how does viaccess work?

[Doom9]

viaccess is a good example why encryption for TV, and DRM should be banned. We have two viaccess cards, both of which block at the first of every new month. Now obviously the people I have to deal with are clueless morons who ought to be bitchslapped till kingdom comes, but something must happen at the first of a new month or at the end of a month and I'm wondering what exactly (now I'm not asking how it can be cracked though it sure as hell should be), in order to find a better solution than to try my swearword vocabulary at the wrong people (if you have a direct line to the developers of that god awful system that would also be welcome.. )

[SeeMoreDigital]

If you think Viaccess is bad (or Viaccess v2 as it's now is) spare a thought for us guys in the UK who have to put up with SkyDigitals 'Videoguard' encryption. Where viewing cards have to be 'paired' to a chip in the receiver. If the two don't talk the same language, you are 'royally' screwed!

The system was specifically designed to stop people using their viewing cards in other peoples decoders!

Viaccess have their own website (http://www.viaccess.com/) of course but I doubt they will post much info about their encryption, seeing as though it got massively hacked the last time they did!

Cheers

[Doom9]

The system was specifically designed to stop people using their viewing cards in other peoples decoders!
WTF? Let's buy some congressmen and senators and pass a law that makes such things illegal. I propose a prison sentence of 25 to life for any TV station using such a system (I mean copyright laws get more and more ridiculous sentences, we need some kind of balance). And how about life without parole for any system preventing legit customers to excercise their rights to fair use?

The cards work again tomorrow, but I guess I have to hack viaccess to watch TV on the first of every month (and it has taken longer than a day in previous months until the cards were once again working).

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by Doom9
WTF?..... I propose a prison sentence of 25 to life for any TV station using such a system It gets worse. Because when digital satellite TV started in the UK in 1998, any terrestrial broadcasters who wanted to join SkyDigital had to pay British Sky Broadcasting (BSB) a small fortune each year for the Videoguard encryption (designed by NDS) and for a position within the electronic program guide. Plus satellite transponder lease space at 28.2 west (much of it having been already reserved by SkyDigital).

It would not have been so bad but a lot of pressure was put on each of the terrestrial broadcasters to use encryption because of US copyright. In other words if you guys at the BBC, ITV Ch4 and Five don't encrypt your signals we won't sell you the first runs of our shows (such as X-files, Star Trek, Simpson's, Stargate, Friends etc. And more recently, 24). The US production companies put it down to the fact they did not wan't the possibility of British digital TV signals straying into mainland Europe, which could affect US product sales in the rest of Europe - many of whom can understand English!

But this is only part of the story as most of the shouting has been between the BBC and Fox Television. And who owns Fox? Rupert Murdock. And who owns BSB? Rupert Murdock.

The sh!t really hit the fan when last year the BBC decided not to renew their encryption contracts with BSB and go FTA. Just about every sector of British government and media got involved. Needless to say many British newspapers slagged off the BBC decision (well the ones that are owned by Murdock anyway). But in the end the BBC stuck it out. They even moved satellite.

And how did Sky respond? Well they started by pulling the new series of 24 from the BBC and then shoved up he prices of all of their US output.... They're still fighting about it now!

Originally posted by Doom9
The cards work again tomorrow, but I guess I have to hack viaccess to watch TV on the first of every month (and it has taken longer than a day in previous months until the cards were once again working). I doubt the software I have for Viaccess works now.

I had it for watching the last 2 months of ITVDigital (aka OnDigital) the UK's first terrestrial digital TV broadcaster. They eventually went tits up after over spending on the rights to broadcast UK soccer matches that nobody watched... and after being massively hacked.

Some industry insiders reported that Viaccess was hacked because NDS used their equipment to work out Viaccess's encryption keys and leaked it over the net. But this was never proved!

Anyways, sorry I can't help you, but you are welcome to have what I've got - if I've still got it!

Cheers

[Herske]

There's nothing wrong with viaccess itself, as a CAS, it works. Most likely, it's a technical fault of the provider you're using or a problem with your equipment.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Very true!

There have been widespread problems reported. Even users who own non pirated CAMs, cards, and equipment suffered from some technical issues when the CAS moved from version 1 to version 2.

I have quite a bit of info regarding this if Doom9's interested!