[mythtv-users] Network terminals, regulation, and regulation avoidance

[Johnny]

>> But, the U.S. cable industry needs something FCC-approved until they
>> can cram Tru2Way down our throats.
>
> I see they are right on track:
>
> "Major cable operators have committed to deploy support for the tru2way
> platform in service areas covering more than 90 million U.S. homes by the end
> of 2008."
> (From WiKipedia)
>
> I see they are right on schedule :-)
>
> If they would spend just half as much on creating programming that people are
> willing to pay for as they do on trying to secure garbage...

I don't think Tru2Way is going to be an issue in terms of accessing
content. The way I understand it Tru2Way is just the middle layer that
controls the bi-directional interactivity with the cable company (e.g.
program guides, video on demand, pay per view, etc). It still requires
a lower level encryption device like the CableCard to to handle the
actual decryption. They have released an open source (GPLv2) reference
implementation of Tru2Way
(http://www.cablelabs.com/news/pr/2009/09_pr_tru2way_RI_release_061509.html).
It still seems tied to Windows, because I think that is the only place
you are going to see a CableCard.

I think what is getting confused with Tru2Way is the new software
based DRM called DCAS
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downloadable_Conditional_Access_System)
that they want to replace the CableCards with. So Tru2Way would then
depend on DCAS instead of a CableCard. It isn't even clearly specified
yet, but the cable companies want to use it to excuse themselves from
having to actually support CableCards. Then they can spend another
decade or two wasting time on not implementing that.