DRM Protected ATSC 3.0 Channels

elvisimprsntr · March 24, 2023, 10:02am

BACKGROUND

Not sure if this is a coincidence or not, but I installed the latest firmware (20230323) on my HDHR5-4K and performed a channel scan.

DRM PROTECTED CHANNELS

I noticed that some of the ATSC 3.0 channels in my area are now marked as DRM protected, including one channel which I had previously been able to watch.

I tried using both SD HR and Channels apps on various platforms (iOS, tvOS, macOS)

QUESTION

I know there is not much we can do about this, but I was just wondering if there is a longer term plan to support DRM protected channels? Or just add a filter option for DRM channels?

A3SA REQUIREMENTS

Device Certificates for Receivers and other ATSC 3.0 Devices
• Used to authenticate devices to broadcasters

Lawyer speak for $ub$cription$ and/or OEM extortion fee$.

DRM STANDARDS

mnwxman132 · March 24, 2023, 12:05pm

There another thread on ATSC3 transition including some talk about drm

In particular one of the developers had this post

spud · March 24, 2023, 1:17pm

The next firmware update to the HDHomeRun is supposed to fix this.

RockandRoller70 · March 24, 2023, 3:58pm

jxxaxxy · March 24, 2023, 6:49pm

Yeah the last couple of firmware updates and even the current one on 3/23 was to only detect channels that have DRM on them and to fix some IPv6 issues. Silicondust has been working on getting accredited for the DRM protection. But my understanding is that it would require another firmware update once they are and also a software update. This probably means Channels will still not be able to view the DRM content. I really hope that is not the case.

Also a lot of these ATSC 3.0 providers have just started adding the protection. It was wide open for a while prior to that. That is why Silicondust added the icon so you could see it and why you can't view it.

speedingcheetah · March 25, 2023, 1:32am

My area has yet to have any 3.0 stations. From what i read on whatever site it was that tracks the roll out, it been planed for years, but nothing moving forward. Keeps getting delayed.
My HDHR 4K Flex or whatver they call the thing now, it just keeps adding 5000 channels numbers every few days, that don't tune, but show in the software as a echo or same tune freq as already existing channels, but fail to load any video data, says the hdhr app.

slampman · March 25, 2023, 2:39am

The 5000 channels are just fringe stations that don't come in strong enough. It doesn't have anything to do with atsc 3.0. I have about 10 of them that I have to disable, very annoying. They are from another market that is about 70 miles from me.

troyhough · March 27, 2023, 5:55pm

The "next" one? Where did you see that?

spud · March 27, 2023, 6:30pm

In a previous post by a SD guy.

troyhough · March 27, 2023, 6:50pm

Link?

spud · March 27, 2023, 7:38pm

I am not sure where I saw it - it might have been reddit

Kryptonyte · March 27, 2023, 11:29pm

This is a major pain the rear. I have to constantly babysit this DVR for rogue channels that just show up like a bad dream.

slampman · March 27, 2023, 11:30pm

It's more of a silicon dust issue but if you use channel collections you don't have to worry about it.

Kryptonyte · March 27, 2023, 11:31pm

Was never a problem in SageTV, where the DVR was capable of controlling the channels that appear in the channel lineup.

I'll have to look into channel collections - it could work as long as it's a global setting that I can force to all clients so they don't start seeing these new mystery channels.

Edwin_Perez · March 27, 2023, 11:48pm

I thought Channels detects the DRM flag on the web page and disables the Channels. It does not Detect HBO or Showtime on my Primes.

slampman · March 27, 2023, 11:48pm

Yeah its global. I couldn't get along without channel collections. Even without the ghost channels there are a bunch of channels that I don't want to see (most all of Pluto, some OTA and a bunch of TVE stations). I just put the ones that my family cares about in a collection. Then I reorder it so that it is top on the list in the guide. Everyone is happy.

Edwin_Perez · March 27, 2023, 11:53pm

That is what I had to do .... for all channels.

MikeBear · March 28, 2023, 2:04am

You guys don't have to do ANY of that to stop "rogue channels" from showing up!

When there's a Tropo event that brings in channels from out of your DMA that can't normally be watched for more than the Tropo event time, just go INTO the HDHR's web admin screen, click on "Channel Lineup", look for the rogue channels, and click the clear star in front of that channel TWICE to turn it into a red X!

Now, LEAVE those channels there, forever! They will no longer EVER show up in your guide, and IF there's ever a new Tropo event, they'll continue to stay X'ed out!
Here's an example of mine, once I LEFT them permanently X'ed out, I've never had a problem:

slampman · March 28, 2023, 2:19am

They keep coming in for me... I play the red X game all the time. It remembers the old ones but as soon as it finds other fringe stations I get another entry...
Frustrating. I want SD to give me an option of disabling scans

MikeBear · March 28, 2023, 2:23am

Yeah, it sucks to keep doing that IF you have a lot of Tropo events, (I don't have that many in mid-Michigan, just mostly Detroit coming in from 120 miles) but I'm pretty sure Silicon Dust admin has said there's no way to disable the automatic scanning. Personally, I think it's STUPID that feature is even there. How many changes does a normal DMA have, that auto-channel scans are required every 3 days? Not that many, that's for sure.