[mythtv-users] Firewire no longer required on HD STBs

[Simon Hobson]

Eric Sharkey wrote:

>  > was it actually usable for anything useful ? I mean looking at it from the
>>  TV manufacturers point of view - was it worth the effort of implementing it
>>  if they still had to connect the box via HDMI/Component/Something to show
>>  channels not available via FireWire ?
>
>There are essentially no channels not available via FireWire; that's
>the whole point of the mandate.
>
>From a MythTV point of view, 5C encryption knocks out a lot of content
>and we often think that anything with 5C enabled is "not available",
>but that's not true from the point of view of a television
>manufacturer.  They're supposed to follow the 5C spec and they can
>decrypt that stuff.  At least, that's how it was supposed to work.

Hmm, someone point out where my logic fails here ...

* It's OK for the stuff on FireWire (or the new ethernet option) to 
be encrypted because a TV set manufacturer can decrypt it.

* The cable network uses common standards - at least I imagine the 
cable companies are too tight to pay to have their own proprietary 
kit made (I assume a lot of it is common and just has their name on 
the front).

* Some TVs have cable tuners/decoders.

So in theory it should be possible for a standard TV to tune, 
decrypt, and decode off-the-cable signals. Though I guess it would 
need a slot for a subscription card.

At which point the penny drops - the cable companies probably won't 
release a CI module as they'd rather make their subscribers pay over 
and over again for a grotty decoder box.
-- 
Simon Hobson

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