As savvy consumers try to cut costs without sacrificing the quality of the content they have access to, many have turned to free over-the-air (OTA) TV broadcasts. If your TV has a built-in digital tuner, and almost all do, then you can very likely just plug in an antenna and scroll through dozens of different free channels, including major networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS.
In the United States, over 75% of households are within reach of free OTA TV broadcasts but fewer than 20% of TV owners actually take advantage of this access. There are many reasons for this: many folks simply aren’t aware of the option and others may not want the hassle of buying and plugging in an antenna. Also, we’ve gotten used to being able to watch TV on our own time, not subject to some network’s arbitrary broadcast schedule. And doing that sort of “time-shifting” or DVR (Digital Video Recording) functionality on OTA broadcasts requires buying a separate box. We’d also like to be able to watch live TV anywhere we like, not just on the one TV that has an antenna plugged into it.
To make things more complicated, the latest generation OTA broadcasting system, NextGen TV (aka ATSC 3.0) includes advanced copy protection or DRM (Digital Rights Management) built in. This DRM encryption makes it difficult to provide DVR capability to all of the TVs in one’s home or to provide access to live OTA broadcasts anywhere in your home. In fact, I’m not aware of any ATSC 3.0 device that offers whole home playback of both live and recorded DRM-encrypted OTA content to multiple TVs. That is about to change.
ZapperBox FTW!
At the NAB show in New York this week, BitRouter announced that it is launching a field trial of enhanced software for its ZapperBox NEXTGEN TV gateway products that will allow customers to distribute live and recorded DRM-protected NextGen TV broadcasts to anywhere within their home network. The company is working to obtain certification for whole-home content protection from A3SA, the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority.
In the words of BitRouter founder and president Gopal Miglani, “This new implementation will enable ZapperBox gateway and client receivers to deliver protected content seamlessly throughout the home via local area network and is designed to meet the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority specifications for gateway profile devices. Working in partnership with A3SA, we’ve developed gateway technology that delivers the whole-home viewing experience consumers expect while supporting the protection requirements of the broadcast industry. Our field trial with select users seeks to validate that this technology is ready for the market.”
The feature will be available for all of the company’s ATSC 3.0 tuner and gateway products. ZapperBox is currently available in a single tuner ($199) and dual tuner ($275) DVR/Gateway, with a four-tuner version ($349) expected to ship in February of next year. You can also get a tuner-free playback-only device called the ZapperBox Mini ($139). You can attach the Mini to any display in your home and watch both recordings and live broadcasts from another ZapperBox in your home without needing to put an antenna in every room.
Unfortunately, while it’s being tested, the encrypted channel live/DVR distributed viewing feature is only available to a select number of ZapperBox users. The company plans to roll the feature out to all customers via a free software update once it has been fully validated and approved. While the ability to watch live and recorded ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 content with a 24-hour digital program guide is available on the ZapperBox M1 and M2 tuner/DVRs at no additional cost, the distributed “Gateway” functionality requires a subscription to the 14-day guide data service, which starts at $29.95/year.
The company has a great track record of rolling out new features and functionality as free upgrades. In the year or so since I first reviewed the ZapperBox tuner/DVR, the company has rolled out these new features and functionality:
- Whole-home DVR capability
- Easy deletion after watching a recording
- Sort recordings by season
- Live TV on Zapperbox Mini (over Wi-Fi)
- Support DRM-encrypted channels on Mini
- Video preview during FF/Rewind
- Multi word search
- Search recordings
- Favorite channel list
What Does the Future Hold?
The company has other new features on its roadmap, including the rollout of an app-based player (so you won’t need a physical ZapperBox unit on every TV). The company hopes to roll out app functionality some time in 2026. As for viewing your recordings and live TV outside your home network, Miglani (Bitrouter founder) tells us that the spec for this functionality has not yet been announced, but he hopes it will be in the future so his company can get to work on adding that functionality as well. You can read more about their plans on the Zapperbox roadmap.
The Bottom Line
As a guy who loves value, I’ve always embraced free OTA broadcasts as a source of high quality TV shows and to access “event TV” like awards shows and live sporting events without having to pay a steep monthly subscription. I watched the 2002 Olympics in HD on my Sony DVR which sold for $1,000. I watched the games again last year on my dual tuner ZapperBox, which sells for $275. But this time the games were broadcast in 4K resolution with HDR and Dolby Atmos surround sound. Progress!
But this DRM encryption on ATSC 3.0 broadcasts has been a real thorn in the side for both consumers and the companies that make tuners and DVRs for this market. It’s good to see ZapperBox is making progress here and offering distributed whole home DVR and live TV functionality for DRM encrypted/protected content as this makes it easier than ever for customers to watch and record OTA content all around their home, without needing an antenna in every room. We look forward to what’s coming next from Bitrouter and ZapperBox.
Where to Buy:
- ZapperBox M2 Single Tuner DVR/Gateway (Amazon)
- ZapperBox M1 Dual Tuner DVR/Gateway (Amazon)
Related Reading:
ZapperBox Dual Tuner NextGen TV Tuner/DVR Review: Sometimes Free is Better
NextGen TV Expands with Free Over-the-air 4K HDR, Music Streaming and Gaming
