The Beeb looking to add DRM to Freeview HD

cormacl

It seems the BBC are looking to implement some kind of content protection/encryption on the Freeview HD services to limit access to licenced receivers. The concerns seem to have been driven by 3rd parties and their content protection concerns.

One must wonder if the same could happen here when we go the HD route with DTT in about 25 years or so.

Article from EFF:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/09/broadcast-flag-uk

Original blog post by UK MEP Tom Watson:
http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2009/09/personal-video-recorders-ofcom-consultation-indicates-that-the-bbc-want-to-make-yours-obsolete/

Ofcom doc on this request from the BBC:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/tvlicensing/enquiry/ofcom_bbc.pdf

Quote from the ofcom document..

The BBC has indicated that third party content owners are seeking to ensure that reception equipment will implement the content management (copy protection) arrangements specified in the DTG D-Book. Because the D-Book requirements are not mandatory, representatives of
content owners have asked the BBC to take steps to ensure that reception equipment will implement the specified content management arrangements.
It is a requirement of the multiplex and Ofcom’s PS-DTPS licences (these are held by the Channel 3 companies and Channel 4 for the broadcasting of a HD version of their existing public service channel) that content on this multiplex is broadcast free to air (i.e. unencrypted). After a review of the options, the BBC has proposed a solution that is understood to be acceptable to content owners. That is to compress the service information
(SI) data on the upgraded multiplex using BBC developed look-up tables. The BBC would make the relevant look-up tables available free of charge to any manufacturer that agrees, via a licence agreement, to implement the D-Book content management arrangements.

cnocbui

If I were a BBC license payer I would tell my MP, 'that's fine by me, just so long as either the content providers, BBC or government supply me with free new equipment.'

Zonda999

Cant see why copy protection is any more important when it comes to HD than SD!

Or maybe this is just the start of a vision that all tv in future(when it is all HD, 25 years time here apparently:D) will be copy protected!:(

Mike 1972

One must wonder if the same could happen here when we go the HD route with DTT in about 25 years or so.

Should be cracked long before then

Cant see why copy protection is any more important when it comes to HD than SD!

There is (more or less) an acceptance (albeit unspoken) that for SD its a lost cause.

With HD (some) people are willing to pay more for HD content so its seen as a way for them to protect a revenue stream while minimising adverse reaction from a public (largely) unaccoustomed to enjoying the same freedom to use HD content as they do with SD stuff

Or something !

cormacl

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Should be cracked long before then

I think some of the commentary I saw on EFF said that the difficulty of the DRM/encryption was not the concern... i.e that it would be a lame approach and eventually bypassed but it means that by cracking it, you are violating something and possibly become a target for the content rights holders, should your platform/solution start doing things they don't like.

I'm not remotely aware about how valid this really is.. but I think that is the reason the BBC suggested that approach.