Vanity: FIOS Encryption

8/16/15

[markomalley]

Question for FReepers who are more knowledgeable than myself on this:

Verizon encrypts all of the channels on FIOS. You must either use a [rented] cable box or a cable card on TVs so equipped. Frankly, the cost of the FIOS cable service is not that bad, but the box rental can end up doubling it.

Two questions:

1) Do any of you know if there are third party boxes for purchase that would serve the same purpose?

2) Do any of you know if there are any open source algorithms that would accomplish the decryption of the stream?

Links would be appreciated if possible.

Thanks,

[mabarker1]

I can tell You that the New Flatscreen TV’s are DirecTV ready- no need for Box...

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

What are the copyright law implications of providing such information/equipment?

[TomGuy]

It is similar to what my cable company does with modems/routers. You can rent or you can buy, but you must select from a list of preferred.

By January 2016, they are finally dropping the analog TV signal and encrypting the digital TV signal, so a mini-box or regular box are mandatory. Not more watching via a direct cable outlet-to-TV. I knew this day would come when they started pushing HD and digital about a decade ago.

I have a PCTV card in my desktop and a USB TV connection for my laptop. I also have a couple of home DVRs. I think I can get by with 2 boxes, as the cable also offers many of their channels via a PC/Laptop app. One or 2 mini-boxes will be free for 1 year, depending on which ad the local office goes with. Some ads say 1 free box, others say 2 free boxes.

The rental for the mini-boxes will be $1.99/mo each. There is not indication that they are available for purchase. They do have to be activated by the cable service.

[smoothsailing]

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/13118

[tired&retired]

Thanks

[tired&retired]

I’m excited. This past week the Google engineers were in my driveway with their clip boards determining the route to run the new Google fiber optic cable for internet and TV. I understand it will be 1,000 Meg/s up and down at about half the cost of Time Warner for their garbage. No more Time Warner (Happy Dance here)..... Google is already laying the underground main cables not far from me.

[AFreeBird]

You want to give even more information to google, than they already get?

I’m still pissed because Google bought out NEST. I don’t want Google in my home, I’m sure as hell not going to connect to their fiber.

Remember: you are NOT google’s customer, you’re their PRODUCT!

[Kid Shelleen]

>> Verizon encrypts all of the channels on FIOS <<

I don't think local (over the air channels) are encrypted. In fact I just double checked and I was able to get all my local channels with OUT a cable box. My TV is about 7 years old, nothing fancy. In other words you can get the local channels with an antenna OR just hook the cable directly into the TV and let the TV scan for unscrambled channels.
The over the air content is limited, lots of Spanish and religious stations, BUT some pretty good stations like METV, Decades, PBS and the big 3 broadcasters.

I went with out cable for a couple of years. The only reason I have cable now is because Verizon ran a special and started offering packages (pseudo a la carte). I got basic cable for about the same price I was paying just for Internet. Dont let Verizon tell you that every TV needs a set top or that you need the fastest Internet speeds.

[Hawthorn]

>> Do any of you know if there are any open source algorithms that would accomplish the decryption of the stream? <<

Sounds like theft of service to me. Probably should not to be discussed on FR.

[tired&retired]

I figure that I am doing nothing that I am concerned with lack of privacy as long as they don’t bombard me with selling me garbage I’m happy with the better service than expensive Time Warner that sucks..

[markomalley]

Sounds like theft of service to me. Probably should not to be discussed on FR.

I have no problems with paying for the cable subscription. It's just the renting of the boxes.

[markomalley]

I don't think local (over the air channels) are encrypted. I

The reason I get cable is because there is nothing worth watching (IMHO) on the broadcast channels.

Not to say that the cable-only channels are that watchable, but they are better than broadcast. Again, IMHO.

[Company Man]

How can you say this when you can watch Bonanza seven days a week? :^>

[Hawthorn]

>> I have no problems with paying for the cable subscription. It’s just the renting of the boxes <<

Understood. But if you were using some kind of free app with your computer to decrypt the signals, I think you’d need to know a decryption key. The cable company is not going to give you that key, however, because they’d be afraid of your selling it to thousands of other computer geeks.

In other words, I imagine the only way to use your app would be to have a key that had been obtained illegally. That’s why your idea would seem to verge on signal theft.

[Democratic-Republican]

"By January 2016, they are finally dropping the analog TV signal and encrypting the digital TV signal, so a mini-box or regular box are mandatory. Not more watching via a direct cable outlet-to-TV. I knew this day would come when they started pushing HD and digital about a decade ago."

Whoa. Where did you get this info?

That analog comment is a separate issue and has nothing to do with this.

You seem to be saying that cable companies ( who? ) are going a step further and encrypting the entire bandwidth including basic cable and free channels. There is a whole world of TV manufacturers that would be negatively affected by this. They would in effect be changed into display/monitor manufacturers overnight. And they would be the ones hearing from customers and getting TVs returned.

The cable companies themselves are being attacked already from both sides ( customers and channel conglomerates ) and get blamed for everything, and already see an exodus of people to other delivery systems. They would be positively suicidal to make a move like you suggest.

[TomGuy]

cable companies ( who? ) are going a step further and encrypting the entire bandwidth including basic cable and free channels.

My cable co still has analog signal, so my comment about analog does appy.

I have Cox Cable and have been getting bits and pieces of info via emails and snailmails.

From what I understand, all Cox cable TV will require a box (mini or big). They seem to be saying: Analog TV signal will be dead -- no longer offered. Digital TV signal will require either a mini-box or big box. You CANNOT connect a direct line from the outlet to the TV, because the signal (ALL CHANNELS) will be encrypted and will need a box.

The mini-box unencrypts signals through the basic and first major tier only. The big box will be needed to get premium channels, sports and movie tiers, etc.

One mailing said that the conversion would be at some October date, but another notification said encryption would start in early January 2016.

Link for Cox Cable information:

It's Time to Go All Digital

Scroll down at that link to the MINIBOX Alternative to compare the mini-box and big box channels.

[Democratic-Republican]

Well I gotta admit that I was wrong. It appears that your COX cable is willing to juggle hand grenades.

"TVs Requiring Mini Box

TVs that connect to Cox service directly from a cable wall outlet aren't ready to go all digital. Even if your TV is labeled "digital ready", you'll still need to connect with a mini box.

TVs that connect using video equipment, like a Cox Advanced TV Receiver or CableCARD, are ready to go all digital and don't need a mini box."

There's much bullcrap in there technically speaking, but it is clever and disguised. It is obviously written to snowjob the 90% of the sheeple that have no clue.

The key is "TVs that connect to Cox service". The rest of it implies that TV's connected to a coax wall outlet are NOT digital blahblahblah. In reality most TV's these days days are perfectly digital ready. What they fail to stress is that this is a COX implementation of total encryption, rendering perfectly normal TV's with analog/digital or digital only built-in tuners obsolete, little more than LCD computer monitors.

Many details found in this thread, one of thousands.

An employee or knee-bending sycophant says this ...

"Currently Cox Does NOT encrypt:

• The low quality Analog channels, this includes most 4:3 SD channels 2 thru 99, but Cox has been slowly removing some of those Analog channels. (The removal of the rest of the Analog channels should have happened in 2012, but Cox has been very generous and has left them until this year.)

• The Local Broadcast Digital HD channels and Local Digital SD sub-channels.

Currently Cox Does already encrypt:

• All Non-Local Digital channels, whether 4:3 SD or 16:9 HD

The two things changing are the encrypting of the Local Digital channels, and the complete removal of the 4:3 SD Analog channels.

The complete removal of the 4:3 SD Analog channels is absolutely necessary and should have been done a few years ago. Every other major provider in major cities has already done this.

The encryption of the Local Broadcast Digital HD channels and Local Digital SD sub-channels, is overkill in my opinion, but does keep freeloaders from getting Internet and Free TV. It also keeps Cox from having to send out technicians to place filters on drops, and keeps people from attempting to do a DIY illegal cable hook-up, which could effect your service negatively, especially if it was one of your neighbors.

Do you really want all your neighbors getting free TV when you pay $90/mo for it?"

Buttloads of snarky bulls!t. Reminds of Microsoft in their Vista and then Windows 8 propaganda periods with Steven Sinofsky and his team of destroyers.

In that last sentence, amusingly and presumably with a perfectly straight face they try to pit you against all your neighbors, while literally forgetting that it is YOU who now get to pay for their new encrypted implementation to stop the alleged thieves!

Even if it is a futile effort, each customer should contact their House Rep and two Senators ( that's 3 reports per customer ) and not ask, but demand an antitrust breakup of these COX suckers. It as an elaborate bait and switch that renders your private property inoperative without sending them more cash. It would be like Standard Oil switching to some new formulation that rendered car engines obsolete ( or similar metaphor ). I see they do have one cable competitor in place in some areas, and no doubt they would point to them, but read some of the crappy remarks in that thread to see what they really think of them. They are merely a foil for this monopolistic and predatory practice ( kinda like Microsoft using Linux as a "competitor", "no monopoly here!" ).

Remind me who in Congress we need to thank for the cable and other information delivery consolidation again. We are literally awash in protected monopolies now, too big to fail because of the extent of their lobbying. I used to think Teddy Roosevelt was crazy, but not anymore. These companies really do see their particular zones as farm fields full of sheep to be sheared at will.