In a move that could help attract more viewers to NextGen TV, Atlanta DTH (ADTH), a provider of NextGen TV external devices, has released Version 2.0 software for the ADTH NextGen TV Box. The update delivers "significantly improved user experience" and introduces support for unconnected-mode DRM playback, “a key advancement for ATSC 3.0 viewing without internet access.” the company said.

ATSC 3.0 (aka "NextGen TV") is the new over the air broadcast standard being deployed by U.S. broadcasters and is designed to eventually replace ATSC 1.0. The standard has also been adopted by Korea, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and parts the standard have also been adopted by Brazil. The standard combines broadcast with IP and promises such premium services as 4K, 5.1 audio, interactivity and personalization.

Although ATSC 3.0 signals are available to about 76% of the nation’s TV households, consumer response has been fairly weak, stymied by complaints from viewers having difficulty accessing and recording programming. Many broadcasters have encrypted 3.0 signals (under the "digital rights management" protocol, aka "DRM") in an effort to protect content against what they perceive as potential piracy threats, as well as using the tactic to potentially unlock such signals to introduce fee-based services in the future. ADTH’s move to add support for DRM could help increase viewer interest, although the vast majority of viewers access 3.0 via TV sets with internal tuners rather than external devices like the ADTH NEXTGEN TV Box.

The ADTH NEXTGEN TV Box is available at Wal-Mart for $90. Another recently released product, the GTMEDIA HDTV Converter X1, also claims to allow the DRM playback as well. That product retails for $130.

The ADTH NEXTGEN TV Box allows ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV and ATSC 1.0 free-to-air television programs to be viewed on any IP-compatible TV display. Housed in a compact unit designed to fit beneath or alongside the display, it comes with ATSC 3.0 and ATSC 1.0 support, Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, HDMI, S/PDIF digital audio, and RCA connectors. A wide range of features are supported including electronic program guide and parental controls. Dolby AC-4, audio description and closed captions can be activated to support viewers with impaired hearing.

ADTH has also launched the new ADTH NextGen TV USB Tuner, now available on Amazon for just under $70. Designed for Android TV and Fire OS smart TVs and streaming devices, this compact plug-and-play tuner brings full ATSC 3.0 support—including internet-connected A3SA DRM—to a wider range of platforms.

“Version 2.0 software adds a series of enhancements including a refreshed user interface, improved playback performance, auto-update capabilities, smarter power management and an onscreen announcements of future updates,” says Ivy Shou, President of Atlanta DTH. “Most notably, the update enables secure playback of A3SA-encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels even when the device is offline, making it ideal for users in areas with limited connectivity.”

Version 2.0 software for the ADTH NextGen TV Box is now available to all current users as a free over-the-air software upgrade. It will also ship pre-installed on all new units as part of an upcoming product refresh.

MELBOURNE—Mediaproxy has announced that it has been officially certified by the ATSC Security Authority (A3SA) to provide decryption for NextGen TV broadcasts in the U.S. as part of its LogServer compliance monitoring and Monwall multiviewer systems.

The certification means that broadcasters can now implement comprehensive software-based tools to monitor and analyze ATSC 3.0 streams for compliance purposes that are not tied to or reliant on bespoke hardware devices. The ATSC 3.0 standard delivers high levels of encryption to ensure content accessed through broadcasters' websites is more secure, which in turn protects the viewers. By incorporating A3SA security protocols into the core of its LogServer engine, Mediaproxy is able to provide broadcasters with a cost-effective option to monitor both encrypted to-air and off-air signals. 

"Mediaproxy is a long-standing member of the ATSC, and we have hundreds of TV stations in the US that rely on our technology," commented Mediaproxy chief executive Erik Otto. "Because of this we saw it as our responsibility to not only provide a comprehensive software-based toolset around ATSC 3.0, but also a seamless way to deal with decryption. Over nearly 25 years, Mediaproxy has established a reputation for pioneering new compliance and monitoring technologies and this new, extremely exciting development is the latest in a long line of such achievements. Without precedent, we have worked closely with the A3SA over the past 12 months to make this happen. The result is a simple software-based and cost-effective path forward for broadcasters offering NextGen TV services."

For to-air and hand-off monitoring, an on-premises LogServer system is able to simply take the encrypted STLTP (Studio to Transmitter Link Transport Protocol) output of the packager directly from the stream. This guarantees confidence in what is sent to the transmitter straight from the local IP network, the company reported. 

In off-air monitoring situations, it is possible to use inexpensive and familiar integrated receiver/decoders (IRDs) that do not provide decryption but do have outputs of the encrypted IP streams through DASH/ROUTE (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP/Real-time Object delivery over Unidirectional Transport). This enables ATSC 3.0 compliance on IRDs for streaming platforms such as HDHomeRun, with LogServer handling the DRM aspects for all channel sources, Mediaproxy said. 

The new ATSC 3.0 security feature is also available on Mediaproxy's ever-expanding Monwall hybrid multiviewer, which accommodates low-latency monitoring of both encrypted outgoing and return signals. Alongside the features on Monwall and LogServer, Mediaproxy has developed an extended toolset for advanced IP packet and table analysis of live broadcast streams or PCAP (packet) captures, which can be accessed via easy-to-use user interfaces.

For more information please visit: www.mediaproxy.com. 

PORTLAND, Ore.—Audinate Group Limited, developer of the Dante AV-over-IP solution, has announced the addition of Dante Media Encryption to the security features and benefits of the Dante platform. Dante Media Encryption protects the content of media flows using strong AES-256 encryption, safeguarding media from interception or unauthorized access.

Dante product updates for Dante Media Encryption will be available for original equipment manufacturers to integrate with their products in the second half of this year, the company said. 

Dante is a complete, AV-over-IP platform that is interoperable across more than 4,000 products from over 600 manufacturers, integrating audio, video, control, and management features. This interoperability, combined with the ability to access and route AV signals anywhere in the world, makes Dante uniquely qualified to add end-to-end encryption between connected products, the company said. 

Dante offers device, network, and media-level protections for Pro AV manufacturers to integrate into their products and system solutions. The accelerating convergence of AV equipment and IT network technologies has increased the need for integrators and manufacturers to provide network protection for system users with security-conscious designs and adherence to emerging IoT (Internet-of-Things) network regulations, the company said. 

Audinate also stressed that Dante systems and endpoints implement a multilayer security architecture that provides unmatched threat and vulnerability protection to the network and connected devices. The multilayer security architecture provides a solid foundation for manufacturers and systems integrators to follow best practices when configuring Dante and their products to meet new regulations. 

The addition of Dante Media Encryption enables Pro AV equipment manufacturers to upgrade qualified Dante firmware and software in new or existing designs to support AES-256 encryption security policies on managed Dante networks, the company reported. 

“Dante Media Encryption is the only fully interoperable and manufacturer-agnostic solution for AV installations, providing a powerful tool to customers that must adhere to strict security and privacy mandates,” says Mark Gerrard, group product manager, Audinate. “The introduction of Dante Media Encryption demonstrates Audinate’s ongoing industry leadership in the Pro AV industry.”

Dante Media Encryption capabilities are fully compatible between updated devices in managed Dante networks. Managed networks are fundamental to a secure AV-over-IP system, with Dante Director and Dante Domain Manager (DDM) providing secure access controls, network segmentation, policy management, and event logging as essential protections to an installation. Dante Media Encryption policy is configurable by the AV network administrator through an intuitive user interface on the Dante Director management platform. Dante Director also provides strong key management, including key rotation, for enrolled devices, the company said. 

As ATSC 3.0 (aka NextGen TV) rolls out nationwide, critics are pointing to the implementation of digital rights management via encryption of the over-the-air signal as detrimental to the success of the advanced television standard. But advocates are pushing back, noting the importance of protecting both the signal and content.

In a blog posted on NAB’s website this week, Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, a consortium of broadcasters and manufacturers focused on NextGen TV, says that unlike its predecessors, ATSC 3.0’s IP capabilities allow it to be more resistant to hacking and disruption.

Noting the increasing importance of protecting IP networks, Schelle adds that “until now, broadcast TV has been defenseless against theft, malicious hacks and worse.”

Schelle cites this month’s example of Ukraine’s hacking of a Russian TV stations in which several programs were interrupted with a recording from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense overlaid with audio in Ukrainian, warning viewers that any Ukrainian offensive will not be given advance notice.

The incident is “a sobering reminder that the proverbial sword cuts both ways. Today’s triumphant hackers could become tomorrow’s victims,” Schelle said. “Consequently, this incident underscores the compelling need for robust security protocols with TV broadcasting.”

Schelle adds that broadcasters need the same protections as the wider IP ecosystem, especially since pay-TV providers have enjoyed the same protections for decades. “Nearly every website uses a seamless signing and authentication process to ensure consumers get what they’re expecting and hackers are kept out,” she said. “Now, over-the-air TV broadcasting will finally have enhanced security just like many websites."

Schelle also cites the growing threat of AI.

“This security upgrade for television broadcasters is important since unprotected signals can easily be intercepted, “deep faked” and redistributed without permission. Courts have shut down these illegal schemes but it took years and cost the industry millions. 

“Preventing this problem in advance can be accomplished with the essential security protocols and capabilities inherent in ATSC 3.0,” she added. “Broadcasters must plan to take advantage of these capabilities to protect their signals and their content. These security safeguards will keep hacking and unauthorized redistribution at bay while giving consumers better pictures and enhanced audio.”

June 21: This article was updated. 

LAS VEGAS—Triveni Digital, the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA), and Pearl TV today announced that Triveni's StreamScope XM Analyzer and Monitor are the industry's first test and measurement products to support NextGen TV decryption protocols.

Using the new decryption functionality on StreamScope XM, broadcasters can transmit encrypted content in the ATSC 3.0 environment to better understand who their subscribers are and monetize NextGen TV services, while ensuring outstanding content integrity, Triveni said. The effort is part of Pearl's FastTrack to NextGen TV program, to accelerate and streamline the path for adoption of NextGen TV technology. In addition, Triveni Digital and the A3SA security authority have agreed to a multi-year deal to enable the use of Triveni Digital's GuideBuilder XM broadcast chain and StreamScope XM products in their testing and certification services.

"Encryption is a key requirement for delivering ATSC 3.0 services," said Mark Simpson, president and CEO at Triveni Digital. "After a long collaboration with the A3SA security authority and under Pearl's FastTrack umbrella, we are excited to bring this important capability to the broadcast television market. Triveni Digital is a leader in the development and deployment of NextGen TV technology, and adding broadcast decryption to our industry-leading StreamScope XM product line will help to accelerate the monetization of ATSC 3.0 services. We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Pearl TV to develop leading-edge NextGen TV technology for broadcasters."

Triveni Digital's StreamScope XM offers a comprehensive suite of products for monitoring, analysis, and troubleshooting complex DTV content, now with broadcast decryption and continuous transport stream recording capabilities available. Triveni's GuideBuilder XM and Broadcast Gateway broadcast chain products are powering many NextGen TV deployments in the U.S. and internationally. Pearl has helped to create the security authority to develop protocols for securing ATSC 3.0 broadcast services leveraging the same tools that web-based content services use (i.e., IP-based encryption protocols, device certificates, and rights management technology) in conformance with the ATSC Security Standard for NextGen TV.

"As NextGen TV deployments grow in the U.S., protecting high-value television content is essential," said Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV. "We're excited to join forces with Triveni Digital and help to ensure that ATSC 3.0 content, services, and information is well protected and secure."

Triveni Digital is demonstrating its StreamScope XM Analyzer and Monitor at the 2023 NAB Show, April 16-19 in Las Vegas at booth W3251 in the West Hall of the LVCC.

PORTLAND, ORE.—Amazon Web Services has launched SPEKE (Secure Packager and Encoder Key Exchange), an open, extensible API specification developed to streamline integration of Digital Rights Management (DRM) with encoders, transcoders, and origin servers (encryptors).

Most integrations usually require a custom API for each DRM solutions provider and each encryptor, which can be costly and time consuming, and even delay the launch of new services. SPEKE provides a standardized method for key exchange between encryptors and DRM systems. It also enables customers to use SPEKE-enabled key servers or encryptors in on-premises, cloud, or hybrid infrastructures. SPEKE is designed for both live and on-demand media workflows.

Built on the DASH Industry Forum’s Content Protection Information Exchange Format (CPIX) standard for key exchange, AWS says SPEKE provides a universal, secure way for SPEKE-enabled key servers and encryptors to encrypt content. An API specification supports HLS, MSS and DASH packaging as well as standard DRM platforms, including Apple FairPlay Streaming, Microsoft PlayReady, Google Widevine, AES-128, and proprietary DRMs.

Multiple APN partners already have implemented SPEKE, including AWS, Axinom, castLabs, EZDRM, INKA Entworks, Insys Video Technologies, Intertrust Technologies, Irdeto, Kaltura, NAGRA, NEXTSCAPE, Verimatrix, Viaccess-Orca, VUALTO, and WebStream.

"SPEKE is an exciting development for our industry. Building on the CPIX API, it further improves operational efficiencies and reduces both the time and costs involved in launching OTT services,” said Will Law, founding board member and Vice-Chairman, DASH Industry Forum.

”Prior to SPEKE, integration required a custom API tailored to each DRM solutions provider and each individual encoder, transcoder, and packager,” said Michael Callahan, Head of Media Solutions Marketing at AWS Elemental. ”This often resulted in delayed new service launches for customers. SPEKE simplifies DRM integration to a single secure API. Any SPEKE-enabled DRM key server works with any SPEKE-enabled encryptor out of the box without the need for proprietary integration.”