Encryption

[BizSAR]

It's happened here in the Portland Metro area, three of the stations have flipped DRM on. Fox, NBC, and PBS.

No, not PBS, and they (KGW, KPTV, and KPDX) switched over a week ago or so. They had previously been DRM'd until several months when it was switched off. My guess? NFL season and now that that's over...

Same market as you. Recently, KPTV enabled DRM and they offer no alternative. At least KGW and the other market stations here still have the non-DRM equivalent channels, but the FOX affiliate is unreachable to me at all unless I connect my antenna to my Samsung TV.
However for me, OPB (PBS) has not enabled DRM yet.

[freway01]

I know that there are a lot of new members out here in the forums who keep inquiring about the status of SD's efforts to resolve the DRM roadblocks the A3SA arm of the ATSC committee keeps throwing at equipment manufactures like SD. Nickk and the SD team have tried to answer questions posted in this and other threads, but sometimes they can get a little too technical, or not clear in an explication.

I'm including a link to a Youtube video that was originally posted a few weeks ago from Lon Seidman, that helps you understand what is happening in the world of ATSC 3.0 TV. Lon posts updates on his YouTube channel regarding the status of ATSC 3.0, and his campaign to get the FCC to step in and stop this DRM bull*hit, so I suggest you follow his channel so you can see his updates, and if you haven't already, sign and add comments to his petition.

Remember, SD has an ATSC 3.0 certified tuner, and if the FCC would step in and tells the ATSC committee to drop DRM, those of us with Flex tuners would be able to watch ATSC 3.0 TV today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1vTpSJHVyo&t=873s

[kyl416]

Recently, KPTV enabled DRM and they offer no alternative.

KPTV's main ATSC 1.0 signal is still on VHF 12, where they have been since the 2009 DTV transition. Like many other VHF stations across the country did once the repack filing freeze was lifted, they petitioned for and were granted a construction permit to leave VHF for UHF 21. They also have UHF translators for the Salem, Longview and Newberg areas, and numerous other translators for the fringes.

However for me, OPB (PBS) has not enabled DRM yet.

Not a single PBS station in the country is using DRM on ATSC 3.0, and no PBS member station is listed as an A3SA licensee. As opposed to ABC's O&O group, Sinclair and Graham who are listed as licensees, even though they have yet to implement DRM on any of their NextGen stations across the country, along with Nexstar, who hasn't yet implemented DRM on their Portland stations.

KOPB's main ATSC 1.0 signal is still on VHF 10, where they have also been since the DTV transition, along with UHF tranlslators for the Portland and Newberg areas and numerous other translators for the fringe areas of the market, and KOAC and its translators.


Also, the shared NextGen lighthouse situation is only temporary, the long term plan is for the stations to leave the lighthouses and convert their own signals to ATSC 3.0 which will free up bandwidth for their subchannels and 4K. While KPTV's ATSC 1.0 signal will soon be leaving VHF 12 for UHF 21, a decade or so from now when ATSC 3.0 tuner penetration is high enough that the lighthouse period can end, KOPB's NextGen feed will eventually be on their own VHF 10 signal.

[snowcat0]

I know that there are a lot of new members out here in the forums who keep inquiring about the status of SD's efforts to resolve the DRM roadblocks the A3SA arm of the ATSC committee keeps throwing at equipment manufactures like SD. Nickk and the SD team have tried to answer questions posted in this and other threads, but sometimes they can get a little too technical, or not clear in an explication.

I'm including a link to a Youtube video that was originally posted a few weeks ago from Lon Seidman, that helps you understand what is happening in the world of ATSC 3.0 TV. Lon posts updates on his YouTube channel regarding the status of ATSC 3.0, and his campaign to get the FCC to step in and stop this DRM bull*hit, so I suggest you follow his channel so you can see his updates, and if you haven't already, sign and add comments to his petition.

Remember, SD has an ATSC 3.0 certified tuner, and if the FCC would step in and tells the ATSC committee to drop DRM, those of us with Flex tuners would be able to watch ATSC 3.0 TV today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1vTpSJHVyo&t=873s

And just like with the attempt with the ATSC 1.0 Broadcast flag, we all need to be squeaky wheels and call out the absurdity of DRM on public broadcast, and follow the calls to action for FCC comments and reaching out to your Representative and Senators as well.

[Phoenixfury]

Do we have an ETA when DRM will be enabled?

No ETA yet... we have to wait for A3SA to finish and release a spec that can be implemented.

Obviously they are dragging their feet, or so it seems. This is in my opinion not only harms the adoption of ATSC 3.0, but this especially harms SiliconDust and it's customers because we expect a 100% working product, but it's crippled by the A3SA because of them dragging their feet. At what point can companies like SiliconDust hold a fire under their feet with a lawsuit? I'm just sayin'..

[freway01]

If everyone in this thread spent as much time submitting comments to the FCC and contacting their Congressional representatives to voice their objection to the use of encryption on the new ATSC 3.0 OTA broadcasts, as they do demanding SD 'fix' their ATSC 3.0 receiver, maybe the FCC and Congress would wake up to the fact that the 'tail is wagging the dog', and they are letting the broadcasters control the public airwaves.

Remember, SD has a ATSC 3.0 'certified' receiver, it's the broadcasters who control the A3SA, and they are doing everything they can do to squeeze every penny out of manufactures and consumers so we can watch free, OTA TV the way we want and when we want. If Congress and the FCC said no today to encryption, all of the SD and other branded ATSC 3.0 receivers would be working today, and because these manufactures won't have to spend time and money on software and licenses which hopefully would help keep the price down for the receivers.

[jeffsherwin]

Will DRM encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels play on my Android or Fire TV device?
Using a gateway product - we expect it will be possible in the future but it is not possible today. The Google Widevine DRM decryption is possible but there are other requirements that are draft/incomplete at this time. There is activity happening.

Assuming I have a bunch of Android TV devices around my house (specifically TiVO stream 4Ks), would the Flex device work in the future for DRM encrypted channels with a software update or will this require new hardware?

[nickk]

Assuming I have a bunch of Android TV devices around my house (specifically TiVO stream 4Ks), would the Flex device work in the future for DRM encrypted channels with a software update or will this require new hardware?

Firmware update and app update.

[EddieP]

There is already a tuner box that has DRM recording in beta hope HDHR DVR will have it soon.

[nickk]

There is already a tuner box that has DRM recording in beta hope HDHR DVR will have it soon.

Recording DRM protected content isn't the problem (unless the broadcast chooses to block recording or to force-expire recordings which is a different issue)

[freway01]

There is already a tuner box that has DRM recording in beta hope HDHR DVR will have it soon.

Recording DRM protected content isn't the problem (unless the broadcast chooses to block recording or to force-expire recordings which is a different issue)

Nickk, I think there are some people out there that don't have a good understanding of the difference in the rules the A3SA is putting on a 'standalone', single tuner box that requires a direct connection between the TV and receiver box (HDMI cable), and the A3SA rules for a 'networked' tuner box like the Flex. I've been following this thread since the beginning (including the closed portion), and in addition to what I've learned from you and others here, I've done additional research outside of this site.

Maybe it would be helpful if you created a pinned thread that only you and other SD team members can update that clearly spells out what the A3SA is requiring you and the team to provide in the hardware and software that will allow the Flex to get the A3SA's approval. This way as you complete a milestone, you can post about it so we all can see the progress that is being made.

[zippy]

Will that make progress go any faster. Or just waste a bunch of time updating threads and answering posts. And what happens when SD makes 1 step forward or 2 steps back. Just post when it's done.

[freway01]

Will that make progress go any faster. Or just waste a bunch of time updating threads and answering posts. And what happens when SD makes 1 step forward or 2 steps back. Just post when it's done.

It may not make things go faster, but if there is one post everyone can go to see a list of items the A3SA is requiring to get a gateway device approved, and which of the items have been completed. Only needs to be a simple checklist. Maybe then, all of those questions on where SD is in the process will slow down.

[zippy]

Do you really think companies want to expose there progress and target dates for new products and features to their competition.

[Freekick123]

https://rbr.com/dvr-specifications-rele ... v-devices/