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

[Patrick Oglesby]

On Mon, Aug 1, 2011 at 10:28 AM, Tom Bongiorno <two.bits.11 at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 1, 2011 at 9:52 AM, Patrick Oglesby <octoberblu3 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> On Sun, Jul 31, 2011 at 11:44 PM, Ronald Frazier <ron at ronfrazier.net>
>> wrote:
>> > That's odd. I've only seen a copy protection other than CCI one time,
>> > and it
>> > was only when I didn't have my cablecard install (running in QAM mode).
>> > One
>> > of the channels that comes up as Copy Control Information: "Copy Free"
>> > (00)
>> > with a cablecard comes up as Redistribution Control: "One Copy" (0x02)
>> > in
>> > QAM mode. But I'm fairly certain that doesn't stop you from recording
>> > it. I
>> > think it's just reporting what protection is present, but I believe the
>> > Ceton will only enforce the CCI protections. Have you attempted to
>> > record
>> > something on it?
>>
>> I added my lineup last night.  All of my ClearQAM channels came up
>> Unknown / None, but not all of the reported Unknown / None channels
>> are available in ClearQAM.
>>
>> I have CCI info for almost every other channel, but I certainly do not
>> subscribe to all of them.  If I am reading this right, then having a
>> CCI of 0x00 on the HD versions of basic cable channels (USA, TNT, etc)
>> means if I upgrade to there "HD" service, then these channels *should*
>> work properly with MythTV.
>>
>> - Patrick
>
> In theory you are correct.  Is there another field in the channel info to
> indicate that you do not subscribe to the channel?  This is probably an
> undefined situation.  You might just be seeing initialized values that do
> not get populated because you do not subscribe to the channel.  The Ceton
> might not even get to code to populate these values internally in this
> situation.  If you subscribed, then you would most likely see some copy
> protection in place.  I could be wrong.
>
> -Tom
>

While almost all of the channels have 0x00, the premium channels (HBO,
Showtime) do show 0x02, and I do not subscribe to them.  This is what
gives me a bit of faith about the others truly being copy free.

- Patrick