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FTV cards and non-digibox recievers

  • 03-12-2002 5:19pm
    #1
    distracted
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭


    I saw on satellite.ie that there are Palcom recievers with connectors for cards on them.
    These supposedly work with Astra.
    Can you use these recievers to recieve BBC1, BBC2, CH4, etc... with a FTV card?
    What's the story with activation. Do you have to ring up Sky?

    Are these recievers any good. Are they less or more hassle than a digibox.


Comments

  • #2
    ShaneOC
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭ShaneOC


    No, you have to use a Sky Digibox to receive the UK terrestrials using a FTV card. The box that you saw would mainly be targetted at the Astra satellites at 19 degrees. The Astra satellites that Sky use are at 28 degrees.


  • #3
    distracted
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭distracted


    Why would the BBC and ITV tie themselves into this platform if they can't get open access?


  • #4
    watty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    Executive summary of a complex subject:

    Digiboxes can *ONLY* take a Sky Card.

    Other boxes (even if "better" and take lots of different cards) can *NOT* take a Sky card.

    A UK FTV card *IS* a Sky card.

    There are lots of "Astra" it is a Company. Sky rents from Astra at 28.2E.

    A Palcom (or any other non-Digibox) would be for Astras at 19.2E. It will only work for Astra 28.2 Channels (and Eurobird 28.2E) on Sky that work on a Digibox with *NO* card.

    Some detail:
    Cards can slot direct into a box (embedded CAM), or there is a CI slot that takes a Module (CAM) which has the slot for a viewing card.

    The Digibox has an Embedded "videoguard" CAM. Sky / NDS won't allow anyone to make a Digibox with a CI for other CAMs, nor will they sell a separate CAM for CI slots of other Digital Receivers. If someone was very rich and took them to court in EU, I'm sure Sky/NDS would lose on basis of a restrictive trade practice to maintain almost a monopoly in UK and ROI. Other providers of Pay TV and Broadcasters of feeds use Viaccess (BBC Prime), Seca, Betacrypt, PowerVU, Irdeto, Cryptoworks etc.

    Normally each system has its own CAM costing $100 to $300 each. All Cam and MagicCam are "hacker" modified CAMs that will take viewing cards for more than one system (real or pirate). Often the software on the Digital Receiver needs modified (patched) also to be able to use one of these multicrypt CAMs.

    Using a "hacked" multicrypt CAM with a "real" paying to correct provider viewing card may not be illegal. Using a card, real or pirate to receive EU pay service without paying correct amount to the valid provider is theft/piracy and is Illegal with very big Penalties in many EU countries, esp. Ireland.

    A PC based receiver can have a CI fitted or even simulate one in Software. Some services are not strictly "pay", but geographically limited just by CAM, and no viewing card needed.

    No hacked CAM exists for Videoguard (Sky).


  • #5
    distracted
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭distracted


    Thanks for the technical answer Watty but from a pure business point of view why did the BBC and ITV/CH4 tie themselves into the digibox when other national broadcasters in Europe choose to go other ways. I don't see why they backed a platform from Sky when Sky are competing with them for advertising(ITV/CH4) and viewers.


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