Directivo, TivoNET, and ExtractStream

[tivo_extract@p...]

--- In ExtractStream@y..., markb@y... wrote:
> --- In ExtractStream@y..., tivo_extract@p... wrote:
> > In addition to this, if my belief that the DirecTiVO box itself
> > removes the macrovision encoding, anyone using an extrator to get
> > the stream off the box would not be liable for unencrypting the
> > data - DirecTV did it themselves.
> 
> I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure Macrovision isn't anything that 
> could be confused with encryption. It's just some extra "noise" in 
> the analog output that confuses VCRs. With DVDs, it's basically 
just 
> a flag that tells the DVD player that is should add the 
> Macrovision "noise" to the video output. If DirecTV supports 
> Macrovision, it probably works in a similar way. But I'm not even 
> sure if DirecTV support Macrovision.

because of the DMCA, Macrovision would be considered encryption. 
basically anything done to stop someone from gaining access to 
original content is considered encryption. If I had a book, and put 
it in a taped up box, that would be considered encryption. Pretty 
amazing, huh? The CSS encryption on DVDs is not much more complex 
than Macrovision encoding. I have a perl script that is less than 
500 characters long that will decrypt a DVD.

As for DirecTV supporting macrovision, I am pretty sure that all of 
the directv broadcasts are encoded with macrovision.

If I were directv, I definitely wouldn't broadcast a clear MPEG2 
stream.

> Has anybody here come across any DirecTV programming that they had 
> trouble recording with a VCR? I would suspect that if DirecTV were 
> to use Macrovision it would be on the PPV channels.

I have not tried recording anything from the DirecTV reciever. The 
only reciever I have is the DirecTV/TiVO receiver, which DOES allow 
you to dump the stored video to VHS, and does quite well.

It still seems to me that as a consumer purchasing the broadcast, I 
should be able to use that broadcast for my own personal viewing in 
the same format that I receive it. I find it amazing that they can 
justify allowing me to leave it on the TiVO, but NOT allow me to view 
the same data from another machine.

Imagine buying a package of batteries, and using them in your 
radio.... but then realize you need some batteries in your 
flashlight, but you're unable to use the batteries from the radio, 
because they are only "licensed" for use in one device. This is the 
same sort of convoluted legalities that we are delaing with here.

--Eric