There is no viewer license fee to decode DRM protected channels. Under the rules that allow DRM stations are flat out forbidden from requiring a viewer payment or a broadcaster provided tuner/converter. A3SA uses Widevine DRM, the same DRM that is built into most Smart TVs, smartphones and is a free plugin that is automatically downloaded on most web browsers after you enable DRM playback and watch a video that requires it.
If you want DRM to be banned or at least reigned in until the A3SA stops dragging their feet and approves a method for internet-less playback on external tuners with guaranteed guardrails to allow recording and timeshifting, you have a better chance of getting them to pay attention if your comments to the FCC focus on the problems it is causing now instead of flooding them with what if scenarios their current rules already forbid. Like the A3SA letting broadcasters like Gray, Scripps, Tenga, Hearst, Univision, CBS and NBCU launch DRM before they even authorized it for a single external tuner, and have yet to approve a method for external tuners that doesn't require an internet connection. Even integrated tuners have problems if they default to using internet for the handshake instead of the built in method. If your internet goes out for any reason, you lose TV, which becomes a major issue during severe weather emergencies where electricity returns first and it could be days before your cable or telco/fiber provider completes repairs. For quick outages it usually takes several minutes before your modem reestablishes a connection, so you'll miss critical updates about a tornado warning.
Yes subscription OTA can be a thing with ATSC 3.0, but it is not unique to ATSC 3.0 and as mentioned above, each time it was attempted it failed. Even if the Big 4 wanted to convert to subscription only status, they would have a hard time doing it. The Big 4 networks only own a fraction of their affiliates, so companies like Gray and Sinclair would jump at the chance to launch replacement networks to take up the void. Most of the networks don't have the pay TV rights to 3rd party productions, while Nexstar's CW and Scripps' Ion don't outright own any of their programming, so they along with any replacement networks would be able to poach some of the most popular shows on TV and become the new "Big 4". Any network that switches to pay TV only would also lose their Sunday afternoon NFL rights and the Super Bowl rotation. Not to mention the mess it would get them in with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA as compensation for first run pay TV is much lower than first run broadcast programming.
If you want DRM to be banned or at least reigned in until the A3SA stops dragging their feet and approves a method for internet-less playback on external tuners with guaranteed guardrails to allow recording and timeshifting, you have a better chance of getting them to pay attention if your comments to the FCC focus on the problems it is causing now instead of flooding them with what if scenarios their current rules already forbid. Like the A3SA letting broadcasters like Gray, Scripps, Tenga, Hearst, Univision, CBS and NBCU launch DRM before they even authorized it for a single external tuner, and have yet to approve a method for external tuners that doesn't require an internet connection. Even integrated tuners have problems if they default to using internet for the handshake instead of the built in method. If your internet goes out for any reason, you lose TV, which becomes a major issue during severe weather emergencies where electricity returns first and it could be days before your cable or telco/fiber provider completes repairs. For quick outages it usually takes several minutes before your modem reestablishes a connection, so you'll miss critical updates about a tornado warning.
Yes subscription OTA can be a thing with ATSC 3.0, but it is not unique to ATSC 3.0 and as mentioned above, each time it was attempted it failed. Even if the Big 4 wanted to convert to subscription only status, they would have a hard time doing it. The Big 4 networks only own a fraction of their affiliates, so companies like Gray and Sinclair would jump at the chance to launch replacement networks to take up the void. Most of the networks don't have the pay TV rights to 3rd party productions, while Nexstar's CW and Scripps' Ion don't outright own any of their programming, so they along with any replacement networks would be able to poach some of the most popular shows on TV and become the new "Big 4". Any network that switches to pay TV only would also lose their Sunday afternoon NFL rights and the Super Bowl rotation. Not to mention the mess it would get them in with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA as compensation for first run pay TV is much lower than first run broadcast programming.
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