The news may sound harsh, but they are intended for safety reasons: DJI drones not registered will turn into toys, with flight limited to a 50-meter (164-foot) radius and up to 30 meters (98 feet) high.

The same week it announces the release of the DJI Smart TV App, which will allow users to watch a variety of aerial content and 4k videos captured from around the world, all in the comfort of their living room, DJI announces restrictions, for safety reasons, to the use of the drones it sells.

In a somehow surprising move, but that was expected by those who claim for more regulation and control of drones, DJI announced the introduction of a new application activation process for international customers. This new step, to take effect at the end of next week,  according to DJI, “ensures you will use the correct set of geospatial information and flight functions for your aircraft, as determined by your geographical location and user profile. All existing flight safety limitations, such as geofencing boundaries and altitude limits, remain the same.”

The company warned users that “even if you have registered when activating your aircraft upon purchase, you will have to log in once when you update the new version of DJI GO or GO 4 App. If you have forgotten your password since your initial login, you can reset it using a function within the DJI GO and DJI GO 4 apps.”

Owners of DJI drones will need to have a data connection to the Internet, when logged in, in order to verify the account information and activate the updated software or firmware. The information provided by the company states that “if this activation process is not performed, the aircraft will not have access to the correct geospatial information and flight functions for that region, and its operations will be restricted if you update the upcoming firmware: Live camera streaming will be disabled, and flight will be limited to a 50-meter (164-foot) radius up to 30 meters (98 feet) high.”

The feature applies to all aircraft (except standalone A3 and N3) that have been upgraded to the latest firmware or when using future versions of the DJI GO and GO 4 apps. DJI encourages pilots to always follow applicable laws and regulations in the countries where they operate, and provides information about these regulations on its FlySafe website.

The news that DJI drones can have their functions restricted appears the same month the company introduces its first Smart TV App, which will allow users to watch a variety of aerial content and 4k videos captured from around the world, all in the comfort of their living room.

“We’ve made flying and capturing aerial footage easy with our drones, and now with the DJI Smart TV App, creators will have more ways to share their work with the world. This is really an opportunity for people to be inspired, intrigued, travel to places they would have never imagined and see the world in a whole new way,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager.

The DJI Smart TV App is now available on Apple TV and Samsung Tizen TV platforms. Once their Smart TV is connected to the internet, users can browse for the DJI Smart TV App logo in the App Store. Once downloaded and installed, the DJI Smart TV App can then be activated without the need for registration. The DJI Smart TV App is available in English and compatible with TV and entertainment devices running on Android 5.1 and above.