Have you been wanting to take advantage of all the new features that ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV has to offer? Need DRM support? Finally, we have a timeline for DRM support on a Tunner and DVR box with a new update to the Zapperbox. This raised a real question, though, about if TV stations would put limits on your ability to record shows or even delete recordings you already made.
Now, according to the Zapperbox the team behind NextGen TV ATSC 3.0 says they won’t put limits on your DVR through DRM even after the current ATSC 1.0 shutdown.
In a statement on its official Facebook page, the ZapperBox team said:
Good news for DVR users!
The ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) declares that DRM won’t restrict DVR usage or ad-skipping. Your recordings won’t expire; life is good. Record away like it is 1999. This ruling creates an important precedent, even though it only covers simulcast content for now. Even after ATSC 1.0 broadcasts stop, DVR use is here to stay!
According to the new rules viewers must be able to decrypt and record these broadcasts even if they don’t have an internet connection. You must be able to make an unlimited number of copies of these broadcasts and copies cannot have retention limits. You will be able to pause, rewind, fast-forward, and ad-skipping with ATSC 3.0
These new rules address most of the fears many cord cutters had about ATSC 3.0 with DVR usage and its DVR system.
Recently the Zapperbox has announced starting to update the Zapperbox so that you can DVR programs even if they use DRM.
ZapperBox’s founder, Gopal Miglani, noted, “Our team has invented a proprietary process that enables us to field-provision content decryption in a highly secure manner. This achievement underscores the longevity of our hardware platform, the remarkable versatility of our software, and ingenuity of our team. While maintaining the security of the NEXTGEN TV ecosystem, we are committed to safeguarding our customers’ investments in their ZapperBox M1, which will stand as the unparalleled NEXTGEN TV DVR and gateway for years to come.”
According to the ZapperBox they will start shipping The ZapperBox M1 NEXTGEN TV DVR with content security, also known as digital rights management (DRM), on September 18, 2023. By offering support for NEXTGEN TV content security, including DRM-encrypted channels, ZapperBox will be only the second box to offer DRM support for ATSC 3.0. Previously this date was approximate but now it has been confirmed.
The ZapperBox runner and DVR cost $249.95 on Amazon and is one of the first ATSC 3.0 DVR that includes DRM support.