EPG Mess - Now ATSC 'protected'

[rg_ik2_com]

I had to blow away my DVR configuration because of the EPG changes.

I am using an HD Homerun device and was tuning in ATSC broadcast channels (5 channels). I get better reception and higher resolution on those broadcasts.

Now after redoing my DVR configuration, my ATSC channels are listed as ‘protected’ and I can’t tune them in…

[FordGuy61]

Some ATSC 3.0 stations are now encrypted with DRM, and cannot be decrypted by HD HomeRun tuners.

Also, Plex does not support AC4 audio, the format used in ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. Even if you could tune those channels, they would have no audio.

There are many threads in the forum discussing the situation. Here are a couple:

No ATSC 3 channels with Plex and HDHomerun?

I can watch atsc 3 channels through the HDHomerun app but can’t in plex. They show up as unchecked in the tuner settings and Plex doesn’t show any of the 1XX.x channels. What am I missing? Is this support being added?

Live TV EPG - The update you’ve been waiting for

That’s expected; you can’t reuse the same guide data for multiple channels. Perhaps when ATSC 3.0 support is fully realized Plex will change this. However, it’s moot because… ATSC 3.0 channels are not supported at this point. I was only pointing out one of the reasons why that is so. I should have been more clear about the extent to which they aren’t supported. Something else you’ll run into if/when Plex supports ATSC 3.0 is that, in many markets, many such channels are now being DRM en…

[phoneguyinpgh]

Your should still be able to watch and record the ATSC1 version of the broadcast.

[rg_ik2_com]

@FordGuy61

Also, Plex does not support AC4 audio, the format used in ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. Even if you could tune those channels, they would have no audio.

I was actually using this: GitHub - johnb-7/hdhr-ac4: This project aims to emulate an HDHomerun tuner that supplies ATSC 3.0 programs with AC3 audio.

That allows you to watch the ATSC stream with audio.

[rg_ik2_com]

@phoneguyinpgh

Your should still be able to watch and record the ATSC1 version of the broadcast.

Unfortunately the ATSC1 stream is not 1080 and the signal quality (even though coming from the same tower I believe) is not strong enough to watch, it will probably have 10+ pixelated episodes during a 30 minute period which makes it unwatchable.

[pshanew]

Here’s the main DRM discussion thread from SiliconDust’s forums:
https://forum.silicondust.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=77618

The last few pages have some more current status information from SiliconDust (from a meeting they attended with the A3SA last Friday, 1/19).

It should be noted that even when SiliconDust has a solution for their own clients/DVR that it won’t automatically apply to Plex. Each vendor who leverages HDHomeRun tuners will have to implement their own solution and have it certified by the A3SA.

You can also check the HDHomeRun’s lineup.html page to see check a channel’s DRM status:

[pshanew]

Nick at SiliconDust has created an updated encryption thread here:
https://forum.silicondust.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=78888

The first post of which fairly succinctly summarizes where things stand currently and what can be expected for various HDHomeRun clients going forward.

I link it here because it shows pretty clearly the uphill battle both SiliconDust and potentially third-parties (read Plex) are going to face in working with the A3SA to make ATSC 3.0 DRM channel viewing a thing.

[OttoKerner]

@pshanew

the uphill battle both SiliconDust and potentially third-parties (read Plex) are going to face in working with the A3SA to make ATSC 3.0 DRM channel viewing a thing.

I am extremely pessimistic about that.
These DRM shenanigans were invented specifically to disable any DVR which stores the recordings unencrypted and/or allows further changes to the data streams, like ad blocking/cutting/skipping.
But all of these features are at the core of Plex’s OTA support. Even transcoding to a lower bitrate (or simply to improve compatibility with certain client devices) is prevented by DRM.

They will very likely want Plex to disable all of the above features (and make sure they cannot be re-enabled by cunning users) before they will even consider granting Plex a license for decoding the DRM.
And if Plex has to disable these features, what is the point of having a TV tuner in Plex in the first place? You might as well use the existing streaming solutions most of these stations are offering.

[JKalchik]

@OttoKerner

You might as well use the existing streaming solutions most of these stations are offering.

Ha. Shirley, you jest.

IMO, that is exactly the intent, and it’ll be a subscription, ain’t no way it’ll be free. This is all about the money, not delivering content to the user. The user IS the product in their business model, eyes on the ads are the revenue generators, not the content itself.

[pshanew]

@OttoKerner

I am extremely pessimistic about that.

Completely agree. The first post in that link has a list of “features” SiliconDust is having to provide to broadcasters which give them a great deal of control over if and how their DVR can operate. Things like if a broadcast can be recorded, how long before that recording “expires,” where that recording can be viewed, etc. The A3SA has been very hostile toward tuner gateway (HDHomeRun) devices in particular.

It’s possible the FCC will have something to say about DRM on ATSC 3.0 in the future, but that seems unlikely at this point. It seems as though the majority of folks who will end up viewing OTA broadcasts will do so using TVs with built-in tuners and which do not face the same sorts of issues.