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HERE TO HELP YOU!
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
Friends, let me apologize right up front for the clickbaity headline. I prefer not to use these overly dramatic headlines but there's no denying they work.
Anyway.
For the last six or seven years, there's been a consortium working to improve the way you get over-the-air television. Using the latest technology, they can now provide a much better level of service than anyone thought was possible. This new technology, called ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV, promises a whole laundry list of improvements, not the least of which are:
It's that last one that has broadcasters excited. While cable and satellite providers have had this ability for decades, over-the-air TV can only offer one commercial to its entire broadcast area. This new technology would let broadcasters charge more money for ads, which after all is the whole point of TV broadcasting in this country.
No one likes commercials. We put up with them when we have to. If you have cable or satellite, you can get a DVR that lets you skip them. If you have streaming only, you can pay a few bucks more a month to avoid them. So what makes these broadcasters so sure that you'll watch their commercials, when you avoid them everywhere else? It's simple: You won't have a choice.
As part of all of this new technology, you'll also get practically unbreakable Digital Rights Management (DRM). DRM is copy protection, plain and simple. And this copy protection will probably keep you from DVRing or pausing or skipping commercials at all. It's not really clear yet what you will or will not be allowed to do. The one thing it will definitely not do is let you capture video to your computer and put it on YouTube. You can do that now with over-the-air TV. (It's sorta not legal, but in the same way that going 5mph over the limit is sorta not legal.)
This DRM will be built into every TV, tuner, and device that supports the new TV standard. You won't be able to avoid it. In fact, some early devices did not have this feature because the DRM standard wasn't finished. Those devices are pretty much obsolete at this point. Some manufacturers are offering free upgrades… some aren't.
Well, I don't know. I am not optimistic, for a lot of reasons. First is that by forcing you to watch commercials, broadcasters are hobbling themselves yet again. Let's say you have two choices. One lets you skip commercials. The other doesn't. Of course you're going to choose the one that lets you skip commercials. This will drive more people to pay-TV and streaming.
The other is that doubt and confusion are the worst things for a new technology. People will stay away from any tech that doesn't seem like it's completely ready. Can you blame them? We've all been through 40 years of tech that becomes obsolete the week after you buy it, and most folks are tired of it. My concern is that when people learn about this controversy, they'll just decide not to watch over-the-air TV at all. Some of those folks who depend on it will just stop watching.
Another concern is cost. The last time we went through a TV transition, the government provided $100 in coupons to every household for the purpose of buying converters and equipment. That's the equivalent of about $150 today. First of all I don't see the government doing that again because Congress is a very different place today. More importantly, I don't know if you'll be able to get a DRM-equipped converter box down to that price point. That original $100 number was in the form of two $50 coupons. Will it be possible to buy a converter box with all this tech in it for such a low price? Eventually, sure, but what about when it's needed?
I understand that articles like this one are just going to continue to stoke fears in the general public. There are those who say that if I really wanted to support the next generation of TV, I'd write nothing but articles about how good it is. But I think it's important that people know the truth here. The truth is that DRM is a big part of the overall plan and that's not going to change. The only question here is whether people will really accept it.
The post Will DRM (copy protection) kill 4K over-the-air television? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
Anyway.
For the last six or seven years, there's been a consortium working to improve the way you get over-the-air television. Using the latest technology, they can now provide a much better level of service than anyone thought was possible. This new technology, called ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV, promises a whole laundry list of improvements, not the least of which are:
- 4K picture and better quality sound
- on-demand and interactive programming
- ability to watch in a moving vehicle
- ads that are targeted to your preferences
It's that last one that has broadcasters excited. While cable and satellite providers have had this ability for decades, over-the-air TV can only offer one commercial to its entire broadcast area. This new technology would let broadcasters charge more money for ads, which after all is the whole point of TV broadcasting in this country.
Why would they think you'd watch commercials?
No one likes commercials. We put up with them when we have to. If you have cable or satellite, you can get a DVR that lets you skip them. If you have streaming only, you can pay a few bucks more a month to avoid them. So what makes these broadcasters so sure that you'll watch their commercials, when you avoid them everywhere else? It's simple: You won't have a choice.
As part of all of this new technology, you'll also get practically unbreakable Digital Rights Management (DRM). DRM is copy protection, plain and simple. And this copy protection will probably keep you from DVRing or pausing or skipping commercials at all. It's not really clear yet what you will or will not be allowed to do. The one thing it will definitely not do is let you capture video to your computer and put it on YouTube. You can do that now with over-the-air TV. (It's sorta not legal, but in the same way that going 5mph over the limit is sorta not legal.)
This DRM will be built into every TV, tuner, and device that supports the new TV standard. You won't be able to avoid it. In fact, some early devices did not have this feature because the DRM standard wasn't finished. Those devices are pretty much obsolete at this point. Some manufacturers are offering free upgrades… some aren't.
Will all of this kill over-the-air broadcasting?
Well, I don't know. I am not optimistic, for a lot of reasons. First is that by forcing you to watch commercials, broadcasters are hobbling themselves yet again. Let's say you have two choices. One lets you skip commercials. The other doesn't. Of course you're going to choose the one that lets you skip commercials. This will drive more people to pay-TV and streaming.
The other is that doubt and confusion are the worst things for a new technology. People will stay away from any tech that doesn't seem like it's completely ready. Can you blame them? We've all been through 40 years of tech that becomes obsolete the week after you buy it, and most folks are tired of it. My concern is that when people learn about this controversy, they'll just decide not to watch over-the-air TV at all. Some of those folks who depend on it will just stop watching.
Another concern is cost. The last time we went through a TV transition, the government provided $100 in coupons to every household for the purpose of buying converters and equipment. That's the equivalent of about $150 today. First of all I don't see the government doing that again because Congress is a very different place today. More importantly, I don't know if you'll be able to get a DRM-equipped converter box down to that price point. That original $100 number was in the form of two $50 coupons. Will it be possible to buy a converter box with all this tech in it for such a low price? Eventually, sure, but what about when it's needed?
Yes I know I'm contributing to the problem
I understand that articles like this one are just going to continue to stoke fears in the general public. There are those who say that if I really wanted to support the next generation of TV, I'd write nothing but articles about how good it is. But I think it's important that people know the truth here. The truth is that DRM is a big part of the overall plan and that's not going to change. The only question here is whether people will really accept it.
The post Will DRM (copy protection) kill 4K over-the-air television? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
4 Replies
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685 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n43A0sNukCg
Direct YouTube Link - SpaceX Seeks to Conduct 450 Starship Launches a Year in Texas!
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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5 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68506 Replies
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2671308 views
Marques Brownlee
Time for another AWESOME video from Marques Brownlee!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwlR0QHGOk
Direct YouTube Link - The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction
The official MKBHD Website!
The MKBHD Store
0 Replies
·
5 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m44iKsdN1-Q
Direct YouTube Link - NVIDIA RTX Spark launch party!!!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
·
17 views
For quite a while now, people with a VIP211k have been losing their recordings on their activated external HDDs... even when there's nothing physically wrong with HDD. I believe this is an intentional and underhanded tactic that Dish is pulling in an attempt to force users away from the VIP211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.
Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.
On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.
It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.
I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
168 Replies
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7496 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Has anyone subscribed to NBA League Pass for 2026-27 and try to link their account to NBA.com to stream League Pass? I purchased it for 2026-27, and when I linked, I got a message saying success, but then I receive an error that my linked subscription does not include the preseason games for NBA League Pass. Is that how it has always been? I know satellite doesn't have the preseason games on the NBA League Pass channels, but I thought that I was able to stream the preseason once I linked my account on NBA.com?
2 Replies
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87 views
Supporting Founder
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
143 Replies
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1468 views
Nah, you just don't understand how ignore works, which is why you made your own NFL thread thinking there wasn't one
For some reason, the satelliteguys.us site is loading a lot slower than usual on both Chrome on my Asus laptop and Safari on my iPhone.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
530 Replies
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18125 views
Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat. 
WTF… …What the Foxbat!Remember folks... just like DNS... its always Foxbat.
S
wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming youWTF… …What the Foxbat!
I know. Here's what Scott has in store for me if I get out of line:wow what a kick in the balls!!! the wife blames you when things don't work now scott's blaming you
S
OMG to freaking funny
You're no fun.
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
7 Replies
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158 views
Supporting Founder
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K. New Siri AI and hands-free control. Stunning picture and immersive HomePod surround sound. Works with your Apple and smart home devices.
www.apple.com
20 Replies
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333 views
S
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade..
. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
You should have looked in the APP STORE instead.
