ATSC 3 DRM Update: Let's Navigate the Zinwell Player's Arduous Update Process

[@petermschenk]

Interesting video. In a country where consumers love convenience and ease of use of any product, this much required effort to watch local broadcast is absolutely ridiculous. Also, as you commented, interesting to see an elderly person do all this.

[@bizzfo]

The fact that they didn’t post your review is reason enough not to buy it.

[@leek4994]

Right. Not only do we have the FCC giving 24/7 NextGenTV encryption the green light.. now we have to trust these droid clone box manufacturers because TV companies are pulling NextGenTV certification out of their products due to the bullshit. Hard pass.

[@charlesdoesmore5488]

I don't think any company would wanna post negative reviews anyways.

[@bizzfo]

@@charlesdoesmore5488 many allow all reviews, good and bad.

[@igeekone]

Exactly, any company showing just 5 star reviews is always a red flag.

[@Shantytowns]

@@igeekonewhich company doesn’t do this?

[@DennisInVenice]

That scream you hear is my 90 year old grandmother.

[@brmacd]

Thanks for the comprehensive review. I agree that the update process is a little complicated, probably needlessly so, but it shouldn't be beyond the capabilities of anybody able to follow directions. (I think it's a little unfair to use the 90-year-old grandmother as the test case in today's world!). To balance things out a little, I just want to say that I love this thing. The ATSC 3.0 tuner works great for me. I'm in CT too, and have struggled with unreliable reception from all the major channels (3, 30, 61, 8), varying from sporadic pixellation to no picture at all. But since getting this box, all signals have been rock solid. It's been worth every penny to me. There may well be cheaper or simpler ways to achieve the same result, but for me at least the benefits of ATSC 3.0 are real and this little box is just the thing.

[@LonSeidman]

And this is what kills me about the new standard. The benefits are real but they negate all of them by adding restrictive DRM that complicates things for the end user.

[@brmacd]

@@LonSeidmanI can't disagree. I just don't want the benefits to get lost in all the surrounding confusion.

[@DavidErato]

Another chapter in Lon’s ATSC 3 Saga!

[@fatrat6820005]

It’s about money,plan and simple! They don’t need DRM

[@bigraysballcards]

Great review and explanation LON. 👍

[@AAa-qd8hb]

Boycott Future DRM ATSC 3.0 DVR restrictions could Include No recording allowed, No DVR controls, No skipping TV Ads, Auto delete after time, only play on same device, No HDMI recording. IMO.

[@Sega_is_all_i_cd]

Another Great Video Lon! Thank you for the share!

[@davidjernigan8161]

It seems that by the time I get nextgen TV in my location I will be the actual 2000 year old man.

[@AAa-qd8hb]

Boycott DRM 3.0 TV. New "Secure DVR" ATSC 3.0 TV DRM rules say (severe TV recordings restrictions) go into effect after Simulcast testing is over and ATSC 1.0 TV is turned off = no more TV recordings. IMO.

[@davidchristensen6908]

Thumbs up for your channel, comment to help you but I won’t be buying this product. Thank you for all your time and videos. Looking forward to the next launch, I watch you there too

[@n1kkri]

I live in the Northwest of RI. My TV antenna is on my 60 foot Ham tower and I can get channel 30 out of Hartford.

[@TheMastersAugusta]

Hey Lon I thought I would give you an update on this. I just ordered 2 of them after watching this video & Channel Master sent me them with the updated software yesterday.. so I went to go follow your instructions and on both of them the software was updated. I did have a lot of trouble hardwiring it into my router, sound was off, video in slow motion... could have been my router or wire. So, I set it up without the internet on 1 & WI FI with the other, no issues. However, I am picking all the Boston ATSC 1.0 & no Nextgen 3.0. channels. I'm hearing Boston turned off the 3.0 ATSC for whatever reason but I'm not 100% sure. I live in Providence RI but am about about 40 miles to the Boston channel towers that are really not in Boston, more like Norwood. So I think I'm going to keep them.

[@XMguy]

I have the Zinwell and had the ADTH. I gave away the ADTH for its lack of tuner sensitivity. Still have the Zinwell. Sadly the Zapperbox is a bit too rich for my blood. Already owning 3 HDHomeRun 3.0 boxes.

[@buhidef]

Just tried ZapperBox. Don't bother... just as bad as ADTH for tuner sensitivity. Poor. Will wait for HDHomeRun Flex to get proper DRM support.

[@XMguy]

@@buhidef Really? I figured for its price it would be on par with the HDHomerun and Zinwell. I’m in a deep fringe area. It doesn’t matter what the broadcasters use, if I can’t receive it.

[@mB-hv7pc]

So in fact you will always need internet-to keep box updated ..if you keep internet disconnected will box continue to work,or will it stop DRM decode without updated certificates?

[@XMguy]

Nice signal levels. Mine is usually -70dBm and 18dB respectively. I’m 68 miles away, tropo signals.

[@ericB3444]

This should’ve been simple. All television over the air is free, and they could improve their profit off of the more direct ads only.

[@joe10117]

can we see a more update on adth zapper box please important to know

[@robertmason7013]

How many miles away are you from the atsc towers.how high is your antenna.

[@TheBigFoot4]

Do you have any sources for Kodi info? I took a raspberry Pi and put Kodi on it several years ago because local stations were going off air while contract negotiations were going on with their parents networks. I know my current tuner dongos will need to be replaced. I am wondering if there is code update to allow Kodi to do decryption.

[@pbartkus]

BTW, I went to file a comment on the FCC site and in the Proceedings Search 16-142 returned "No Matches Found." 😞

[@LonSeidman]

Don't hit enter - make sure any ad blockers are off and you'll see a clickable option.

[@rzhang86]

Bottom line, do you recommend buying this Zinwell tuner?

[@charlietim3059]

Does anyone know if you can now record DRM channels with this new update

[@LonSeidman]

Negative

[@DaveNLR2]

? Lon did you notice Samsungs 2024 TVs with the exception of the 8K model, has dropped ATSC 3.0?

[@timmoss6372]

Do you need the internet to update

[@LonSeidman]

It is possible to download an update and connect through the usb I think…

[@n1kkri]

No way the average person is going to go through that. It should be nothing more than download and click, your done. Just like a android cell phone installs an app or updates.

[@AAa-qd8hb]

The update for DRM encrypted NEXTGEN-TV tuner boxes is just too complicated. I will stay on simple old school ATSC 1.0 TV with no DRM Encryption and Free unlimited DVR recordings that play everywhere.

[@scottct1]

Looks like it works on WFSB, how did WTIC do?

[@LonSeidman]

WTIC is not yet encrypted

[@scottct1]

@@LonSeidman Whoops sorry long day... I meant WVIT.

[@LonSeidman]

@@scottct1 both are still working but initially required an Internet connection

[@jesusvalentin9348]

ADTH seems more user-friendly. The only problem is that they correct something and messed up what was right!

[@kumarp3074]

I think I'm just gonna teach my 90 year old grandmother how to pirate content. Seems a lot easier.

[@impossiblescissors]

ATSC 3 is only going to happen if the TV manufacturers start putting it in all their products. If that doesn't happen, I can definitely see broadcasters adopting new codecs over the ATSC 1 spec that most smart TVs can display.

[@mabbaticchio]

I still can't get over how difficult it is t o watch TV these days. It's live the networks don;t want anyone to watch it. I would think that the more viewers, the more advertising dollars. The funny thing is that there is nothing worth watching anyway.

[@purplesprigs]

They get most of their money from re-broadcast fees (cable/streaming). They DO NOT want you to watch for free with an antenna.

[@christophervanzetta]

TV died over a decade ago. Not sure why people even bother with it anymore

[@danield4559]

@@christophervanzettaFacts.

[@robertgaines-tulsa]

You still have to initially download the encryption key. It would be better to just broadcast the key over the air. It would be no different that storing the key on a DVD or Blu-ray. Does any of this make the broadcast more secure? No. Funny thing is that I thought they were going to somehow make it so a consumer box could send back data to the TV station over the air. They couldn't, so now you have to bring your own Internet. If they want want to show premium content, they should just stream it over the Internet rather than destroy our public airwaves for it. That could also be what they want to do. Get rid of the competition.

[@jmr]

If you like to complain this is the box to buy! 😂

[@robertmason7013]

I will stick with my adth receiver it cost a lot less and i can record with it.

[@XMguy]

Not gonna lie. The update process is a nightmare. Made better by the update. I just worry they’ll pull the ability for me to side-load apps.

[@ZombieRyushu]

It's not. This is the end of accessible Broadcast TV.

[@ThomasGrillo]

Wow! All that dog and pony act we have to go through to update the device is going to kill the markets for ATSC3.0.

[@polarvortex6601]

do NOT buy any of these boxes ppl. live free tv should never be encrypted because you are already paying taxes for it

[@joe10117]

I d rather have zapperbox or ADTH TUNER

[@Ockv74]

❤❤❤

[@Burn_In_Oled_On_Purpose]

I rather get free channels with kodi than have any form of drm since drm will ruin everything.

[@JerryHickey-1958]

To me ATSC 3.0 almost seems like a Scam , to try to get consumers back to Cable and Satellite , so they can get that extra charge , that local channels and maybe networks get from those companies , so many people are leaving those companies , because of the high cost . how this is being done is with the encoding of the over air way channels , that makes it all so complicated .

[@Jean0987654321]

Too expensive to be worth it. Hopefully, the FCC steps in and abolish DRM or end this ATSC 3 charade

[@polarvortex6601]

the FCC doesnt give a shit

[@foxpup]

I think it is going to take a regime change in the US for this encryption problem to go away. Let's Go Brandon!!!

[@kelownatechkid]

I will not be financially supporting any products that incorporate OTA DRM, personally. I find the whole concept abhorrent

[@jcdelbeek]

Its not the boxes at fault ... DRM is coming from the broadcasters not the ATSC 3.0 box manufacturers.