[Ffmpeg-devel] Re: HDTV, patents, DRM

[Måns Rullgård]

Erik Slagter said:
> On Wed, 2006-03-15 at 14:03 +0000, M?ns Rullg?rd wrote:
>
>> > Attaching a bus scanner also seems to
>> > work, some do it that way, but afaik most crackers simply get their data
>> > from the raw ts stream.
>
>> Where do they access this raw ts stream?
>
> At least my receiver gives access to the raw ts stream from software.
> Maybe others do as well. It just might be that that is why most
> broadcasters are ehm... not too happy with it.
>
> Also a DVB-S card in a linux box would offer the same.

Of course it will.  I knew that.  The problem is that the stream is encrypted,
and you don't have the key.

>> > As almost any CAM system at least has been
>> > cracked partly apparently it's quite hard to get it 100% right.
>>
>> Conditional access is really nothing but security by obscurity.  It's just
>> that some of the systems are sufficiently obscure that nobody has managed
>> to RE them.
>
> Yep. At the moment e.g. Viaccess 2.3 is completely on the street
> (TPS/Multivision). They are trying all sorts of hacks to get it more or
> less secure, but it's really futile.

It wasn't obscure enough, so someone figured out the secret.

> Anyway, my point: DRM using DVB-S CAM is not really secure. And given
> the nature of the simplex traffic, I doubt it will ever be.
>
>> > Anyway, if you're only goal is to get the video stream without DRM
>> > restrictions a slightly modified STB would suffice (or use one using
>> > open source software, there are a few).
>>
>> Open source software won't help when the secrets are embedded in silicon.
>
> This is where the card plays a role. But all of the other stuff can be
> cracked in software.

Any purely software based solution can and will be cracked.  A hardware
solution can be made strong enough that breaking it will cost you more
than paying the license.  Those x-ray machines you mentioned don't come
cheap.

-- 
M?ns Rullg?rd
mru at inprovide.com