CPRM on Digital Free to Air?

[Ozzyjim]

Gday,

I hope I am posting this in the appropriate area and am not going against the rules here by discussing this (if I am please lock this topic immediatly). I have heard that the free to air broadcasters can transmit a flag (copy never/once/always) with digital TV broadcasts, meaning that people (me included) that do watch and record a lot of free to air tv on a PVR / DVD Recorder and on my pc cannot always take it off the unit to burn to dvd or re-encode for playback on portable media players . I do not believe that this has occured yet with free to air tv, but I guess my question is that it it does because I record programs in *.TS format (to preserve all audio streams and subtitles) on my PC, would it be possible to change the flag or remove it?.

Again If this is against forum rules please let me know and I will post elsewhere.

Thanks,

James.

[Nelson37]

SFAIK this is indeed possible but is not known to have been ever used, or at worst very, very rare. There does not appear to be any current method to alter, remove, or ignore such a flag.

I am curious if the flag would pass thru a converter box, either the basic with S-video ports or the expensive kind with HDMI and component. Hopefully I won't have to find out anytime soon.

[netmask56]

With existing set top boxes on sale in Australia, like the Beyonwiz S1, P1, P2 H1 models and the Topfield 5000 these units ignore any flags transmitted, don't know about DVD recorders. The proposed new "Freeview" badging that the local FTA stations are touting at the moment for nothing much more than an improved EPG requires manufactures to disable copying and ad skipping and only allow 30 x fast forwarding. The is no legislative requirement to do any of this and unlikely in the near future. The "Freeview" protocol also requires MPEG4 decoding capability even though this is not part of the present Australian DVB broadcasting standard, although it is not precluded. It may happen in 10 years time but would require federal government legislation to mandate it - not likely as it would render useless all present digital TV's and most set top boxes. However it could be be phased in like the change from analog to digital. The present Beyonwiz models can decode MPEG4 anyway. So I will be staying right away from any device labeled "Freeview" as I like to archive a few programs from time to time. The argument that this new regime will stop pirating is of course nonsense as all FTA TV in Australia and probably everywhere else has nasty rolling banners extolling the next program not to mention station logo's and intrusive voice over's etc. Can't think of any "pirate' being interested in the vandalised product :P And I'm surprised the producers of movies allow it in their contracts.