" I also asked Nuvyyo, makers of the [Tablo over-the-air DVR] whether the company is planning an ATSC 3.0 version of its hardware. In an email, CEO Grant Hall said Tablo is evaluating its options, including tuner and demodulator chips that can support both ATSC 3.0 and 1.0 broadcasts simultaneously; but for now, the company is focusing on the current-gen Dual Lite and Quad DVRs.
“If broadcasters are able to meet the proposed timelines for transitioning major U.S. markets to ATSC 3.0 by the end of 2020, we may have something exciting to show off in this space at CES in January of 2021,” Hall said."
Using Tablo as a tuner will let you delay buying new televisions. I’m interested, but then stations broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 will be required to broadcast in 1.0 too for 5 years so it’s not that urgent of an issue for Tablo. With both Sinclair and Nexstar hopping on board this will catch on.
The “five years” is a tentative schedule. The FCC has reserved the right to shorten or extend the simulcasting requirement at any time, at their discretion.
Low-power broadcasters don’t need to simulcast. All current NextGen TV stations are low-power, because of not needing to simulcast.
Only the “primary” (essentially the nn.1) stream needs to be simulcast. Subchannels don’t need to be.
The “ATSC 1.0 simulcast” requirement doesn’t include any requirement to be HD. Due to limited bandwidth, it’s almost certain that most of those will be reduced to standard-definition 480i.
The simulcasting requirement is a real problem for broadcasters, because they aren’t getting any extra channels like they did for the digital TV switchover. You can’t run both NextGen TV and ATSC 1.0 in the same channel – they use different modulation standards (one company is touting they’ve done it in the lab, but they used a third modulation technique). Stations are going to have to get together to share bandwidth. Sharing the NextGen channel shouldn’t be too painful, due to the extra bandwidth available, but fitting all of the data from multiple stations into one ATSC 1.0 channel is going to be problematic if HD is retained.
From Wikipedia: “[The FCC has] suggested that multiple broadcasters in each market cooperate by locating multiple degraded ATSC 1.0 services on a single transmitter.” (emphasis added)
From the FCC (link is Word document, sorry): " We decline to adopt requirements regarding the format of the 1.0 simulcast signal. We recognize that broadcasters may face spectrum constraints that could limit their ability to continue to provide HD programming or other enhanced formats on their 1.0 simulcast signals."
I am hoping Tablo will adopt ATSC 3.0 in their products sooner than 2021. I just put in a Tablo Quad at my father’s house, and I am using a Tivo. We are both in the Phoenix market, and currently have 4 channels broadcasting ATSC 3.0 and possibly 4K.
Please realize Tablo, a first mover will have a real advantage in capturing market share!
Not saying your wrong necessarily, just realize that Tablo has been the top pick for pretty much all comparitive reviews… and it came after just about everyone (except Fire-whatever and Plex DVR).
The cost has got to come down on the tuners to make it possible. This is a group of users complaining about $20 a year, so unless the cost of a 3.0 Tablo is under $500 (and preferably around $300 like the original), it shouldn’t be made.
If you watched the video from Antenna Man on his test trip to Baltimore the ATSC 3.0 dongle that he used cost $1,000! And the ATSC 3.0 PCI module goes for $4,000. Those are todays prices and of course they will come down, but like most new tech it will be expensive for early buyers. And then put 2 or 4 of these tuners in a Tablo and give me a price estimate for next year. Cheers, Jim
I have 2 tivo Roamio. One if which I paid the lifetime subscription.
Apparently as channels switch over to 3.0 they are not supported on Tivo hardware… and Tivo will not allow the transfer of subscription to new hardware.
I also have a Tablo, I primarily use Roku as a receiver for the tablo.
Sorry, but I do prefer the “fast playback”, commercial skip, on the Tivo.
However, if Tablo can beat them to ATSC 3.0 I wont pay Tivo another dime.
“ If broadcasters are able to meet the proposed timelines for transitioning major U.S. markets to ATSC 3.0 by the end of 2020, we may have something exciting to show off in this space at CES in January of 2021, ” Hall said.
A portion of the Tablo HQ team is indeed in the lab noodling with this tech but most of us are still focused on ATSC 1.0 products because that’s what the vast majority of channels are still broadcasting in:
Engineers will begin this transition during the early morning hours on September 15, 2020 (previously scheduled for August 20, 2020) and will be completed at 10 a.m.
in the forum -