers to accessing content.

Technology and compatibility problems

Many existing devices and entry-level TVs cannot support ATSC 3.0 due to encryption technology primarily being limited to Android-based systems. This complicates market readiness as consumers are unable to utilize their current devices.

Future of ATSC 3.0

The transition to ATSC 3.0 will likely remain slow unless critical issues are addressed, particularly those around DRM and compatibility with consumer devices. The absence of solutions for facilitating access to encrypted signals poses a risk to the overall transition.

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