SiliconDust Accuses Digital Rights Management System as Vulnerability Source in ATSC 3.0 Security Matter to FCC.
In a regulatory and technical standoff, SiliconDust, a leading manufacturer of digital media products, is locked in a dispute with the ATSC 3 Security Authority (A3SA) over the inability of its HDHomeRun CONNECT/FLEX 4K gateway to view encrypted ATSC 3.0 programming.
At the heart of the issue is the A3SA's refusal to approve any DRM-capable ATSC 3.0 gateway product, despite SiliconDust's device being NextGen TV-certified and compliant with ATSC 3.0 standards. SiliconDust argues that this stance has made it "untenable" for any such product to be approved.
The company has made significant strides in addressing the issue. In 2022, it obtained approval and a license from Widevine to decrypt DRM-protected content on its hardware. Widevine verified the system on a chip (SoC) used, which is from HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary. Additionally, SiliconDust received approval from the DTCP licensing authority for content re-encryption with DTCP2, as required by A3SA.
However, the crux of the problem lies in the lack of player devices in the US market with DTCP2 support. Without these devices, consumers cannot view protected channels, even if the gateway is compliant. SiliconDust maintains that the choice of SoC has not impacted DRM compliance and that their product meets NextGen TV certification requirements.
Recently, A3SA has shifted its approach, requiring that no decryption occur in the gateway device. Instead, the encrypted content should pass through the home network and be decrypted only by the player device. SiliconDust disputes this and places the responsibility on A3SA’s restrictive DRM policies that have hindered approval of gateway products capable of decrypting ATSC 3.0 encrypted content.
Industry stakeholders, including the Pearl TV business group, have accused SiliconDust’s use of the Huawei chipset of causing playback issues. However, SiliconDust disputes this and asserts that the SoC does not contain prohibited components per A3SA rules.
Despite the ongoing dispute, SiliconDust's HDHomeRun CONNECT/FLEX 4K gateway remains NextGen TV-certified and meets all ATSC 3.0 requirements. The company states there is no pathway for a video gateway vendor to write an app for Roku, Xbox, Apple TV, iPhone, Windows, or Mac supporting protected channels.
A spokesperson from Pearl TV declined to comment on the situation. The issue, in many ways, parallels the broadcast flag developed in the early days of DTV to prevent DVRs from recording content, with set-top-box or video gateway vendors needing to obey the new broadcast flag that broadcast networks can demand stations leave set 24/7 to block all consumer purchased DVRs from recording.
As the dispute remains unresolved, SiliconDust continues to advocate for consumer access to encrypted programming on their HDHomeRun gateways, blaming A3SA’s security requirements and lack of compatible player devices for the blocked access.
- SiliconDust is in a dispute with the ATSC 3 Security Authority (A3SA) over the inability of its HDHomeRun CONNECT/FLEX 4K gateway to view encrypted ATSC 3.0 programming, with the core issue being A3SA's refusal to approve any DRM-capable ATSC 3.0 gateway product.
- In 2022, SiliconDust obtained approval and a license from Widevine to decrypt DRM-protected content on its hardware, with Widevine verifying the system on a chip (SoC) used, which is from HiSilicon, a Huawei subsidiary.
- SiliconDust also received approval from the DTCP licensing authority for content re-encryption with DTCP2, as required by A3SA.
- However, the lack of player devices in the US market with DTCP2 support prevents consumers from viewing protected channels, even if the gateway is compliant.
- A3SA has now shifted its approach, requiring that no decryption occur in the gateway device, with encrypted content passing through the home network and being decrypted only by the player device.
- The ongoing issue mirrors the broadcast flag debates from the early days of DTV, with set-top-box or video gateway vendors needing to obey the new broadcast flag that broadcast networks can demand stations leave set 24/7 to block all consumer purchased DVRs from recording.
- SiliconDust maintains that its product meets NextGen TV certification requirements and that the choice of SoC has not impacted DRM compliance.
- Industry stakeholders have accused SiliconDust’s use of the Huawei chipset of causing playback issues, but SiliconDust disputes this, asserting that the SoC does not contain prohibited components per A3SA rules.
- As the dispute remains unresolved, SiliconDust continues to advocate for consumer access to encrypted programming on their HDHomeRun gateways, blaming A3SA’s security requirements and lack of compatible player devices for the blocked access.
