[mythtv-users] CableCard Chain.
Simon Hobson
linux at thehobsons.co.uk
Wed Jul 25 07:23:04 UTC 2012
Chuck Peters wrote:
>I am trying to get a better understanding of why
>after running mythtv since 1996 and being forced
>by our local cable company to convert to
>digital, they will force me to pay for channels
>I can't watch, and upgrading to their so called
>"Digital Basic" they will allow me to watch 2 of
>48 channels. The lowest tier of this digital
>transition "Expanded Basic" has 26 channels set
>so we can't watch them. We are getting screwed.
You forget a couple of key points :
First, and most important, too many people really
can't see why this is a problem. The same people
buy and i<thing> and buy into "St Steve's" claim
that it's all for their protection and security;
same goes for the slightly less closed Android
platform. The same people who buy DRM infested
ebooks, and closed DRM infested devices like
Kindle.
Because so many people are prepared to buy these,
then the manufacturers will sell them in that
state. Put simply, the number of people who
understand the issues is very small -
insignificant in fact.
Secondly, this is all about money. Forget any
rhetoric about safety and security, it's all
about money and control. By going digital the
cable companies can screw you. They can
effectively prevent you from doing anything but
watching what they push to you, when they push
it, on a device approved by the industry. They
really couldn't care less if a handful of MythTV
users turned round and refused to pay - the other
99.99% of the population will pay.
We have (almost) the same situation over here in
the UK. Satellite is "owned" by Sky who use
closed proprietary boxes, use a closed
proprietary encryption, control the programs
transmitted and their position in the EPG - in
short, they control who sees what and how easy it
is to find (don't pay enough and you'll be hidden
away on the last page of the EPG). But while a
handful of us know about the limitations and
refuse go give a penny to the bunch of
<expletives removed> scum, many millions do and
thing they are getting a good deal. Sky really
don't care about the handful of us that do
understand - we don't even make the rounding
errors in their subscriber base.
We do have cable in some areas - pretty much the same applies.
Where we do differ from you guys in the US is
that we have a healthy FTA service. Whatever
people say about it, I'm convinced that we have
that in a large part due to use having a state
broadcaster funded by a mandatory TV licence fee
and who (despite some appearances) do still seem
to care both about technical standards and
program quality. Of course, every now and then
there's another call for the licence fee to be
scrapped - IMO that would be giving everything a
good shove down the slippery slope to what you
guys have.
As to the technical stuff, until the HDMI HDCP
security protocol gets broken open, then there
will be no way whatsoever to have an open source
system able to work with these encrypted and
protected sources. Even then, it will be a
criminal offence in the US (and over here in the
UK now) to use that knowledge.
Presumably if that ever happens, the industry
will roll out an "upgrade" that makes older kit
useless. Only then with the average man in the
street take notice when thousands of $ (£ over
here) of TV kit etc stops working - and if it
happens, we need to be ready to publicise exactly
who is responsible and why.
Complaining here will do you no good. The people
you need to be ear-bending are your politicians.
Good luck with that because the handful of us
that care cannot match the backhanders the
powerful "media industry" offers - they aren't
going to jump off the gravy train for a handful
of votes.
--
Simon Hobson
Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.
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