Sky version of CableCard

Nelbert

Meob has a great workaround set up for getting SkyHD in media center without the flakiness of CAM cards and the like but my question is does anyone else think sky are missing an oppurtunity to get more customers who would love a Media Center type setup?
Like if a CableCard type scenario came into play over here like it has in the US I would gladly pay sky 50 or 100 euro for a "SkyCard" that I could use in conjunction with DVB-S2 tuners to get a "real" SkyHD Media Center. I would say there would be a market for this type of thing. Off hand I know of 3 or 4 non-sky subscribers who would subscribe in an instant if they could do this.

eddiem74

Skyplayer looks like its coming.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwuJFtnoN78

Nelbert

SkyPlayer right now just isn't good enough and I don't think it will ever be a full replacement for a digibox or "CableCard type" solution.
I mean I know they are probably paranoid about how you could share the tv signal out after the card but if they developed what was essentially a smaller version of the digibox where (like Sky+ and HD) you give it two feeds from the dish and it decrypts these according to your subscription and then instead of outputting it to component or hdmi it outputs it to two satellite feeds on the other side they can maintain the control of how many tuners people can use the same way they do with their own boxes.

i.e. Satellite feed in---->Mini "digibox"---->Satellite feed with your subscribed channels decrypted out which can then be connected to your pc tuner card/cards for viewing.

It's like an expanded (and probably cheaper as it doesn't actually have to do any video processing to feed a tv) version of their existing digiboxes which do this(and the video processing) already.

Does any one know of any technical reason why this wouldn't be possible as opposed to a Sky are too stubborn and/or lazy to do it?

meob

Nelbert wrote: »

SkyPlayer right now just isn't good enough and I don't think it will ever be a full replacement for a digibox or "CableCard type" solution.
I mean I know they are probably paranoid about how you could share the tv signal out after the card but if they developed what was essentially a smaller version of the digibox where (like Sky+ and HD) you give it two feeds from the dish and it decrypts these according to your subscription and then instead of outputting it to component or hdmi it outputs it to two satellite feeds on the other side they can maintain the control of how many tuners people can use the same way they do with their own boxes.

i.e. Satellite feed in---->Mini "digibox"---->Satellite feed with your subscribed channels decrypted out which can then be connected to your pc tuner card/cards for viewing.

It's like an expanded (and probably cheaper as it doesn't actually have to do any video processing to feed a tv) version of their existing digiboxes which do this(and the video processing) already.

Does any one know of any technical reason why this wouldn't be possible as opposed to a Sky are too stubborn and/or lazy to do it?

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/skymceintegration.html

thats about as close it got, but with the latest sky cards the encryption is updated by sky on the cards, which if are not in the sky box get disabled eventually - so ultimately not possible - does not support HD either....

Nelbert

meob wrote: »

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/skymceintegration.html

thats about as close it got, but with the latest sky cards the encryption is updated by sky on the cards, which if are not in the sky box get disabled eventually - so ultimately not possible - does not support HD either....

Although it's a pretty good solution (albeit now out of date and not working.) I still see a lot of potential in sky offering something that I described.
The way I see it if so many people are willing to do this the hard way with floddydtv and cam's and stuff why don't sky provide a solution that they would at least have some control over. They could have no usb connection or anything on the box to prevent hacking and provide updates over the air like normal boxes and have the box send out an otherwise unused frequency to the tuner card which could be used for error reporting and maintenance/support by going to that "new channel". The principles of what I'm suggest, at least to me, seem pretty logical and achievable for sky and would afford them more control than hacked cams with 8 tv tuners hooked up to them. i.e. Win for me as I get SkyMC(;)) as I shall call it and win for them as I subscribe and I know plenty that also would subscribe and probably a fair few who would be happy to get this as yet not invented "magic box" to replace there usually awkward cam setup's.

Orthanix

Nelbert,

I agree with what you're saying. I have UPC digital hooked up to 7MC via the STB and I don't understand why UPC don't release a cablecard type tv tuner for PC's. I would definately pay a little extra just to have MCE control the channel changing instead of having to blast my craptastic UPC STB. I would have also thought it would be cheaper to manufacture a cablecard tuner which would mean a bigger markup on these items.

At the end of the day I can still get their signal onto the PC and record, encode and stream it as i want. It would just be more convenient to cut out the STB.