LAS VEGAS — As the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority, or “A3SA,” sees it, we live in an era when content providers are under continual threat from piracy.
That’s what led a pair of electronics manufacturers to develop Home Gateway content viewing options for NEXTGEN TV consumers that wish to watch “free secure broadcast NEXTGEN TV signals” throughout the home.
The products come courtesy of ADTH and BitRouter, the latter of which has what’s called a ZapperBox available for purchase.
They are designed to extend the reach of over-the-air TV signals throughout a networked home via an internet-powered “Home Gateway.”
As A3SA explains, both products are designed to achieve A3SA verification “to protect high-value broadcast content that is free, encrypted and distributed throughout the home.”
Will consumers who are gravitating by the day to streaming video platforms and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels care enough to invest in such products? The A3SA believes so, as NEXTGEN TV delivered by ATSC 3.0 continues its molasses-like slog into more U.S. homes some six years after RBR+TVBR asked at a FCC symposium on the state of the television industry if the new digital television service was “the next HD Radio” — a swipe at the largely unrealized potential of digital multicast FM radio since the mid-2000s.
The two ADTH and BitRouter products are being sold with broadcast content security at the heart of the pitch, as each “protects content owners, broadcasters, and consumers against viruses, hacking, and theft.”
A3SA Managing Director Joe St. Jean comments, “Sports leagues and owners of premium content generally require their content to be delivered with content security which is why over-the-air broadcasting needs content protection to remain competitive with secure streaming options. We are very pleased that electronics manufacturers continue to work to extend the availability of ATSC 3.0 secure content throughout the home in the form of Set Top Boxes, Digital Video Recorders and now Home Gateways, so that one receiver can provide NEXTGEN TV signals to a variety of screens in the home. Both BitRouter and ADTH are working on unique solutions aimed at different price points and consumers, and both approaches can deliver content in a secure way that is seamless to viewers and yet also assure content producers that their valuable programming will be protected in a network environment.”
The ZapperBox debuted at NAB Show New York during autumn 2025. This gateway approach is to send content from a main multi-tuner receiver with a single household antenna to “client” miniature receivers connected to other screens. With the ZapperBox solution, content can be viewed, recorded and then played back securely on the main ZapperBox and other miniature devices. Content can also be streamed live to all ZapperBox devices in the home from the main multi-tuner ZapperBox.
For ADTH, the company is testing a secure, Android-based home gateway tool that enables over-the-air ATSC 3.0 content received by an ADTH receiver to be discovered and viewed across a wide range of devices throughout the home, with support delivered to existing ADTH receivers through a software update.
Using a software-driven architecture, a single receiver and antenna can be installed where reception is optimal, while protected content is securely streamed over the home network to Android TV devices, tablets, and smartphones. The ADTH platform is designed to support additional consumer operating systems, with planned expansion to Roku, Samsung Tizen, and LG webOS environments.
ADTH NEXTGEN TV receivers are currently available for sale, with the home gateway functionality enabled through downloadable software updates as platform support expands. ADTH is working closely with A3SA to ensure that all content protection requirements are maintained while giving viewers a simple, application-based viewing experience that preserves broadcaster security and content owner trust.
ZapperBox gateway and client devices are now shipping from Amazon and the zapperbox.com website. ADTH NEXTGEN TV receivers are currently available through major retailer websites, including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and ADTH.com.
