Sky+ Question

[tricky69]

Just wondering if anyone knows how to transfer, or weather it is possible to transfer recorded data to a laptop/desktop PC ?

Any ideas ??

[tvrforever]

Sorry no it's not.

The HD is locked, but far more importantly the content is still encrypted with NDS' VideoGuard system.

As far as I know (used to work in this area) this hasn't yet been cracked and hence you'd need to be able to decrypt the NDS system on a PC to view the content...

Replay do have PVRs designed specifically to transfer content around the house though, and plenty of PC PVR cards can do this and decode the free sat channels...

[scared but happy]

The format is a datastream not in MPEG format (for speed) so it's a bit meaningless anyway. Thats why people pay silly money for Tivo's.

[chris watton]

You can record stored programs to a VTR, but who has a VTR these days!!, but you can't tape the extortionately priced movies on Box Office (most of which don't even have Dolby 5.1 digital!)
I guess once the program you want is on tape, it can be transferred to PC.

[thebluemonkey]

chris watton said:

You can record stored programs to a VTR, but who has a VTR these days!!, but you can't tape the extortionately priced movies on Box Office (most of which don't even have Dolby 5.1 digital!) I guess once the program you want is on tape, it can be transferred to PC.

You can use a macrovision decoder to get rid of the video out encryption and you could always record straight to the computer. I'm not sure but it may be possible to strip the macrovision on the computer.

[tvrforever]

thebluemonkey said:

chris watton said: You can record stored programs to a VTR, but who has a VTR these days!!, but you can't tape the extortionately priced movies on Box Office (most of which don't even have Dolby 5.1 digital!) I guess once the program you want is on tape, it can be transferred to PC. You can use a macrovision decoder to get rid of the video out encryption and you could always record straight to the computer. I'm not sure but it may be possible to strip the macrovision on the computer.

MacroVision is an entirely different thing from encryption - it's job is to degrade the quality enough for you not to bother and is on the analogue content. Whereas the encryption is on the digital bitstream.

[telecat]

Macrovision only works between enabled players/recorders. All videos after a certain point had it done but a few were produced without it. As for DVD nobody copies them that way so it's ineffective. If I remember rightly the timing signal is omitted from the playback which does not effect the TV but makes the copy unwatchable. As DVD's are copied "straight" the problem is bypassed. As an aside the FCC in the states has just been told it will not be allowed to demand the inclusion of a copy protection system to makers of Digital Tv's/recorders/players by the Supreme court.

[thebluemonkey]

tvrforever said:

MacroVision is an entirely different thing from encryption - it's job is to degrade the quality enough for you not to bother and is on the analogue content. Whereas the encryption is on the digital bitstream.

I know that but if it is striped then you can record the Box Office movies or run a touchy CRT projector from the video outputs which you otherwise can't.

[jimbro1000]

tvrforever said:

Sorry no it's not. The HD is locked, but far more importantly the content is still encrypted with NDS' VideoGuard system. As far as I know (used to work in this area) this hasn't yet been cracked and hence you'd need to be able to decrypt the NDS system on a PC to view the content... Replay do have PVRs designed specifically to transfer content around the house though, and plenty of PC PVR cards can do this and decode the free sat channels...

Flippin 'eck - not often you see someone who actually knows what the software is called

The system is called XTV - there is a bit more to it than just Videoguard but you've got the idea

[john_p]

I heard that the Sky (digital) encryption has been broken once, and they changed all the cards as a result. Was that true?

[parrot of doom]

I have a Tivo, on lifetime subscription, and I paid nowt for it.

Its bloody great. There are many mods you can do to it, including installing it on a network and transferring programs to your HD.

[tvrforever]

john_p said:

I heard that the Sky (digital) encryption has been broken once, and they changed all the cards as a result. Was that true?

The old analogue system has been hacked plenty of times but not the digital one.

The story (true one) you may have heard revolves around the US SuperBowl one year and the analogue NDS system. Basically NDS 'know' how many cards have been hacked (or people using none NDS decoders) so they tend to wait for key times before disabling them. A famous time was 12 hours before the US superbowl - sending a message to people re "yes you can hack it but you can't make it reliable and isn't it difficult to explain to the friend who've come round for a superbowl party..."

[tvrforever]

jimbro1000 said:

Flippin 'eck - not often you see someone who actually knows what the software is called The system is called XTV - there is a bit more to it than just Videoguard but you've got the idea

Oh I know all about XTV - In a past life I was heavily involved in shaping it's design & functionality from a customer (network broadcaster) perspective.

Now I'm just waiting to see when Sky will bother to use 70% of the XTV functionality in their Sky+ systems rather than wait until they are forced to by competition (VOD anybody??)...

[mcflurry]

As Sky play their films so often we did away with a video 4 years ago as there is always something on...

If you really really really want to tape stuff - get a Betamax, macrovisoin etc doesn't work with it

[vodkakid]

You could do it the long way round and record your saved programmes on dvd then transfer it over....?? maybe..