[mythtv-users] Re: recording HD content

Joseph A. Caputo jcaputo1 at comcast.net
Wed May 4 15:10:01 UTC 2005


On Friday 22 April 2005 20:35, Brad Templeton wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 13, 2005 at 03:18:57PM -0400, Joseph A. Caputo wrote:
> > > 
> > > Indeed, you're both right that the broadcast flag is not directly
> > > germane as it applies to broadcast digital TV and this is a 
> > > regulation 
> > > on cable providers, but I believe you are missing the fact that 
> > > this 
> > > is part of an equivalent set of regulations that mirror the effect 
> > > of 
> > > the broadcast flag in the cable world.   You will find the 
> > > regulation  
> > > you 
> > > cite above loaded with copy protection rules.   As I read it, the 
> > > rules 
> > > are not out to give plain old computers like MythTV access to in 
> > > the  
> > > clear 
> > > HD streams over 1394.
> > 
> > Incorrect.  The FCC regs explicitly state that any device advertised 
> > as  
> > "digital cable ready" or "digital cable compatible" must have an 
> > enabled 1394 port (unless grandfathered), and must output the 
> > unmodified digital stream for any broadcast-equivalent signal over 
> > said  
> > port.  That means if you can get NBC-HD OTA, then if your digital 
> > cable  
> > provider carries the same NBC-HD station, they must output the 
> > unencrypted HD stream for that station over firewire.  They may not 
> > "down-resolution" the content for OTA equivalent stations, either.
> 
> Following up on this old thread, I checked with our lawyers, and they
> confirm that the Cable companies are able to make the 1394 port only
> output with DTCP (also known as 5C Entity copy protection).   This
> means that the port will refuse to send the high-def video to any 
> device 
> that isn't blessed as compliant with DTCP, ie. not a computer running
> Myth.
> 
> Right now most appear not to be doing this, perhaps caught by surprise
> by the regs that force them to provide a 1394 output on demand.  It
> is expected, based on past trends, that they will eventually adapt
> their 1394 ports this way, and you will only be able to plug them
> into DTCP compliant devices, such as TV Sets and presumably the
> Tivo and other partner PVRs.   But sadly, not myth.  Of course we
> can enjoy it while it lasts, for all I know it may last a while.
> 
> The Plug and Play regs continue to require them to provide the over
> the air stations in high-def unencrytped QAM without down-res.

Now I'm confused... are you saying that the cable co. is allowed to 
encrypt or downres firewire output even for 'broadcast equivalent' 
channels, and that only the raw QAM signal for such channels must be 
available in the clear?

-JAC


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