All Chipped Cable Boxes Going Down

[buba3d]

Lets just say if i had a dodgy box but it wasn't connected and it didn't have a card/image installed, the police have a search warrant and see the box there's nothing they can do about it.

This happened to a mate of mine down south but the police couldn't touch him because the box had nothing on it,

ie Wiped clean.

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy

Losttheplot was saying that you can change the CAM using software updates & the like, which while its possible you cant go messing with things like that even if you are a company cuz you'd get sued & in oder for us to use both Videoguard & Nagravision (as Losttheplot was suggesting) we would need two CAMs. also i wouldnt of written what i had about how cable tv works if i hadnt checked up on it first (although i already knew about it before hand). as iv already said im not being funny but some ppl on here dont like to admit when their wrong even when you give them the facts/proof.

.

I think you need to read a little more carefully.

I said you can change the software on the embedded CAM, its part of the STB, you can change the software on the box and hence the embedded CAM. Who would sue you? Its Virgins STB, they own the box and have licensed any bits and pieces within it. In short they can do what they want. As far as needing two CAM's, I never said it. Virgin can simulcrypt, so that two encryption methods are being used, the software on the box would be changed to that required for the new CA system (more than likely Nagra again) and a new smartcard issued for the new CA, all done with the single CAM within the STB. I've also never said they would use Videoguard.

You haven't posted anything of your own about how cable TV works, you posted an american article mainly based on how analogue cable TV works in america. In the UK we have different channel bandwidths so alot of what was posted isn't relevant. America uses ATSC for its digital, we use DVB. Unfortunately with a name like 'the-cable-guy' people are going to assume you know what you are talking about and are in the cable industry, are you?

I worked for 7 years on digital cable. I've also worked on various digital TV systems around Europe, on CA, Multiplexing and Encoding - MPEG2/H.264 SD and HD.
When NDS changed Sky's encryption I handled the upgrade of the 70 or so Professional receivers in one of the Super Headends. New software was required on the professional recievers in the headends and on the domestic Sky boxes in peoples homes to handle the new CA, Sky then sent out all the new CA smartcards. Sky did it, Virgin will do it a similar way.

[SOSAGES]

so im a little confused..
does virgin have a way of tracking the hacked modems? (and kicking them off)

and can it track the "chipped" boxes? or is it just going after the sources of the "chipped" boxes and changing encrytion keys a lot?

Originally Posted by SOSAGES

so im a little confused..
does virgin have a way of tracking the hacked modems? (and kicking them off)

and can it track the "chipped" boxes? or is it just going after the sources of the "chipped" boxes and changing encrytion keys a lot?

Without going in to details - Virgin can track some boxes. They are regularly changing the keys, but some boxes/cards can AU auto update, or auto roll and like the cosher cards track any key changes. Virgin are looking at ways to update proper cards whilst leaving other cards/boxes confused.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by shawty

Isnt that their problem? Hang on while I go and boast to the Police that Im stealing cable, just wouldnt happen would it. So if they are thinking of saying it, then they might think twice before they do. Whats the point in reporting any crime because people might be boasying about it.

Usually (in my experience) people who report a crime have some evidence that a crime has occurred.

Also, how would virgin know who to go after, even assuming they believed us? All we have is an IP, which could be faked. Even assuming the person talking about it was silly enough to fill out their profile with the right details, we still don't know they have.

An analogy: If a stranger used a false name, wore a disguise, walked up to you saying he (or she, as we have no way of verifying Gender either) had stolen a CD player, then walked off, would you report it to the police? How do you think the police would react if you told them that someone you have no hope of identifying nicked a CD player?

[supremus]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Usually (in my experience) people who report a crime have some evidence that a crime has occurred.

Also, how would virgin know who to go after, even assuming they believed us? All we have is an IP, which could be faked. Even assuming the person talking about it was silly enough to fill out their profile with the right details, we still don't know they have.

Yes, there's just no incentive to act on information of that nature, or indeed to waste any resources tracking down individual offenders. Just like the police wouldn't waste much time tracking down individual drug users, it only makes sense to go after the dealers, and, as has apparently happened over the last few week or so, trying to disable the illegal boxes en masse through the encryption system.

[shawty]

Originally Posted by supremus

Yes, this brings us neatly back to my point about how Virgin's own accounting problems have far more of an effect on paying subscribers than cable piracy would have.

Stealing a car is a serious criminal offence. Stealing cable TV is not. Just look at TraxData's story about going to a rough street to disconnect as many as 24 offenders. He didn't go with search warrants and the police, because it's not worth it, unless trying to catch people selling the equipment or services associated with piracy. I think there was even a thread in this very forum some time ago about someone who had phoned his cable company to report a neighbour, and was told they weren't interested,

Stealing is stealing, doesnt matter if it is a car or a TV service, they are both equally as wrong.

---------- Post added at 14:54 ---------- Previous post was at 14:40 ----------

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Usually (in my experience) people who report a crime have some evidence that a crime has occurred.

Also, how would virgin know who to go after, even assuming they believed us? All we have is an IP, which could be faked. Even assuming the person talking about it was silly enough to fill out their profile with the right details, we still don't know they have.

An analogy: If a stranger used a false name, wore a disguise, walked up to you saying he (or she, as we have no way of verifying Gender either) had stolen a CD player, then walked off, would you report it to the police? How do you think the police would react if you told them that someone you have no hope of identifying nicked a CD player?

They do have evidence. The evidence is from the person stating they are stealing, admitting it is evidence. If I walked into a Police station and said I had stole something, are you saying they wont do anything due tot he fact I could be lying?

Surely, Virgin/NTL as the owners of the network will have better facilities to be able to trace such people, all though I have no knowledge in this feild, so I dont know.

Lets turn your CD guy around, and say it was my next door neighbour using a cloned modem or stotel TV services, then yes I would as it could be having an affect on my services.

[the-cable-guy]

Originally Posted by Losttheplot

I think you need to read a little more carefully.

I said you can change the software on the embedded CAM, its part of the STB, you can change the software on the box and hence the embedded CAM. Who would sue you? Its Virgins STB, they own the box and have licensed any bits and pieces within it. In short they can do what they want. As far as needing two CAM's, I never said it. Virgin can simulcrypt, so that two encryption methods are being used, the software on the box would be changed to that required for the new CA system (more than likely Nagra again) and a new smartcard issued for the new CA, all done with the single CAM within the STB. I've also never said they would use Videoguard.

You haven't posted anything of your own about how cable TV works, you posted an american article mainly based on how analogue cable TV works in america. In the UK we have different channel bandwidths so alot of what was posted isn't relevant. America uses ATSC for its digital, we use DVB. Unfortunately with a name like 'the-cable-guy' people are going to assume you know what you are talking about and are in the cable industry, are you?

I worked for 7 years on digital cable. I've also worked on various digital TV systems around Europe, on CA, Multiplexing and Encoding - MPEG2/H.264 SD and HD.
When NDS changed Sky's encryption I handled the upgrade of the 70 or so Professional receivers in one of the Super Headends. New software was required on the professional recievers in the headends and on the domestic Sky boxes in peoples homes to handle the new CA, Sky then sent out all the new CA smartcards. Sky did it, Virgin will do it a similar way.

you clearly dont know how cable works or how to read.

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy

you clearly dont know how cable works or how to read.

Quote me.
You haven't posted anything of your own about how cable TV works, you posted an american article mainly based on how analogue cable TV works in america. In the UK we have different channel bandwidths so alot of what was posted isn't relevant. America uses ATSC for its digital, we use DVB. Unfortunately with a name like 'the-cable-guy' people are going to assume you know what you are talking about and are in the cable industry, are you?
/Quote me.

I can just about read your poorly punctuated posts.

[the-cable-guy]

ok so we have two CAMs according to you.

[ATMEGA163]

Yes its true all the cards have gone off but for how long?? not for very long as a new fix will be out very soon. It was about time the Virgin implemented a new keyroll method because it gives ppl like me another challange to work out how new keyroll method works and implement that into a code. Btw not all cards have gone off only cards which emulates an original rom card such as funs, and atmegas which has been hit. My modified mosc is working good as gold. Why pay if you can get something for free...If your a rich sod then fair enough you can afford extra fruits of life but if your poor sod like me getting something free is always the way. Virgin will be out of business if we couldn't hack there system because lets face it if i had to pay I will go for sky no doubt as they offer a better service and virgin knows that. Cable is ***** if you have to pay for it.Virgin makes there money from selling braodband even that is hacked and telephones. They make only small amount of money from there tv service.

[dilli-theclaw]

The digs about spelling and punctuation will stop NOW

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy

ok so we have two CAMs according to you.

Quote me.
As far as needing two CAM's, I never said it. Virgin can simulcrypt, so that two encryption methods are being used, the software on the box would be changed to that required for the new CA system (more than likely Nagra again) and a new smartcard issued for the new CA, all done with the single CAM within the STB.
/Quote me.

How many times?

[the-cable-guy]

companies cant go changing CAMs.

Originally Posted by the-cable-guy

companies cant go changing CAMs.

Why not? Its an embedded CAM, its Virgins to do with as they please. Sky did it when their encryption was changed.