[LINK] US FCC to allow blocking STBs

[Kim Holburn]

On 2010/May/09, at 8:45 AM, Jan Whitaker wrote:

> 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.

The point of HDMI is that it can accept an encrypted signal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#HDCP
The signal is decrypted inside the digital monitor.

Not to say it couldn't be decrypted reasonably easily though.

> 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/
> business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
>
> 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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Kim Holburn
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