Introduction
Antennas and antenna broadcasting are important.
Many people do not live in areas that are threatened by hurricanes or other natural disasters. However, recent wildfires in Southern California caused Spectrum (Cable and Internet) to experience outages in some areas. Hurricane Helene also impacted cellular data services. Battery-powered AM/FM radios or receiving local broadcasts on TV when power was available proved useful to residents during these events.
Antenna broadcasts offer an alternative to paid or subscription content available through Cable TV or streaming services. On TV, local broadcasts feature digital subchannels that provide quality content that is often better to that of Cable TV networks.
Many may recall the transition from analog to digital broadcast standards in 2009, which occurred shortly after many individuals upgraded to newer HDTVs (Plasma, LCD, DLP). However, this standard is expected to change again, potentially by 2028. Numerous reports, along with my own observations, indicate that the new standard presents significant challenges and appears to be gradually deteriorating.
Background on ATSC 1.0 Technology
In the United States, the switch from older NTSC to ATSC 1.0 happened in 2009. NTSC (National Television System Committee) is the standard that defined television standards starting in 1941. The biggest change to this NTSC standard was the addition of color television in 1953.
In 2009, older analog (NTSC) signals were discontinued in favor of the new ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) 1.0 Standard. During the transition period, stations broadcasted two signals to facilitate a smooth migration to the newer standard for users. To minimize disruption for those who did not purchase a new television, coupons for free converter boxes were provided.
The ATSC 1.0 standard introduced HDTV, offering resolutions of either 720p or 1080i. Digital broadcasts and data error checking improved picture quality by eliminating analogue interference. With ATSC 1.0, viewers should either receive a clear picture without pixelation (most of the time) or no picture at all, in contrast to the static and snowy images that occurred with analog broadcasts.
Many viewers continued to receive their local station signals through Cable TV or other providers. Consequently, to access newer HDTV signals, the Cable TV provider typically provided a new decoder box. As a result, there are still individuals who are unaware of the various subchannel networks offered by their local broadcasters. It is important to note that Cable TV may or may not include all these digital subchannels.
Without reiterating the details provided in the linked videos, the issue stems from the broadcaster's desire to exercise greater control over their content. This is notably driven by concerns related to piracy. Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology can ultimately impose DVR restrictions or facilitate access to paid or premium content. While there is no evidence to suggest that local broadcasters currently intend to pursue these measures, there are minimal barriers preventing such actions currently.
Please note that when you receive your local stations on cable TV, a portion of your bill is allocated to paying the local provider. You may have encountered service interruptions during negotiations between station owners (including local TV) and the TV provider. These disputes arise from disagreements over the surcharge passed on to you, the consumer. It’s possible that local broadcasting corporations may start to question why they can collect licensing fees from cable TV providers, but not those using their antenna. ATSC 3.0 may enable this.
The DRM issue for ATSC 3.0 is currently evident due to several factors. This may involve DVR requirements or technology that enables one receiver in the house to stream to other devices on your home network, rather than running an antenna to each TV. These guidelines are determined by the A3SA (ATSC 3.0 Security Authority). Initially, their guidance was one antenna per one tuner. In-home streaming from one antenna does not comply with this current guideline. Some vendors are seeking clarification, new certifications, and changes to enable this functionality on their devices.
Furthermore, the encryption utilized in this context is Google Widevine. While a set-top device operating on an Android platform may support Widevine, a set-top device based on Apple's platform may not.
LG (one of the largest manufacturers in the United States, behind Samsung, Hisense, and TCL) decided to completely walk away from ATSC 3.0 tuner support because of a lawsuit stemming from ambiguous patent requirements and costs.
Some manufacturers have integrated ATSC 3.0 tuners into their recent models. These built-in tuners generally perform well with ATSC 3.0 and DRM, although occasionally one or two channels in the market may go offline without explanation.
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Supporting ATSC 3.0 does not appear to be a major priority for local stations at present. Currently, RF channels owned by one broadcaster are being shared in markets to balance the broadcast TV spectrum and enable ATSC 3.0. For instance, the station engineer at an NBC affiliate might need to coordinate with the station engineer of an independent broadcaster responsible for encoding at the transmitter. The ATSC 3.0 station in the market is RF 27, licensed to KASW, an independent station operated by Scripps, and other network affiliates are using this channel for ATSC 3.0.
Reliable set-top tuners that receive ATSC 3.0 (with DRM) are rare. I know of four prominent players in this space.
ZapperBox
ZapperBox’s product is considered the most advanced currently available with DRM support. They are also providing numerous software updates to facilitate in-home streaming.
SiliconDust HD HomeRun (ATSC 3.0 Flex 4K)
This is an ATSC 3.0 (and ATSC 1.0) receiver that excels at in-home streaming if DRM is not involved. The developers are engaged in ongoing discussions with A3SA to enable DRM content for ATSC 3.0. (I own one of these).
ATDH
I am not very familiar with this device. It can decode some signed ATSC 3.0 DRM channels, but it reportedly suffers from software freezes according to various forums.
GTMedia X1
This product was released by the manufacturer in early 2025. Although I possess one, I have encountered difficulties with decrypting DRM within my area.
Conclusion
As you can see, the interplay of patents, licensing agreements, standards agreements, and issues raised by manufacturers and broadcasters are causing significant challenges by the time the goods and services reach consumers in the market.
In my case, despite trying two third party set top decoders – I have been unsuccessful in decoding ATSC 3.0 with DRM. I’ll continue to troubleshoot this, possibly by hooking up an Android USB Debugger to get more clarity in what’s going on. But it’s doubtful that the average user would do this. As Tyler the Antenna man stated in his video, the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) are trying to push for a 2028 transition. That’s just three years from now and seems very unrealistic for the various reasons that he states in the video. Nevertheless, this DRM mess needs to be cleared up soon – as interest in ATSC 3.0 is waning from technology enthusiasts.
Here's the link to contact your elected representatives as provided from Antenna Man’s video if you would like to voice your opinion on the matter of DRM in broadcast.
Lon.TV has put out a good video about the FCC requesting public comments on ATSC 3.0 (and DRM)
my post... https://sonnik.substack.com/p/drm-is-killing-atsc-30
Lon.TV Video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQGH08rams8&t=334s