[opendtv] Re: News: The Real Fight Over Fake News

  • From: John Willkie <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 09:58:28 -0700 (GMT-07:00)

EMM = Entitlement Management Message
ECM = Entitlement Communications Message

both defined in MPEG-2 as "user private" data tables.

John Willkie

-----Original Message-----
>From: Adam Goldberg <adam_g@xxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Jun 9, 2008 6:51 AM
>To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [opendtv] Re: News: The Real Fight Over Fake News
>
>> You may be correct. The blocking may occur at the head end when you 
>> request an encrypted channel. But the result is the same - you will 
>> get a screen that asks you to contact your service provider to 
>> authorize this channel. I'm not sure where these screens are generated 
>> 9at the head end or in my cable box). Any TV with built-in two way 
>> capability will need to do the same thing.
>
>No, the blocking does not 'occur' anywhere.  You've got it upside down.
>Access is only provided if authorized.  For a channel that you subscribe to,
>your receiver is provided with an authorization (EMM) which gives the
>security element in the receiver the key(s) it needs to get the descrambling
>keys (ECM), which are then used to decrypt the programming.  If you don't
>get the authorization, you can't get the descrambling keys, and you can't
>get the content.  THIS IS ENTIRELY A ONE-WAY OPERATION.  That's why it works
>without a real-time return channel (one-way CableCARD sets, satellite, etc).
>
>The two-way stuff is significantly and entirely different.  Acquiring PPV,
>for example, requires a backchannel.  But that's not what we're talking
>about.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
>Behalf Of Craig Birkmaier
>Sent: Monday, June 09, 2008 9:12 AM
>To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [opendtv] Re: News: The Real Fight Over Fake News
>
>At 10:10 AM -0400 6/8/08, Adam Goldberg wrote:
>>  > With digital cable the cable company can enable/disable channels on
>>>  an individual basis via the STB - a critical part of the two-way
>>
>>Channel authorizations have NOTHING to do with the two-way 'agreement' (if
>>there is one).
>
>You may be correct. The blocking may occur at the head end when you 
>request an encrypted channel. But the result is the same - you will 
>get a screen that asks you to contact your service provider to 
>authorize this channel. I'm not sure where these screens are 
>generated 9at the head end or in my cable box). Any TV with built-in 
>two way capability will need to do the same thing.
>
>>Without expressing an opinion on a la carte, I haven't heard this argument
>>against it.  What they argue, I think, is that channels are cheaper in
>>bundles (for them, and they pass the savings on to you).
>
>Actually I have heard both. The analog problem is well know, and the 
>FCC has recognized that blocking individual analog channels is not 
>technically feasible for analog cable ready TVs. The argument that 
>you cite is being used by DBS and the cable industry despite the fact 
>that it is largely untrue. What they are really saying - which may or 
>may not be true - is that subscriber fees would likely go up 
>significantly if the congloms could not get paid for every extended 
>basic subscriber.  For example, if ESPN suddenly lost half of the 
>subscribers who are currently paying about $3.70 per month, they 
>would probably raise the subscriber fee on those who want ESPN.
>
>IMHO this argument only holds water for a limited number of channels. 
>For the vast majority I believe the subscriber fees would go away, to 
>prevent a sudden contraction in the total number of homes where that 
>channel is available.
>
>The best evidence to support this is that companies are bidding up 
>the price to be seen on Freeview, knowing that they must make up 
>these carriage costs via advertising revenue.
>
>Regards
>Craig
> 
> 
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