[mythtv-users] Building a database of cablecard encryption (CCI) details

[Tom Bongiorno]

On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 11:14 PM, Erik Jensen
<eriksjunk at laurelwoodart.com>wrote:

> On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 9:37 AM, Ronald Frazier <ron at ronfrazier.net>
> wrote:
> ...
> > The script collects basic info for each channel: channel number,
> callsign,
> > frequency, modulation, mpeg program number, and the CCI status. It also
> asks
> > the user to supply the name of their cable provider, city, state, and zip
> > code. All user provided details are optional, but obviously the results
> are
> > more useful if you fill in this info. The info is otherwise anonymous (no
> > usernames, IP addresses, or anything of the sort collected).
>
> I tried this out, and had a couple of oddities in my results.
>
> First, almost all unencrypted channels (tunable via ClearQAM) were
> reported as "Unknown / None". The one exception was reported as
> Unknown / Copy Generation Management System - Analog: "One Copy"
> (0x02). This channel is viewable over ClearQAM and FireWire, but not
> the Ceton.
> Second, all channel's to which I don't subscribe were reported as Copy
> Control Information: "Copy Free" (00)
>
> The fact that the Ceton falls back to CGMS-A for unencrypted channel's
> in my case means that the statement "if you can record it over
> FireWire, you can record it with CableCard" is not entirely true....
>
> -- Erik Jensen
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>

According to this page, there are four flags that can trip you up when
dealing with an unencrypted stream and a Ceton.

http://www.cetoncorp.com/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/2/8/copy-protection-flags

That being said, this scenario looks like a mistake that you may be able to
get fixed by complaining to your provider.  Why the hell would someone
intentionally only set the CGMS-A flag?  It makes no sense.

-Tom
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