[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]
2009/5/8 Julian Hall <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxx>: > Except that no terrestrial TV is by subscription... at least I can't > think of any. With digital I would think the service provider has to > keep checking that everyone watching the programme is a valid > subscriber, or not? Except channels that are Freeview of course, and > there I agree with your points :) I'd forgotten Freeview. > > Kind regards, > > Julian Top Up TV is technically a subscription service, because they use a mix of Nagravision/Seca conditional access and TUTV cards do exist. In their previous incarnation they offered several channels that time-shared with each other (like ONdigital, but not quite so good) and now they use the channels they have to play programs from a selection of channels overnight, which your special TUTV PVR records. Setanta Sports also uses the same encryption system as TUTV (and their cards are issued by them), but you can register for that separately and you don't need a special PVR to use it. With the conditional access systems used by Top Up TV and Sky, the provider can update your viewing card by sending the signals via satellite or the aerial. If you cancel your service, the card is immediately updated to make sure you can't watch anything anymore. Same for if you add/remove channels. If you took your card out before you cancelled (and kept it out for a day or two), you'd probably get another month or so of viewing before the entitlements on the card expire. The viewing card is trusted to be secure enough so that you can't modify the card to get channels you aren't paying for (unless you had ONdigital or have Virgin Media) There doesn't have to be any contact between your box and the service provider (the return path), except for Sky who want you to keep it connected so that they know what box office stuff you've bought, and if you have multiroom, whether all the boxes are in the same house. Contrary to popular belief, software updates and card updates aren't sent down the phone line. Shaun -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html