How does it work?

Mr_love_monkey · 01-08-2003, 10:42

My friend lives in a telewest area, and they had a cable (digital) tv connection, but decided to stop it a year or so back.

Now, they have have got through a friend of a friend an NTL cable box, which now gives them access to all the channels - for free - basically they paid 200-odd quid for the box, and that's it - this friend came round and plugged it all in, and Bob's your uncle - complete access...

Yes, I know this is completely illegal, and no, I'm not thinking of doing likewise - since a) I don't agree with it, b) it would mean no broadband, and c) I reckon someone will get caught sooner or later.

what I'm wondering is :

a) How does it work? - is what you can see determined by your set top box? - so having a hacked one would give you complete access?
b) Can something like this be detected? - and are there systems in place to look for things like this...
c) what kind of repercussions would my friend be looking at, if they got caught - after all, it is stealing...

.. and I do just want to point out that this really is a friend of mine, when I say friend it's not a euphemism for 'me' - as I say I really don't agree with it, and I told them so. As my wife keeps telling me, I'm far too square to ever do anything like that

Edit :

Oh yeah, and can I get a reward if I turn them in???

bigitup_j · 01-08-2003, 12:32

First: Ntl give you a reward. In your dreams!

Second: The box may have been tampered with to receive the channels from the network.
Third: If ntl found out then they could take action, and might even want the money for the channels they have been receiveing.

Stuart W · 01-08-2003, 12:40

No-one in their right mind will post info on how to crack their boxes on a forum owned by them.

Having said that....

The box is modified in such a way as to decode all channels as if you had subscribed to them all. Trouble is, ntl are very good at changing the spec slightly.
With analogue boxes, it was a similar affair. You buy your "dodgy" box and it works for a few months.... then one day, blue screen. No cable. When you bought your "dodgy"analogue box, it was equiped to deal with everything ntl could throw at it at that time a few months later, ntl figure a way to switch it off.
IMHO, the same will happen for these "chipped" digi-boxes. Mightwork fine now, but WONT work forever. Also, is the term CRIMINAL OFFENCE one your friend is familiar with? it might be soon!

danielf · 01-08-2003, 12:48

But, could NTL detect it?

Mr_love_monkey · 01-08-2003, 12:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Stuart W
No-one in their right mind will post info on how to crack their boxes on a forum owned by them.

Well, like I say, I'm just wondering vaguely how it worked, I'm not looking for details how to get around it, I'd always assumed that it was something at NTL's end that defined what you saw, and what you didn't..

Quote:

Originally posted by Stuart W
The box is modified in such a way as to decode all channels as if you had subscribed to them all.

I guess a 'normal' box would 'phone home' occasionally to see if the viewers rights had changed, and would then update the settings locally if required? - I guess the hacked ones, just bypass that...

Quote:

Originally posted by Stuart W
Also, is the term CRIMINAL OFFENCE one your friend is familiar with? it might be soon!

As I say, I've made my feelings clear to them on the subject - and I think they're daft for doing it, but there we go...

Oliver · 01-08-2003, 12:58

Can your friend recive free TVOD events? If he can then he has a return path blocker which only alows you to order about 4 movies before it stops working any way. If he has a return path blocker then it is unlikly that NTL can detect it. If he doesnt then if they tried hard enough they could detect it. As Stuart said it want work forever becouse NTL do change things slightly.

Mr_love_monkey · 01-08-2003, 13:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Oliver
Can your friend recive free TVOD events?

As far as I know, he's been told he can order x amount of things for free - something like 60 quids worth, after that he gets in touch with his friend, pays him x amount, say a tenner, he takes the smart card from the machine, and does something with it, that then lets him order another 60 quids worth of stuff? (those figures are just examples).

But he's been told he can order more than 4 movies, so I don't think it's a return path blocker.

Oh, not sure if it came across clearly - but he's got an ntl box on a telewest connection - doubt it makes any difference at all.

Mr_Burns · 01-08-2003, 13:08

From the first post, the people concerned are in a Telewest Franchise and they're using an ntl STB. If this works, I very much doubt that ntl would be able to detect it because I wouldn't have thought that the networks are linked. Telewest might be able to detect it though.......

Mr_love_monkey · 01-08-2003, 13:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr_Burns
From the first post, the people concerned are in a Telewest Franchise and they're using an ntl STB. If this works, I very much doubt that ntl would be able to detect it because I wouldn't have thought that the networks are linked. Telewest might be able to detect it though.......

Yes, I didn't mean about NTL being able to detect his box (ooer) directly - it was more a question about being able to detect these things generally? i.e. can telewest or NTL detect misuse on their own network - not each others?

..and it does work, I've seen it working - though at random times the picture will drop out for a fraction of a second and give a green screen.
Also one of the lights (I think the middle one) flashes off and on - which if i remember rightly is the return path light? (though I'm sure someone will correct me.)

Oliver · 01-08-2003, 13:18

NTL can not detect any thing on a Telewest network. Inside the boxes used are exacterly the same as each other so no it make no difference which box you use. (Seems strange though). The middle light is the return path, if that flashes all the time then he does have a blocker.

Edit- Acording to a post over at the other forums "NTL are getting revenge on people who chip there boxes"

Mr_love_monkey · 01-08-2003, 13:36

Quote:

Originally posted by Oliver
NTL can not detect any thing on a Telewest network. Inside the boxes used are exacterly the same as each other so no it make no difference which box you use. (Seems strange though). The middle light is the return path, if that flashes all the time then he does have a blocker.

Edit- Acording to a post over at the other forums "NTL are getting revenge on people who chip there boxes"

Like I say, I'm just wondering about them being able to detect on their own networks, misuse - i.e. ntl on ntl's network, and telewest on telewest's network

It doesn't flash all the time, it's probably about 50-50?

Shaun · 01-08-2003, 14:07

Quote:

Originally posted by Oliver

Edit- Acording to a post over at the other forums "NTL are getting revenge on people who chip there boxes"

It would be nice to see proof on THAT thread, a link to an article maybe. It just seems like some dumb f*** showing off.

Mr_love_monkey · 01-08-2003, 14:11

Quote:

Originally posted by dellwear
It would be nice to see proof on THAT thread, a link to an article maybe. It just seems like some dumb f*** showing off.

Trouble is no one has any idea what he is talking about in that thread...

Stuart W · 01-08-2003, 14:20

I believe the phrase to be "scare tactics"

Shaun · 01-08-2003, 15:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Stuart W
I believe the phrase to be "scare tactics"

Your not wrong Stuart, do you remember a short insignificant thread a little while ago, I seem to remember it being about a cap. Baseball I think, or maybe a flat cap?!!