[mythtv-users] CableCard Chain.

[Daniel Thor Kristjansson]

On 07/24/2012 09:01 PM, Chuck Peters wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 8:42 PM, Saul A. Peebsen <jaglover at gmail.com
> <mailto:jaglover at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     On Tue, 24 Jul 2012 20:37:28 -0400
>     Chuck Peters <cp at ccil.org <mailto:cp at ccil.org>> wrote:
>
>      > Tivo was, and probably still is, running Linux, so why is it
>      > technically insurmountable for MythTV to get certified by CableLabs?
>
>     Open source.
>
>
> That really doesn't explain it.  Tivo uses GPLv2 with Linux and
> is certified by CableLabs to name one example among many other
> proprietary software that run on Fedora, Ubuntu and other flavors.  Why
> can't some API be put in Mythtv and optionally also run the Cable Labs
> DRM hell?

The first barrier is that you need a secret key in order
to connect to the CableLabs certified recording hardware in
permissive mode. CableLabs will not issue such a key until
you've paid them $500,000 for them to certify that you have:

1/ made sufficient measures to prevent anyone else from
    gaining access to that key.
2/ ensured that the application can't be hacked to allow
    the end user to view the content in unapproved fashion.
3/ complied with a whole bunch of silly requirements that will
    add another $500,000 to the software development costs.

If you give me $1,000,000 + a reasonable profit today + I can
probably give you one system running MythTV that is CableLabs
certified in 2-3 years.

The barrier is not entirely insurmountable, but it is very
expensive and if I had that type of money to spend on MythTV
I'm pretty sure this isn't how I would spend it.

-- Daniel