Due to expanded DRM deployment and associated consumer disruption, Cord Cutters News recently resurfaced the story that various ATSC 3.0 broadcasters had began encrypting their antenna channels beginning early this year. While televisions imbued with so called “NextGen TV” tuners for direct playback are unaffected, network tuners that relay video content and platforms that record content are suddenly knee-capped. It’s CableCARD. All. Over. Again. Except this time we’re talking about content delivered over FCC-licensed spectrum that supposedly serves the greater good, to some degree anyway.
Specifically, owners of the HDHomeRun Flex 4K continue to lose playback capabilities as the virus spreads. The bad news is delivered via Silicon Dust’s generic “Content Protection” placeholder pictured below, as additional stations move to blot out content and consumer choice. Also potentially disrupting the nation’s Emergency Alert System.
The good news, if there is any, is that Silicon Dust engineers are working it. Unfortunately, they’re a small company, months into this DRM integration problem, with what sounds like leisurely response times from the certification authority. And even when, or if, they succeed with DRM support it doesn’t sound like there are implementation rules the broadcasters will be bound by. As in: it’s possible some, many, or all may choose to outright prohibit DVR capabilities via a copy-never flag. Taken collectively, this is why another small, innovative company pumped the brakes on bringing their next gen solution, the Tablo ATSC 3.0 Quad Tuner, to market.
While ATSC 3.0 can deliver higher definition video with higher dynamic range, from where I’m sitting, industry’s motivation to make the substantial investment of time and money required is driven by revenue-generating data mining and targeted advertising. But don’t take my word for it as Sinclair’s David Smith who had this to say in 2019:
Smith said the usage data collected from the new standard would be critical for broadcasters and their ability to offer relevant, targeted advertising. “The data [from ATSC 3.0] will probably be the sole opportunity that keeps us afloat for the next generation,” Smith said, stressing that the broadcast TV industry needs to be more like Google with respect to the collection and marketing of its valuable data. “Our world revolves around data.”But he acknowledged that there’s there’s a lot more to like about ATSC 3.0 for broadcasters. Being able to tack-on subscription-based services and reaching all screens — fixed and mobile — with ATSC 3.0 will also be critical to the industry’s future, he said. Broadcasters need to “talk to every device in the marketplace,” Smith said. “We have to be able to talk to cars… We need direct access to the consumer who spends the money.”
As to Sinclair’s relevance to the ATSC 3.0 conversation, they own hundreds of stations in dozens of markets and they own a number of critical ATSC 3.0 patents, standing to profit from widespread adoption from any other broadcasters who similarly seek to further track and monetize consumers via the public airwaves. And I’m left to wonder if rolling our own DVR services, via HDHomeRun or Tablo, runs counter to some of those “subscription” services they want in on.
If you share similar concerns with how this has been playing out and/or were recently bricked, I highly advise you reach out to the FCC to ensure consumer voices are being heard. You could file a comment under the relevant Docket 20-145, although the review period is officially closed, or a better venue may simply be the FCC consumer complaint form.