Crandi

Nextgen Tv S Drm Puts Future Of The Over The Air Dvr In Doubt

Leo Migdal
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nextgen tv s drm puts future of the over the air dvr in doubt

It’s been more than five years since I first asked whether ATSC 3.0, aka NextGen TV, would spell doom for over-the-air DVR. The answers are coming in now, and they’re not encouraging. The latest television broadcasting standard, also called NextGen TV, is supposed to introduce new features such as 4K HDR video and dialog enhancement. But it also gives broadcasters the ultimate say over where and how you watch free local channels. With new encryption measures that many stations are now adopting, ATSC 3.0 can limit recording capabilities, block out-of-home viewing, and restrict the use of certain video player apps. Even basic playback requires seemingly endless certification hoops, potentially driving up the cost of ATSC 3.0 converter boxes.

Broadcasters say they’re trying to protect against media piracy, and that they might address some of these complaints in the future, but encryption still leaves them, rather than audiences, in control of what’s possible. Over-the-air DVR has been one of the last great ways to watch TV on your own terms. NextGen TV could stop that from happening. This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best over-the-air DVRs. Although broadcasters downplayed ATSC 3.0’s DRM (digital rights management) features in the standard’s early years, they’re starting to lock things down with encryption as more stations come online, and the issue has gained wider... For the past five years running, I’ve written an annual check-in on ATSC 3.0 (or “NextGen TV”), the broadcast standard that’s supposed to greatly improve over-the-air TV.

Every year, it’s been a story of baby steps. As 2025 gets underway, that story hasn’t really changed. While ATSC 3.0 is starting to deliver more of what it initially promised—most notably big events in HDR—you might still need to go out of your way to get a compatible TV or external... ATSC 3.0’s interactive elements remain limited as well, with one promising effort having stalled over the last year. More on that later. All of which means that the existing ATSC 1.0 standard, which is supported by nearly all televisions today, will stay viable for years to come.

The bigger question is whether over-the-air TV will remain viable along with it. When the broadcast TV industry first announced ATSC 3.0 in 2019, it touted a handful of key benefits: The standard also comes with some pitfalls for viewers: Its internet-connected nature allows broadcasters to collect viewing data and serve targeted ads over the air, and its use of DRM adds new requirements for... Remember when HD television launched? Broadcasters couldn’t stop talking about it… Every local newscast reminded you that they were broadcasting in high definition and how their competitor was not. Station logos were modified, slapping the HD icon atop.

Opens proudly proclaimed this newscast was in HD. The message was simple: this looks better, and you want it. Take WNBC’s 2006 promo, which touted its status as home to New York’s first live Doppler radar and first daily news helicopter before triumphantly declaring it was “the first and only station to bring... The tagline said, “it’s news like you’ve never seen it before.” That’s how you sell a technology upgrade. You show it, you brag about it, you make viewers feel like they’re missing out if they don’t have it.

Now is not the time for viewers to panic When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Digital rights management (DRM) is under the microscope in the ATSC 3.0 world—at least by a contingent of early NextGen TV adopters and pundits who fear broadcasters will use it to lock down their... This concern centers on some early 3.0 gateway boxes that receive a NextGen TV signal and convert it for display on a legacy DTV set—not fresh out of the box NextGen TV sets with... Perhaps, however, the consternation and hand wringing may ultimately prove to be largely irrelevant.

Over the past two years, I’ve been closely following developments around the transition to the new ATSC 3.0 television standard—particularly the implications of broadcasters encrypting over-the-air signals with digital rights management (DRM). In my area, I’ve already lost access to a couple of local networks via my HDHomeRun. That experience isn’t unique, and now the FCC is asking for public comment about how this transition should proceed. I cover what they’re looking for and show how you can respond in my latest video. Instructions are also below. This is the most direct invitation yet to share feedback on some key questions before any decisions are finalized.

Notably, question eight on their list acknowledges thousands of consumer objections to DRM on ATSC 3.0 broadcasts—comments that many of you submitted over the last couple of years from our collective effort: Even though the question seems to accept the idea that broadcasters may need to protect their content, there’s still room to advocate for alternatives. If you believe gateways could strike a balance between access and protection, you can say that. Personally, I don’t believe DRM is necessary at all, but the FCC appears to be open to constructive, well-supported suggestions. The key is offering real-world experiences and ideas, not just opinions. We may still end up losing this fight, but I think it’s important that this question made it into the public notice.

They did listen to us and they are interested in this topic enough to include it in the public notice. So now we have a chance to provide further clarity. So you can take the cynical route and do nothing, or spend a few minutes to share your thoughts with a commission that is at least interested in hearing from you on this topic. What NextGen TV encryption means for cord-cutting, and what you can do about it. The ATSC Technology Group 3 (TG3), with due regard for existing standards organizations and activities, develops and maintains voluntary, international technical Standards, Recommended Practices and other documents for the distribution of television... The top official in charge of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says the agency will take up the topic of transitioning America’s television broadcast standards from one digital standard to another.

In a short statement on Tuesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the agency will vote on whether to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that “takes steps to accelerate the transition to this... NextGen TV combines traditional broadcast signals with new capabilities unlocked via the Internet. It allows broadcasters to offer their existing network affiliated stations over the air, while launching new video feeds and interactive features to smart TVs and tuners that are Internet-connected. Proponents of the transition — including most major broadcast groups through their lobbying firm, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) — say transitioning the country to NextGen TV will allow them to free up... Other benefits include enhanced video and audio signals that are on par with most streaming services, along with hyper-local emergency alert notifications and targeted commercial advertising, which broadcasters say will benefit consumers as much... While NextGen TV signals reach most of the country, there is little data on how many NextGen TV-capable smart TVs and tuners are in American homes.

Most TVs sold following the last broadcast transition — from analog to digital — won’t work with NextGen TV, and the likelihood that Americans will have to buy new TVs or converter boxes to... 2024 will be a major year for the new over-the-air TV standard ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV. ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV has a ton of promise and many great features like better range and the possibility of free 4K TV with your antenna. But ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV also comes with digital rights management (DRM). This has resulted in many cord cutters not being able to enjoy free OTA TV, and, if they can, it makes it a lot harder than the older ATSC 1.0 standard. ATSC 3.0 offers better coverage, better picture, and even better sound, but the addition of DRM and the inability for some cord cutting devices like the HDHomeRun to decode DRM has become a major...

Even one of the founders of the ATSC 3.0 standard LG has recently stopped making TVs with ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV built in because it is in the middle of a court case over... Earlier this year, LG lost a patent case from a company claiming to hold patents over some of the technology included in ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV. Right now, there is a lot of uncertainty over patents with the Nextgen ATSC. Now that LG lost its case with Constellation Designs, LLC, it says it would have to pay an extra 125% in patent fees for every ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV it sells. “This challenging and uncertain patent landscape has forced LG to make the difficult decision to suspend the inclusion of ATSC 3.0-compatibility in its 2024 television lineup for the United States. This decision was not made lightly, because LG has been a vocal ATSC 3.0 advocate, a strong supporter of local broadcasters, and a leading developer of television products with the latest NEXTGEN TV technologies.

Going forward, LG will, of course, continue to monitor the patent landscape and its effect on LG’s own product roadmap and overall industry dynamics.” LG said in a statement to the FCC.

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