[mythtv-users] Time Warner encrypting everything. HDHR Prime with CableCard unable to record anything.

[Philip Nourse]

On 2015-01-18 3:49 PM, Raymond Boettcher wrote:
> Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, and the age old question finally comes up!  Is the 
> stream actually encrypted or is there a "Flag" on the stream that 
> simply says, you should not do that.  I think the flag MythTV is 
> looking for is *"Record Freely..."*
>
> See, this is exactly why I don't have cable.  Anyhow, why would 
> Windows Media Player be authorized to record those channels and not 
> MythTV? That's like saying MythTV can't play DVD's because they are 
> encrypted, but that didn't stop people from writing libraries to make 
> such encryption, decryptable...  If Windows Media Player can do it 
> stock out of the box and Micro$oft is a company with billions of 
> dollars not under pursuit of the FCC, there shouldn't be any reason 
> why MythTV can't do it as well. Cable Companies like Time Warner are 
> going to do this.  Yet, their own DVR Recorders are permitted to 
> record prime stations such as HBO...  What makes the Cable Companies 
> DVR equipment legal to record copyrighted material, or Tivo for that 
> matter?  Why would I spend $250+ on a Tivo or RePlay TV Device if they 
> were useless on any major Cable Companies TV Network.
>
> There is no recourse in writing such software.  Like Torrents, DVD 
> Rippers, or firearms.  It's the person who uses it wrong that gets 
> into trouble.  If you decide to take said recording and distribute it, 
> sell it, etc.  You are obviously in trouble. But taking the hard drive 
> out of a Tivo or even the Cable Companies DVR equipment to get a hold 
> of such a recording is also not out of the question either.  So using 
> the Cable Companies DVR doesn't make the recording any less secure.
> Anyhow, I quote the follow sources:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_Control_Information
>
> "In regard to Windows Media Center, shows marked Copy Once can only be 
> played on the same PC in which they were recorded and the directly 
> connected Extenders for Media Center like the XBOX 360—ATI Digital 
> Cable Tuner must be running firmware 1.19.12 or Copy Freely is treated 
> like Copy Once."
>
> Where another instance of Mythfrontend on a different PC using the 
> same network is no different than using a XBOX 360 as an "extender."
>
> And my final quote...  "Some operators tend to set all programs as 
> *Copy Once, preventing further distribution after a single PVR 
> recording,* and others tend to set all programs as Copy Freely."
>
> Anyhow, this is really my underline argument when it comes to 
> recording Live TV.  I know that many developers monitor this stream 
> and this is something that has kinda bugged me for a long time.  I 
> really think the flag should be changed to "Copy Once." Anyhow, just 
> my 2 pennies...
>
> -RayRay-
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_Control_Information#cite_note-4>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Bob Sully <rcs at malibyte.net>
> *To:* mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> *Sent:* Wednesday, January 14, 2015 3:18 AM
> *Subject:* [mythtv-users] Time Warner encrypting everything. HDHR 
> Prime with CableCard unable to record anything.
>
> Running 0.27-fixes on Ubuntu 14.04
> HD-HR Prime x 1 (3 tuners), HD-PVR x1
>
> Hi all -
> The Evil Empire has finally made good on its promise to encrypt all
> channels, including the local broadcast stations.
>
> HD-HR Prime is now unable to record anything.  CableCard is now useless
> on Myth (at least I could previously use it to record the clear QAM
> channels).  Of course it works on Winblows Media Center (did a short
> test).
>
> I've been running Linux on everything, and Myth for years, don't wish
> to switch to Windows.
>
> Pardon the dumb question...but do I have any recourse?  An antenna is
> pretty much a no-go, as I'm in a real fringe area.  Right now the HD-PVR
> is handling everything, which means only one recording at a time.
>
> Thanks.
> -- 
> _____________________________
> Bob Sully
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The answer is both.   If the stream was not encrypted, the HDHomerun 
would not be required to honor the copy-once flag as it is only required 
to honor the flags when using the cable card to decode the stream.   The 
stream is therefore encrypted, and it has its copy flags set.

MythTV has nothing to do with the copy flags, which is why the HDHomerun 
is not permitted to transmit anything other than "Copy Freely" programs 
to it.
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