Earlier today, Tablo started to email customers who had preordered its ATSC 3.0 QUAD HDMI DVR for use with Next Gen OTA TV that they would be getting a full refund of their DVR pre-order.
“We had hoped to ship pre-orders before the end of 2022 but were obviously unable to meet that target. ATSC 3.0 is a very new standard and certifications and other technical issues have caused unforeseen delays.” Grant Hall, the CEO of Nuvyyo the parent company of Tablo, said in the email to customers.
Grant Hall went on to say that the delay and refund of the new ATSC 3.0 DVR were caused by the new DRM that can be used to encrypt ATSC 3.0 broadcasts. “While this feature is not used widely yet, we are committed to ensuring this Tablo DVR is fully compliant with all aspects of the ATSC 3.0 standard. This includes support for DRM and certification from relevant standards bodies.”
In a statement sent to Cord Cutters News, Tablo confirmed the DVR is still in development. “Yes, we are still working very hard to bring the Tablo ATSC 3.0 QUAD HDMI DVR product to market.” Laura Slater, head of PR for Tablo, went on to say, “However, without a clear timeline for the completion of final technical and certification tasks, we felt it was only right to cancel and refund current pre-orders for the product.”
Cord Cutters News will be following ATSC 3.0 closely, and when the new Tablo DVR hits stores, we will have a full review.