--- H P Ladds <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > " The cable companies will wind up killing shooting > themselves in the foot if they're not careful. > IPTV > over DSL using MPEG-4 is steadily catching up." > > Will IPTV help us? The consortium of content > producers (CableLabs) > will still demand that the content be encrypted. > Linux and Open Source need not apply for approval? > > Still, I'm with you, someone shot has themselves in > the foot. The > content producers just handed control of a large > portion of their > distribution channel to Microsoft -- I wish them the > best of luck in > trying to get it back. > > >
<snip> You've got the purpose of CableLabs confused. When they're not accepting kickbacks, charging a fortune for product certification, and constantly changing their specifications without incrementing version numbers, they are supposed to be the unified voice of the cable operators. They have nothing to do with the content producers. IPTV is not subject to CableLabs approval, at least not in it's current incarnation. In fact, nothing is really subject to CableLabs approval (see the number of uncertified DOCSIS 1.0 cable modems about five years ago), but if you don't get your products CableLabs certified, then you likely won't be allowed to bid on contracts put forth by the cable operators. (Yes, I dislike CableLabs, and I don't hide it. In my view, they really are an incompetent and corrupt organization.) That said, open source hardware or software will never get CableLabs approval. CableLabs reserves the right to revoke encryption keys on devices if they are compromised (and I'm surprised they didn't revoke Motorola's keys when a bunch of their modems were cracked - but, Motorola is one of the key players in CableLabs). CableLabs is now much more open than it used to be - previously the submission documents required membership to view, but they are now freely available on the CableLabs website. These documents show some of the requirements for security that CableCARD will have to meet: http://www.opencable.com/downloads/Host_2.0_DCAA.pdf http://www.opencable.com/downloads/CHILA.pdf >From the second document: As to each of the Host Devices made under this Agreement, Licensee covenants to CableLabs as follows: (i) The Host Device, at the time manufactured, contains no integrated circuit, ROM, RAM, software or other device or functionality that: (1) enables copying or recording of Controlled Content, other than as permitted by the Compliance Rules or (2) interferes with or disables the ability of a Cable Operator to communicate with or disable a CableCARD or services being transmitted through a CableCARD. (ii) At the time of manufacture, it will maintain control of content copies consistent with copy control instructions or the encryption mode indicator bits transmitted with digital signals as specified in the OpenCable Specifications. (iii) At the time of manufacture, it is designed to effectively frustrate tampering and reverse engineering directed towards defeating copy protection requirements in accordance with the Robustness Rules. (iv) At the time of manufacture, it will not transmit or decode Controlled Content received from the cable television transmission without proper authorization from the Cable Operator. (v) As used in this section 9.2(c), âat the time of manufactureâ shall mean at the time of manufacture of the Host Device and shall also include, but is not limited to, any subsequent modifications, upgrades, downloads, modules, plug-ins, or attachments to such Host Device made by or at the direction of Licensee or its Affiliates, or otherwise specifically promoted, marketed, distributed by or at the direction of Licensee or its Affiliates. (vi) Licensee shall not service any licensed product that it determines to have been modified after manufacture to be non-Compliant. << End of CableLabs document>> So, in short, Open Source will get the big red "DENIED" stamp on CableCARD. Our only hope is reverse engineering outside of North America where the patents and DMCA don't apply. -- Joe __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ mythtv-users mailing list [email protected] http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
