[mythtv-users] cablecard

[Robert Johnston]

On Apr 7, 2005 9:41 AM, Joe Votour <joevph at yahoo.com> wrote:

<snip />

> It really becomes interesting with a "generic PC"
> implementation of CableCard, because of the modularity
> of PCs, and the open hooks in place to sniff the data
> out.  (Also, there is some sort of strange stigma that
> embedded devices are so much more difficult to program
> for, but in general, they're not.  All you need is a
> smart guy to write the drivers/interfaces, and
> everybody else can be a generic C/C++ programmer.)

Well, as I showed earlier, Shuttle are making a box with CableCard
functionality, and while it will be shipped with Windows Media Center
200(5/6/7, whichever one has CableCard functionality built in) It
doesn't appear to have listed in the specs a "Trusted Computing"
system. So one could install an alternative OS and sit there sniffing
data. Perhaps (If one is clever enough) even using a logging HAL
between Media Center and the hardware to find the CableCard info. That
or a PCI Data Capture card (Or something similar).

I'm not so sure about how legal that may be (As it could be considered
"Reverse Engineering", but it could also be considered fair use to
develop device drivers for hardware, as I think most other drivers are
made), but it would certainly be a method.