W5 PCI Card

[SATire]

Not sure which forum to stick this in so maybe someone can move it if need be.

Question for the experts... anyone know of a PC based card that can pick up W5? I'm currently using the DSR410 but would greatly prefer something else, especially PC based.

A skyvision person told me that it is doable, just have to use the right card. Not sure what the 'right card' would be so wanted to ask here.

I am especially interested in making it work with mythtv for example.

Thanks.

Mike

 

[turbosat]

if you mean the W5 that has scrambled programming on it, may be 'doable' but I don't think you'll be able to get it authorized by any programming service. Those channels are Digicipher -encrypted, far as I know. Whether a computer card could pick up anything that happened to be ZK or not, I know not.

 

[photoman76]

A Genpix or DVBTech card can lock DCII signals on W5, but you can only view channels that are ZK if there are any. The cards can't be authorized to view encrypted channels.

 

[SATire]

if you mean the W5 that has scrambled programming on it, may be 'doable' but I don't think you'll be able to get it authorized by any programming service. Those channels are Digicipher -encrypted, far as I know. Whether a computer card could pick up anything that happened to be ZK or not, I know not.

Why would I not be able to get it authorized? They know what I'm up to. Do you mean something else?

 

[SATire]

Ok, can't be authorized has been mentioned twice now. What am I not understanding?

I am talking about having a legit account with skyvision or programming-center and using a pc based card instead of an old featureless dsr receiver.

My interest is to see W5 working on a PC card so that I could integrate live TV pausing and other such functions which the receivers don't have. Thereby making the services more useful to the common non hobbyist type .

Mike

 

[Mr Tony]

to authorize the receiver there is a "card #" like a serial number...do the PC cards even have that (highly unlikely)

 

[ikki]

> Ok, can't be authorized has been mentioned twice now. What am I not understanding?

Motorola is unlikely and / or unwilling to license their decryption technology to other companies.

Because of this, there is no legal PCI decryption card for Digi cypher 2 encrypted programming that I am aware of.

 

[SATire]

Ah, Now I'm getting it.

I don't recall a card being in the receiver, guess I've not noticed it yet. I just mounted the thing and haven't really looked at it since, just control it from remote.

So, this is a motorola issue then. I was sure that I was told this could be done, if certain criteria were met so I'll ask my contact again and see what I get.

If this is the case, then yet again, I'm stumped trying to find ways to tell more people about these alternatives.

 

[photoman76]

I think your contact was mistaken or misunderstood what you were asking. A PC solution would be great, but I don't think that one exists.

 

[Vorg]

The genpix tuners are just tuners. they have no decrypt hardware or software. They would need that and as mentioned a serial number.

 

[turbosat]

satire, the receiver you have probably has a chip or something inside it to do the descrambling. As mentioned already, the owner of the technology hasn't licensed anybody else to build equipment that will operate as a descrambler unit. Too bad, what you want would be a nice thing to have.

 

[Vorg]

what would be nice is if 4dtv and the rest of the proprietary crap would just die or even be outlawed and go to a standard format like in europe and just use cards for subs like the euro's. Then just get a dvb-s/s2 card and and a card reader or two. No need for a bunch of different expensive junk.

 

[JimmyMcGee]

what would be nice is if 4dtv and the rest of the proprietary crap would just die or even be outlawed and go to a standard format like in europe and just use cards for subs like the euro's. Then just get a dvb-s/s2 card and and a card reader or two. No need for a bunch of different expensive junk.

But the fact that any Yahoo can reinvent the wheel is what makes America "great"

 

[Vorg]

Not when the big corps keep getting laws put in place to protect their monopoly and allow them do what they want and make what ever "deals" they want to keep real competition out.

As for the wheel, they have a patent on it. Make anything round or even remotly looking like a wheel and they will sue you out onto the streets.

 

[B.J.]

I agree with all the responses above, but wanted to add that right now, the only ZK channels I'm seeing on that sat with my Genpix are the music channels. I'm not seeing any ZK video channels.

Re the topic of a "seeing a card in the receiver", GI/Motorola DCII receivers do their authorization based on the unit ID#, but most/many of them have a place where you can slide in a card reader, in case their encryption process was broken, but cards were never needed. I don't know if your 410 has such a slot for a card reader or not, but it wouldn't matter. I know that my 4200 receivers have such a slot, but there is no reader in the slot.

Re using your computer for those channels, there are a couple GI/Motorola DCII receivers that have ASI (I think) outputs that can feed signals to a PC, and the computer can process the signals that the receiver has decrypted. I don't know if any of those receivers are capable of being subscribed, however, as I think it's only some of the commercial receivers that can do that, and while they can be authorized, I think it's done differently than the consumer subscriptions.

 

[trinidex]

The DSR410 doesn't use a card in a card slot. There is a chip onboard that carries the UA (Unit Address) and it is this number that is used for decrypting programs.

DigiCiperII is the technology used and is a Motorola product, to date no-one has been issued (AFAIK) a license to produce DCII compatible products.

As far as the ASI option - which would be awesome - this is typically only available on a Commercial Unit, which us Consumer types are not allowed to sub with Consumer services.

There is a modification available for the 4DTV receivers (of which I consider the DSR410 a relative) that allows DVR type functions using a 'R5000-HD' by Nextcom. The interface is Firewire (IEEE1394) more details here: HD DVR and PVR Products - R5000-HD Information Look under C-Band.

 

[SATire]

This is the reply I received from someone who knows this stuff well.

---
The DSR-410 has a similar datastream to that used by Shaw Direct (formerly
Star Choice), and it works reliably with Windows Media Center (Microsoft).

I suppose there are other devices that can be implemented, as long as there
is a way to connect external video (yellow) and right/left audio (red and
white) RCA cables.
---

The later part I'm aware of but the first part is what makes me think there might be a way to do this. I've also got a question out to programming-center.

The bottom line is that this cannot be useful to traditional markets until a modern PVR works along with it. This is what I am trying to achieve. If I can, we may be able to get a lot more people interested in W5 for example which would help everyone in general by having more choices.

Mike

 

[SATire]

One thing I don't fully understand is that Motorola is talking about pulling the cord in Dec or so. Yet, the DRS410 was adapted to W5 for it's guide so, why are we talking about Motorola being ok with licensing of some sort?

And, if W5 still requires some sort of Motorola licensing, then I need to contact them.

All of this is just unclear to me at this point.

 

[ikki]

> Yet, the DRS410 was adapted to W5 for it's guide so, why are we talking about Motorola being ok with licensing of some sort?

Because without Motorola's blessing W5 and / or 4DTV will go away. Regardless if they deploy the technology or not, Motorola is still the rightful owner of it, and with out their blessings no one can legally use their technology. Not to mention they run the current Authorization control center.

It is my understanding that Motorola is going to transfer the ACC to Comcast / HITS the owner of the W5 services after Jan 1 2011.

Hope that helps

 

[SATire]

Motorola is stepping out but my understanding is that it's simply going to be W5, it's not going away.

I'm starting to think there's not enough interest to bother pushing this to our customers. I wanted to push it as an alternative but if it's Comcast that's going to be taking over, then we end up in the same boat.

Man, consumers just want to make sure they kill off their own choices.