Cord cutters who have ordered their Tablo ATSC 3.0 QUAD HDMI will have to wait just a bit longer to start recording OTA programming. Tablo is notifying customers that new certification requirements will cause manufacturing delays which will push back the delivery date of the new devices.
Here’s the email to customers who have pre-ordered their DVR.
When we announced the Tablo ATSC 3.0 QUAD OTA DVR in January of this year, we felt confident that our stated spring 2022 delivery date was achievable.
However, since that time, broadcast station ownership groups have indicated their intent to encrypt ATSC 3.0 signals using Digital Rights Management (DRM) beginning as early as this summer.
To ensure that the Tablo ATSC 3.0 QUAD OTA DVR can display and record ATSC 3.0 content, even when broadcast signals are encrypted, we need to complete the development and certification of DRM software for the device.
DRM decryption keys MUST be installed on the Tablo during manufacturing and cannot be added via later firmware updates.
Because of this, we anticipate a manufacturing delay of several months while we confirm the certification requirements, add DRM capabilities to the product, and obtain certification from the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA).
Once this feature is complete, we can begin beta testing and then re-schedule the first production run of DVRs.
At that point, we’ll reach out to you again with a more specific ETA for delivery.
We regret having to make you wait longer for the Tablo QUAD ATSC 3.0, but this delay will result in a more future-proof and capable product overall.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we work to bring this next-generation Tablo product to market.
The Tablo ATSC 3.0 QUAD HDMI OTA DVR was first announced during CES week in January. The DVR will include four hybrid ATSC 1.0/3.0 tuners, new decoding software, and support for 4K HDR video & Dolby AC-4 audio. Tablo made the device available for preorders with the announcement, at a price of $299.99 with an initial anticipated ship date of spring 2022.