Which HDTV Capture Card?

BenderMan asks: "I would like to purchase an HDTV capture card for a *nix based home PVR project. My criteria is that the card support (or be capable of in future firmware) Encrypted QAM, and that the card ignore the broadcast flag. I'll need to make my choice before July 1st, 2005. Of the few cards available that support HDTV, 64/256-QAM support (needed for cable broadcast) is spotty and it's not clear which cards currently ignore the broadcast flag. Can Slashdot readers provide any insight on the FusionHDTV, the MyHD MDP-130, and the HD-3000 cards, or any others I have overlooked?"

Comments

Encrypted content

[crow]

Apparently there is a company using extra bandwidth in ATSC broadcasts to carry encrypted pay channels.

Many digital cable channels are sent in encrypted QAM.

With the former, I'm pretty sure that cards like the HD-3000 will happily record the datastream, but will leave it encrypted. I expect that you'll find the same with a card that will record unencrypted QAM streams. You'll be able to record encrypted signals, but you'll have to decrypt them in software.

Now the question is, how hard is it to decrypt those streams? Is there a decent chance of cracking the keys in software, or is a cable card the only hope?

Re:Encrypted content

[fm6]

Now the question is, how hard is it to decrypt those streams? Is there a decent chance of cracking the keys in software, or is a cable card the only hope?

Unless somebody uncovers a flaw in the underlying algorithm, you are not going to do any key cracking.

CSS (the encryption used on DVDs) did get cracked, of course. That was the result of a poorly-chosen algorithm and sloppiness on the part of a CSS licensee. These are mistake the entertainment industry is not likely to repeat.

Re:Good luck with Encrypted QAM.

[crow]

Doesn't the CableCard have to be integrated with the decoder? It has to be able to receive signals from the cable company just like a set top box converter. I doubt they'll let you get one that exposes the keys to let you decrypt in software.

So I don't see any likelihood that you'll be able to decrypt encrypted QAM in the future using current hardware unless the ecryption in cracked.

I'll need to make my choice before July 1st, 2005.

[Thing 1]

I'll need to make my choice before July 1st, 2005.

I would imagine that the manufacturers who haven't sold their inventory at that point will "gift" them to employees in return for 50% of the outrageous overprice they'll get selling them on eBay.

In fact, wouldn't that be a way around the law? Have foreign nationals purchase foreign hardware which cares not about stupid flags, and sell it via eBay?

Are the broadcasters going to get the government to target eBay sales in order to prop up their morally corrupt intellectual property pyramid?