After years of wondering if anyone had any interest in ATSC 3.0, the so-called next generation of television broadcasting, I’m finally seeing some interest. Customers have told us our new ADTH NextGen TV converter box is a bona fide hit. It lets you watch all over-the-air broadcasts, even the ones that use the new ATSC 3.0 system. Over 75% of the country now has at least one ATSC 3.0 broadcast, and this inexpensive box gives you the opportunity to see what they’re all about.
NextGen TV is the marketing term for the technology known as ATSC 3.0. It could potentially be the next broadcast standard in the United States. If approved, it would replace the current system just like the current system replaced the old standard definition system in 2009. But, that’s still some time in the future. It will be at least 2027 before we see anything like that happen.
When or if ATSC 3.0 does become the law of the land, there could be some really cool innovations. It could bring 4K over-the-air TV, on-demand programming, and more to regular televisions. Don’t count on seeing any of that now, though. During the test phase, broadcasters must show the exact same content on their ATSC 3.0 channels as they do on their regular channels. There will be some exceptions along the way, but they’ll be rare.
However, there’s one group who are super-pumped about this new technology. If you have an RV with a TV antenna, you know that it doesn’t work if you’re going more than about 15mph. With the new tech, you can watch TV at any speed!
In order to watch ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, you need an active internet connection. This means if you’re in an RV, you’ll need to tether the converter box to your phone or use something like a GOTSPOT. That’s not a dealbreaker, but our RV community wants to know: what’s the deal with that? That’s the answer I’m here to tell you.
Yes, NextGen TV offers a lot of benefits compared to regular broadcasting. But, it also allows for content protection. When TV went to high-definition in the ’00s, broadcasters were worried that people would make perfect digital copies of broadcasts. The thing was, though, that the technology to stop them really wasn’t there yet. Today, broadcasters have successfully lobbied for content protection to be put into ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. It’s not required, but more and more broadcasters are doing it. That means, in order to watch TV, there needs to be confirmation from a web server that you’re doing it “right.” If your tuner isn’t internet-connected, you won’t be able to watch.
This technology is built into every ATSC 3.0 tuner system, even the very expensive ones. It’s part of the standard. Most folks won’t mind since nearly everyone has some sort of internet access now, but it is an extra step that travelers will need to take.
It doesn’t completely spoil the experience, though. The authentication process only takes a moment and uses practically no data. So, it won’t affect any tethering allowance you have on your phone. It’s just a little annoyance. Personally I don’t see much of the point, since historically this sort of content protection has been cracked quickly and easily. The truth is, anyone who wants to pirate content can already do it, but there’s just not a massive market for online copies of Family Matters.
While it’s true that piracy does eat into streaming revenues, I personally think the best way to address that is to price that content out fairly. Practically no one pirates music anymore because it’s really inexpensive to get a month’s worth of streaming. You can even stream music for free if you’re willing to listen to commercials. That’s the way to combat piracy, not fancy internet schemes. But that’s just my opinion.
The post Why does our new ATSC 3.0 converter box need internet access? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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Why would someone want to watch NextGen TV?
NextGen TV is the marketing term for the technology known as ATSC 3.0. It could potentially be the next broadcast standard in the United States. If approved, it would replace the current system just like the current system replaced the old standard definition system in 2009. But, that’s still some time in the future. It will be at least 2027 before we see anything like that happen.
When or if ATSC 3.0 does become the law of the land, there could be some really cool innovations. It could bring 4K over-the-air TV, on-demand programming, and more to regular televisions. Don’t count on seeing any of that now, though. During the test phase, broadcasters must show the exact same content on their ATSC 3.0 channels as they do on their regular channels. There will be some exceptions along the way, but they’ll be rare.
However, there’s one group who are super-pumped about this new technology. If you have an RV with a TV antenna, you know that it doesn’t work if you’re going more than about 15mph. With the new tech, you can watch TV at any speed!
There’s just one catch
In order to watch ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, you need an active internet connection. This means if you’re in an RV, you’ll need to tether the converter box to your phone or use something like a GOTSPOT. That’s not a dealbreaker, but our RV community wants to know: what’s the deal with that? That’s the answer I’m here to tell you.
Yes, NextGen TV offers a lot of benefits compared to regular broadcasting. But, it also allows for content protection. When TV went to high-definition in the ’00s, broadcasters were worried that people would make perfect digital copies of broadcasts. The thing was, though, that the technology to stop them really wasn’t there yet. Today, broadcasters have successfully lobbied for content protection to be put into ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. It’s not required, but more and more broadcasters are doing it. That means, in order to watch TV, there needs to be confirmation from a web server that you’re doing it “right.” If your tuner isn’t internet-connected, you won’t be able to watch.
It’s not Solid Signal’s fault
This technology is built into every ATSC 3.0 tuner system, even the very expensive ones. It’s part of the standard. Most folks won’t mind since nearly everyone has some sort of internet access now, but it is an extra step that travelers will need to take.
It doesn’t completely spoil the experience, though. The authentication process only takes a moment and uses practically no data. So, it won’t affect any tethering allowance you have on your phone. It’s just a little annoyance. Personally I don’t see much of the point, since historically this sort of content protection has been cracked quickly and easily. The truth is, anyone who wants to pirate content can already do it, but there’s just not a massive market for online copies of Family Matters.
While it’s true that piracy does eat into streaming revenues, I personally think the best way to address that is to price that content out fairly. Practically no one pirates music anymore because it’s really inexpensive to get a month’s worth of streaming. You can even stream music for free if you’re willing to listen to commercials. That’s the way to combat piracy, not fancy internet schemes. But that’s just my opinion.
The post Why does our new ATSC 3.0 converter box need internet access? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
