On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:47 AM, Richard Stallman<r...@gnu.org> wrote: > You'd make me happy if I was able to access cable TV signals I have > paid for without DRM. > > I think it is not quite correct to call cable scrambling DRM. DRM > restricts the use of data you have a copy of. Cable scrambling > prevents you from getting the data if you do not pay for the > descrambler; however, as far as I know, once you do have the > descrambler, and do get the data, it does not seriously impede your > use of the data. > > So this is more akin to buying a copy than to DRM. When I speak of > abolishing DRM, it doesn't include this.
The encrypted digital cable signal comes out from the cable box as HDCP encrypted HDMI. Your TV securely decrypts this. A complex loop hole exists in the ability to re-digitize the analog component out signals. This is what a SlingBox does. The cable industry is on a schedule to remove component out two years from now. When component out is gone there will be no more analog hole. Broadcast TV signals are carried in the clear. That's five out of the 600 channels on a normal cable system. The other 595 are encrypted. Digital TV spells the end for the MythTV project and to some extent the death of TIVO. The only DVR you will be able to use is the one you rent from the cable company. So I am paying for those 595 channels with no ability to archive them under my control unless I rent a secured DVR from the cable company. I took the disk out of mine, the information on the disk is encrypted. Recently the head of the MPAA has been quoted as saying that the only fair use exemption is to use a video camera to photograph your TV. -- Jon Smirl jonsm...@gmail.com _______________________________________________ U-Boot mailing list U-Boot@lists.denx.de http://lists.denx.de/mailman/listinfo/u-boot
