[mythtv-users] Comcast rendering my HDHR useless

[Mark J. Small]

On November 10, 2008, jedi wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 08:41:02AM -0400, Mark Small wrote:
> >
> > Okay conspiracy theorists, calm down.  The whole reason that they encrypt
> > most of the QAM streams is that HDTV's with QAM capable tuners are very
> > common. If they didn't encrypt the QAM streams then people would be able
> > to view channels that they DON'T subscribe to.  And that's called cale
> > theft.
>
>       Bullshit. I didn't have this issue as an analog cable subscriber. I
> wasn't forced into this artificial siutation where I need to rent an STB or
> a cable card. Any cable ready TV set in the house could tune into the
> channels that I subscribed to. Even if I did want something like HBO, at
> least the output coming out of the STB would be something that ANY cable
> ready TV could deal with. The definition of cable ready wasn't constantly
> in flux.
>
> > If you want to view subscribed digital content without an STB, that's
> > what cablecard is for (in theory -- shame its such a mess in practice)
> >
> > Mark
>
>       Hand the cable companies a monopoly on a platter? Of course it's
> going to be a mess. There's no good reason for the content to be encrypted
> between the STB and the TV. That just creates unecessary complexity and
> network effects.
>
>       The S3 Tivos are already facing issues over this as cable providers
> move to the next "cable ready interfaces".
>

Ahh, now we're talking about two different kinds of encryption.  QAM 
encryption, which encrypts the signal coming from the pole, and 5c or similar 
encryption, which encrypts the outputs of the STB.  

As far as I'm concerned, QAM encryption is OK.  It stops people from getting 
channels that they don't pay for.  The implementation of cablecard could be 
better, and cablecard should work with Linux, but that's anther story.

This thread has been about QAM encryption.  In the analog days, similar things 
existed.  Premium channels needed descramblers.  Other tiers were 
allowed/denied using filters on the pole.  

The post STB encryption, like 5c over firewire or the encryption for HDMI that 
has appeared is just plain evil.  I've paid for the content, let my do with 
it as I want.  I agree with you completely about that.

Mark