Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdahl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!crsp!pesnta!amdcad!amdahl!dwl10 From: dwl10@amdahl.UUCP (Dave Lowrey) Newsgroups: net.video,net.tv Subject: Re: CATV: "Addressable" Channels Message-ID: <1033@amdahl.UUCP> Date: Thu, 24-Jan-85 14:46:20 EST Article-I.D.: amdahl.1033 Posted: Thu Jan 24 14:46:20 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 27-Jan-85 04:48:19 EST References: <1486@ritcv.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Columbia MD Lines: 41 Xref: watmath net.video:915 net.tv:2334 > My cable company is going to start some new pay services, and will be > doing something called "addressing" which authenticates the receiver, > and allows it to receive the special channel(s). They claim it will cut > down on the possibility of stealing the channel. It sounded to me > (from this radio news blurb) that something in the home will TRANSMIT > to the cable office. > > Is this true? Does anyone know more? > There are two basic types of addreaasble converters: 1 POLLED: The computer at the cable company's office will poll,(or ask) each converter in the system. The converter will then send back information such as what chanell you're watching (shades of BIG BROTHER), if you have pushed any special buttons, or even if the TV set is on. This is used alot in pay-per-view situations. QUBE uses this system. 2 DOWN LOADED: Every n seconds, the cable company's computer will tell your converter which channels you are allowed to watch. The converter will unscramble only those channels. Pay per view is acomplished by you telling the company that you want to watch that prize fight on saturday night, they will tell the computer to OK it, and they will bill your account. Both of these schemes are hard to defeat if they use any inteligent methods for scrambling the pay signals. Since they (translate you) have payed the big bucks for the addressing system, you can assume that they also have a smart scrambler/de-scrambler. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Lowrey "GORT...Klatu borada niktow" ...!{nsc,sun,hplabs,ihnp4}!amdahl!dwl10 [ The opinions expressed be those of the author and not necessarily those of his most eminent employer. ]