Does anyone else wonder if the Tablo HDMI might be an ATSC 3.0 testbed? I have absolutely nothing to support this other then timing. I have no inside knowledge.
The timing of the Tablo HDMI is interesting now that it was pointed out to me there are ATSC 3.0 compatible tuners out there for reasonable prices that support North America. We also have active ATSC 3.0 channels out there.
Am I crazy?
IMHO, in a way. That is, it’s possible that the first ATSC 3.0 device (and maybe only) device from Tablo mandates a direct HDMI connection only (or possibly additional high speed local network to like devices only).
I say this because of all the plethora of “cheap chinese” direct connect DVR appliances out there… so why an expensive Tablo HDMI version? Maybe because… “the future”??
A HDMI model that also supports network attached devices where both the TV and the other devices need to support AC-4 and H.265.
Absolutely not
If I remember correctly the new TCL models support both(don’t quote me though).
I agree and I think I started a thread somewhere where I put forward the theory the new Tablo HDMI might be the test platform and may (fingers crossed) support 3.0 with a firmware update. Should that be the case I’ll likely buy one during the beta period.
@TabloForumAdmin Please let me know if that’s the case. I can keep my mouth shut and am willing to test!!! I can pick up the Detroit market.
The ATSC web site use to have a list of TV manufacturers who committed to have at least one model with an ATSC 3.0 tuner. Of course these are all high end models. There is a price point where consumers won’t pay an extra $40 for ATSC 3.0 tuners and AC-4.
Why would ATSC 3.0 only work or be best on an HDMI model. It uses h.265 and the compression rate for 1080i is probably 40% of the same transmission in h.264.
Maybe there wouldn’t be any transcoding for h.265.
An HDMI compliant HDCP cable may be necessary for possible DRM and encryption part of ATSC 3.0.
Or is it NextGenTV, as the marketing referes to it. How great it will be when they can track our OTA viewing… to target advertising, that’s all it is. Then we can pay for OTA broadcast programing for a change.
I’m definitely not saying that the new Dual HDMI would be upgradable to ATSC 3.0, only that it sets the stage for a future ATSC 3.0 device that might be HDMI direct to monitor only vs a network streaming device. At least for me, the current Dual/Quad HDMI models are still a puzzle.
I’m watching X-Files s01e17 E.B.E right now. I don’t plan on tearing the house apart looking for electronic devices planted by either the government or space aliens.
I stop binge watching when it starts to affect reality.
I don’t think a firmware upgrade would even be possible for current models unless there are already 3.0 tuners built in and “hidden until activated” (seems unlikely). My understanding is that a completely new 3.0 tuner (or tuners) (i.e. different hardware) would be necessary.
You can’t find the ones from the space aliens. They affect reality so it becomes reality, and you never new it was affected… so you never stop. It’s an exhaustive cycle.
The timing of the Tablo HDMI model caused me to speculate that maybe… just maybe they included a tuner capable of ATSC 3.0 in that model but had not yet enabled it. It’s a huge departure from previous models.
They seem like a huge departure and that’s what makes me suspicious. You’re probably on the right track and my theory is on the wishful thinking side.
Perhaps the new model has 90% of what they want for the new ATSC 3.0 model without the 3.0 tuner. That could make it easier to get manufacturing going when they are ready for the leap.
I think the costs for 3.0 tuners are pretty prohibitive at least currently. The price point for the Tablo unit would probably be significantly higher. But as with all things technology, prices will come down over time (at which point it might make the most sense for Tablo to jump in to the proverbial swimming pool if the business model makes sense. We don’t even know all of the ways things might change with 3.0 being available on mobile phones, mobile tuners, etc.)
You are not getting ATSC 3.0 on your mobile phone until the phone manufacturers start including DTV chips.
Why not compare hdhomerun’s previous 4-tuner(connect quatro) price to the new 4-tuner(connect 4k). $150 versus $200. Connect 4k has newer atsc 1.0 tuners and 2 switchable atsc 1.0/3.0 tuners.
Granted older technology has a price decay over time. But the premium of newer technology with 2 switchable ATSC 1/0/3.0 tuners is $25 per tuner. And I think the ethernet is still 100Mb. And while I haven’t popped the case on mine , is it still using the same CPU and and memory?
You may be assuming that they aren’t making them available just over cost to get some enthusiast testers onboard very early in the process.
I think it will go beyond phones even. Who knows, maybe advertisers will subsidize the mobile phone chips. I’ve been impressed with how robust the signal has the ability to be while moving in some real world demos.
What’s cost? It isn’t just what the cost of the chip as it rolls out on a wafer in FAB. Someone is paying the cost of R&D. And that cost maybe spread out over a 3 year time frame.
ATSC 3.0 DTV has been around for a while. So I’m not sure they are looking for testers. They have to convince manufactures of battery operated devices how much juice these chips are going to suck.
Most phones are capable of receiving FM radio. Carrier subsidized phone often have that feature disabled in software.
Ask yourself why they disable it. The only good theory I have heard is because they prefer you stream music and use data. Will they want users to watch over the air tv instead of streaming it? The big carriers partner with streaming services and offer free streaming from companies like Disney and Hulu.
While there are broadcasts in ATSC 3.0, they are typically the same 720p or 1080p video with AC-4 audio. If you placed two sets side by side, you wouldn’t see much, if any difference in the picture. The stations here in Austin are only broadcasting a select few, and it isn’t live all the time (currently, one station (CBS, CW, NBC & MyTV) is off the air, and the other rarely has watchable content). I have a HDHomerun ATSC 3.0 tuner, and the 3rd party DVR software doesn’t support the ATSC 3.0 content (due to no support for AC-4 audio), and Roku doesn’t support it either.
It isn’t ready for prime time yet, given the long testing period here in Austin, TX, I would doubt that the broadcasters in the area go full power with additional channels, 4K content, or any other enhancements that would necessitate an ATSC 3.0 DVR at this point - it may be 2-3 years before anything changes. 5-10 years is probably a realistic timeframe for the broadcasters to start adopting it.
Remember, only high-end TV sets have the ATSC 3.0 tuners (the masses don’t have them), and only one device - the HDHomerun HDHR5-4K has the tuners. The broadcasters won’t expand the options until the masses have the capability of viewing the content - as they would be paying for rebroadcasting of programming that no one is watching…