[mythtv-users] OT: Behind the scenes at a cable TV setup

[Eric Sharkey]

On Thu, Aug 21, 2014 at 1:26 PM, Simon Hobson <linux at thehobsons.co.uk> wrote:
> Eric Sharkey <eric at lisaneric.org> wrote:
>
>> But conditional access and DRM/"copy once" type logic are not the same
>> thing at all from my point of view.
>
> Yes and no - one is no good without the other

I don't see how that follows.  Most of the channels I get have
conditional access with no DRM (encrypted but copy freely).  There
haven't been many channels that do the opposite (unecrypted, copy
once) but you can find examples of them on this list if you search the
archive.  These are the few channels that MythTV users can record with
an HDHR but not a CC equipped HDHR Prime.  Outside of cable, this is
more common.  Many streaming web sites like Hulu offer some content to
anyone but with some form of DRM to reduce copying.  Conditional
access and DRM really are completely orthogonal concepts.

> But what we are punished for is that not insignificant minority who take the attitude that "if you can, you do" and would respect no boundaries based on copyright law or "fairness".

Yes, I agree with that.

> So it's hard to criticise the companies concerned for protecting their business against those would would have no problem subscribing and instantly streaming the whole lot to ${some group}.

But does the DRM actually prevent that?  With peer-to-peer networks,
it only takes one sophisticated person to remove the DRM, and then
after that, the further copying done by the teaming masses are
unaffected.  From a strategic point of view, DRM doesn't work to
prevent this because preventing "${most people}" really isn't enough.

>> If cable companies used cable cards exclusively for conditional
>> access, there would be much rejoicing on this list.
>
> I'm sure there would. I can't help thinking that pigs will evolve wings before that happens.

DRM seems to be on a pendulum that swings back and forth over time.
Sometimes it grows, but sometimes it wanes.  I expect it to keep
swinging for a while yet.

Eric