[mythtv-users] Comcast Bay Area (95003) - 5c encryption on Firewire for PBS/Nova?

[Brian Wood]

On Thursday 17 September 2009 17:56:13 freedenizen wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 4:50 PM, Robert McNamara
>
> <robert.mcnamara at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Before anyone jumps in and muddies the water, the "must carry" rules
> > do not apply to firewire, they apply only to QAM.  So yes, broadcast
> > channels must be in the clear over QAM, but then need not allow you to
> > record them via firewire.
>
> Are you 100% about this?  I had long discussion with comcast and a
> member of the IEEE1394 Trade Association.  The understand we all had
> was that if it is broadcast in the clear comcast wasn't allowed to
> apply 5C to it on their own (and comcast claimed that they didn't they
> said they only passed on what the broadcaster had set).

That was my understanding (he said after failing to find the PDF file with the 
FCC thinking, I'll keep looking though).

But it wouldn't surprise me if PBS was transmitting it with some sort of flag, 
probably not PBS's idea, rather the Nova producers.

Once they lost the broadcast flag fight, they are trying an end around, as 
usual.

-- 
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org