03.17HBO/TiVo lockdown: It’s the CableCARD, stupid
It looks like the mystery of TiVo locking down HBO’s John Adams miniseries has been solved–and it’s not a happy resolution. Dean writes:
I looked at the TiVo website that was displayed on my TV last night, and found this. I was watching the broadcast on a TiVo HD on a HBO HD channel, with my TV connected via HDMI cables. I use 2 Comcast CableCards viewing the digital TV channels. It appears that my shows were encoded with the 0×07 values – delete after 90 minutes and never allow copying.
[From TiVo's site]
Digital Signal Copy Protection Policies for TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs
The TiVo Series3 and TiVo HD Digital Media Recorders are compliant Digital Cable Receiver (DCR) devices which use CableCARD™ to receive high quality digital cable content in its native form. Since the Series3 and TiVo HD are DCR devices, in addition to the Macrovision rules for analog content, they must also comply with the content protection policies for Digital Cable content. These copy protection rules vary by content type, and in general, premium and pay channels will have more restrictive rules.
There’s more on the site, of course, but I absolutely can’t believe TiVo would go along with this if they want to build a true standalone business. Nothing will kill support for standalone TiVo boxes (which require CableCARD if you want to get digital cable) faster than word that they come saddled with some of the most restrictive DRM around.
7 Responses to “HBO/TiVo lockdown: It’s the CableCARD, stupid”
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This is a problem at the head end of this particular Comcast system. The CCI Byte which determines what the Tivo can do with content is set there. It is my understanding that making any content other than Pay Per View or VOD with a “Copy Never” flag is against FCC regs: http://tinyurl.com/3xhhse
I would call Comcast and raise all kinds of a stink. My local TWC system set MojoHD to 0X03 for a while and everything I Tivoed would self destruct after 90 minutes. It took a couple of weeks but after I complained, they changed the CCI Byte to 0X02 which at least allows me to record (but not transfer) the shows.
I would feel no compunction about retrieving these programs from other sources. After all, you’ve paid for them.
March 17th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Tivo is just trying to cover themselves from being sued under the DMCA. A lawsuit of that magnitude could be the final nail in the coffin.
My question is why doesn’t HBO sue everyone else for their HD DVRs getting around the DRM. Or sue the providers that fail to pass the flag along. In the grand scheme of things the HD Tivo Audience is very small. Change will only come when noone can watch the show. At that point the viewers will leave HBO in droves which will cause them to change the flag.
March 17th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I hereby propose that anytime a company uses DRM or other anti-piracy measure (throttling, packet shaping) in a way that’s detrimental to legitimate customers doing legitimate activities, that it be described as “Comcastic.”
March 17th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
While listening to Monday’s eipsode of BOL, someone mentioned that Comcast was making blanket changes to DRM which would affect all Cable Card users. I wanted to bring attention to a fight we’re having with BrightHouse in the Central Florida area.
BrightHouse has REMOVE high def channels from users that have cable cards, and refused to give us newly added channels. The ‘reason’ they’re using is that once SDV is implemented, we wouldn’t be able to give us these new channels, so they’re ostensibly providing us a service (!).
Why is this important? BrightHouse cable cards are also used in their own DVR and Cable boxes. They appear to be able to specify which cards receive which channels….this allows them to prevent ‘third party’ devices from receiving programming, but allow their own hardware to run unfettered. The point, I believe, is to force everyone in to using a BrightHouse DVR.
The topic has been thoroughly covered in the Tivo Community website:
http://tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=383361
March 18th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Comcast probably wants to you rent their cable box and use HBO on demand.
March 18th, 2008 at 6:53 am
I’ve been a loyal TiVo customer for many years. But if this turns out to be true, I’ll kiss TiVo goodbye and stick to something like MythTV.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:44 am
As always, you’ll find the best information about stuff like this on the Tivo Community Forums. If you check out:
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=384240
You’ll find links explaining what the various 5C copy values are (0= do whatever you want, 3 = copy never, 7 = 90 minutes), who sets the bits (the local cable company head end in most cases), what they’re allowed to set them to ( 3 is apparently legal, and restricts multi-room playback, but 7 is restricted to PPV apparently by Federal law), etc.
Includes the details of one users fight to get the bits changed on his system, ultimately successful in his case (though others claiming their cableco is non-responsive).
Anyway, its not HBO this time. And its not even all Comcast. Its certain cable systems.
March 20th, 2008 at 4:09 pm