Hacker-proof digital TV!

d1abolic

Banned
Sep 21, 2001
2,228
1
0
Really? No, not really. But it looks like media giants are about to be taken for yet another ride because they just won't learn from their mistakes. Apparently, their latest invention is supposed to make digital television hacker-proof. In a nutshell, it works just like a DSS receiver, but it uses a phone line to update it's software and fix security holes. Now, we all know that even though satellite providers can fix security holes and send down ECMs to damage hacked smartcards whenever they like, that hasn't stopped, nor slowed down the growth of DSS piracy. So what i know is why they think that this new idea of theirs will work. These new smartcards will be just as easy to hack as the DSS ones, but it will be a lot easier to keep them working because the user can just unplug the phone line to prevent the provider from messing around. Let the games begin! Yet again. :D

Link
 

joohang

Lifer
Oct 22, 2000
12,340
1
0
but it uses a phone line to update it's software and fix security holes
Sounds more like it has a higher chance of being hacked than most TVs.

I'll pass.
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,974
140
106
Interesting...starting to see alot of dss dishes around here (SF). Good competition for the cable guys.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Kind of interesting. I suppose that since up to 1/3 of the services in Europe are being used for free it would be a good idea for these people to patch on a very regular basis. I think ideally they'd do it before, say, a world cup soccer/football match. That would make people want to start paying pretty fast :)
 

d1abolic

Banned
Sep 21, 2001
2,228
1
0
It doesn't matter what they do because they really can't do anything. Dish Network for example, changes their keys on a daily basis. But someone came up with "autorilling" software that allows the card to function without maintenance no matter how often the keys are changed. :D