[LINK] US FCC to allow blocking STBs

[Jan Whitaker]

At 11:19 PM 8/05/2010, Rick Welykochy wrote:
> > capable of remotely upgrading/reprogramming the cable boxes to do basically
> > anything they want them to...
>
>Except they would never reprogram to not deliver output AV signals
>to TV / monitor / amp.

See this is what I don't get. If it is encrypted, then it requires a 
decryption to be seen. So whatever decrypts the signal CAN have an 
output of unencrypted data -- a pass through. In fact that's how an 
STB works. It takes the digital signal and emits the signal in a 
variety of ways depending on what the display device can accept. I'm 
an old fogy and use the standard AV connections (red, yellow, white) 
(I know, I've already been told I can get better quality if I use the 
other forms). So once it's 'out' and if the receiver also has an 
output, it's no brainer to record that signal. Pst - I can even 
replay from my stb HD and record on my DVD recorder.

I guess the only thing that wouldn't work is a tv that doesn't have 
an output line because they aren't seen as output devices. But 
there's nothing stopping you from using an analog receiver (not a tv) 
and recording the resulting signal that I can see, no matter what the 
cable companies want to do. I don't think the physics works that way.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
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Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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