Last Updated:02/FEB/2003

VIACCESS IN HUMAX STB"s PRESENT ONCE AGAIN !!!

Humax and Viaccess have signed a settlement agreement and a license agreement on 24th of January whereby they resume their cooperation in the area of digital television. Some time ago Humax has lost a Viaccess licence.

These agreements settle all previous pending issues in their relationship. They open a new phase in which both parties will cooperate for the benefit of their customers and the wider pay-TV business industry, taking full advantage of Humax's leading set-top box technology and Viaccess' advanced conditional access and content protection digital solutions.

Stream is switching to Irdeto2. 

Yes , out of the blue  strean announced the turn over in IRDETO 2 although this is not confirmed 100% . We actually don't understand why this step is decided at this point , the moment D+ and STREAM are to join forces in a single bouquet as SKY ITALIA  most likely under Seca2 encryption (as D+ has all ready) or  later under Videoguard .

DECEMBER 2002

HUMAX filed a legal action against Viaccess for damage to its reputation and other damages

Humax today announced that it filed a legal action in French courts against Viaccess for damage to its reputation and other damages arising out of Viaccess's public repudiation of the license agreement between the companies.

In July 2002, Viaccess sent out a notice to a large number of operators and distributors involved in the digital broadcasting industry insinuating that Humax was promoting illegal activities and stating that Viaccess had terminated the license agreement between the parties due to breaches by Humax.

Humax denies any wrongdoing or breach of the license agreement, and rejects Viaccess's unilateral notice of termination.

Humax's President & CEO, Mr Byun, said "We were stunned when they distributed their notice to the industry. Even before Viaccess's public statement, we had been working on anti-piracy measures on our own and with CA companies, including Viaccess."

"We have held a series of meetings with Viaccess since July 2002 to try to assure them regarding the security of our systems and we have been implementing significant anti-piracy measures, at our cost. During that time, we agreed not to issue any specific public statements, except as mutually agreed. In spite of that, Viaccess continued to make damaging public statements and has failed to demonstrate the good faith necessary to restore a constructive relationship between our companies. That regrettably left us with no choice other than legal action to protect our rights and our reputation."

“But we are not closing the door to resolve the situation between two companies"

NEW ON HOTBIRD

A new channel has started in DVB/MPEG2 MCPC: High Tech TV (U.S.A.) on 12380 MHz, pol.V SR:27500 FEC:3/4 SID:3091 PID:3241/3541 eng - Clear. (USE THE VIDEO AND AUDIO PID TO TUNE !!!)

mtv2 pop fta

German MTV2 Pop has begun digital FTA transmission on Astra.

new on hispasat 1d
 A new channel has started in DVB/MPEG2 MCPC: Canal 35 (Spain) on 11616 MHz,

 pol.V SR:27500 FEC:3/4 SID:10 PID:7710/7810 esp - Clear.

Hot Hird 7 failed

The new version of Europe's Ariane 5 rocket has failed three minutes after liftoff. Ariane 5 has Eutelsat's Hot Bird 7 television broadcast satellite and the French space agency's Stentor experimental communications satellite aboard. The failure is a major blow for the European launch industry. This was the 14th Ariane 5 launch since the heavy-lift booster entered service in 1996 and the third total mission failure. One additional mission failed to reach to proper orbit during the rocket's second test flight. Right now it is too soon to give a clear explanation of the failure. Arianespace will give more information on 12th of December, during a press conference organized in Kourou at 10 a.m. Kourou time or 1 p.m. London time.

		ASTRA 1K SAFELY DE-ORBITED   After extensive expert analysis of the technical status of the ASTRA 1K satellite following its failed launch on a Proton booster on November 26th, the engineering teams of SES ASTRA, following detailed consultations with its partners, have come to the conclusion that due to the rapid degradation of the satellite, coupled to the technical difficulties and risks associated with such a mission, a commercial in orbit recovery is not a viable option for the spacecraft which was stranded in a low-Earth orbit. As a consequence, the satellite was safely de-orbited this morning over the Pacific Ocean with the assistance of satellite manufacturer Alcatel Space and the French Space Agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales), which was providing a worldwide tracking network for the ASTRA 1K mission. The spacecraft re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 02.00 GMT and was completely destroyed. Debris fell in a polygon bounded by 27° South to 54° South and 133° West to 174° West. Airways and sea lanes were cleared by the New Zealand authorities, no damage was reported.

	NTV Plus exchanges encryption
Gazprom-Media and NTV general manager, Mr. Borys Jordan, has officialy confim rumours about NTV`s encryption exchange. However it is unknown yet, which encryption have been choose. The new encryption suppouse to be as secured and protected against piracy as it should make all illegal wievers to purchase original NTV subscription. Should we susspect it would be Nagravision? Mr. Borys Jordan has also confirm, that pirate cards are a big problem for NTV. Package fights with hackers in lawfull and technical ways (it change very often keys for broadcast from 36E). In spite of all this acctions, NTV Plus has to change hacked Viaccess encryption on the better protected. It should be done in the next year. Which encryption NTV Plus will choose? Will it be Nagravision or Viaccess 2? We will find out soon...

Stream cards modifications

Italian Internet website has informed about Russian hackers, who can modify Stream package cards encrypted in NDS-VideoGuard in such way, that on the card are also available... Telepiu channels, which are simultaneously encrypted in Seca 2 and NDS. This can only mean one thing: hackers have focus to breake NDS algorithms, before Sky Italia package became regular broadcast. Rupert Murdoch bought Telepiu package from Vivendi Universal and introduced Stream and Telepiu merge, is probably going to bring in only one encryption to the Sky Italia. Hackers suspect it would be NDS. Until now, only this one encryption have not been broaken by hackers. But, hackers can modify an original Stream (NDS) card in this way, that Stream subscriber can also watch Telepiu channels, which are encrypted in second generation of encryption Seca 2. The only original and active Stream cards (excluding Irdeto cards) can be modify. This is not a good news for NDS encryption, especialy when there are some rumors about planned cards exhange in Sky Digital package. Is the possibility of breaking NDS encryption so scary, that Sky has decide to exchange cards, before hackers will finish the job? We should remember, that on all European markets is more and more second hand Sky and Stream`s DigiBoxes available...

Viasat losing millions to pirates

Swedish media giant Modern Times Group (MTG) has been fighting against piracy for a long time. During the first nine months of this year MTG lost 50,000 subscribers to pirate card peddlers on its DTH platform Viasat alone, resulting in over E10 million lost revenues. MTG will have to invest over E5 million to find a safer alternative to prevent piracy apart from its present Viaccess CAM system. The competitor Norwegian Canal Digital, does not have the same problem with its competing Conax-system based boxes. The Viaccess codes are claimed to be very easy to break, as quite a few people seem to have discovered - a quick Google search in Sweden immediately shows dozens of generous 'offers' to buy illegal Viasat cards. A leading Swedish business paper, Dagens Industri, reported that due to piracy the Viasat Nordic subscriber stock has fallen from 1,125,000 at the beginning of this year to 1,017,000 in October. Premium subscribers, all digitised since last year, have gone down from 500,000 to some 453,000 in the same period. Meanwhile rival Canal Digital keeps reporting increasing figures. Canal Digital recently reported a total of 828,000 Nordic digital subscribers, of which 664,000 took premium tiers. MTG is also working on Sweden's current very liberal laws concerning possession of pirate cards, to get them 'harmonised' with the stricter laws of the EU.

	Premiere and NTV+ encrypted in Nagravision?
German Premiere World package is intend to change encryption. It is to introduce Swiss Nagravision instead of BetaCrypt 2. Also Russian NTV+ package will use Nagravision encryption instead of Viaccess. However, BetaResearch has ealier deny it, while it had show BetaCrypt 2 modules (without Premiere World logo), but in accord to latest information, Nagravision encryption is better protected against hackers and it is cheaper. So, does it means, that in one year time Premiere World package will not be available on pirate cards... We have received this information from one European company. In accord to this information over the year Premiere World and some other European packages will change encryption. At the moment Premiere World is encrypted in BetaCrypt (1) and it has no intention to change it to BetaCrypt 2 (BetaCrypt 2 is too expesive and it has no guaranty it is realible) but the newest version of Nagravision. The all Premiere World decoders in Germany, so this is to say d-box 2 and Humaxs BTCI-5900 (package no longer uses d-boxes) will be reprogrammed via Astra 1 satellite on Nagravision. Most likely, package is already working on technical datails to introduce this operation. We suspect, that probably Humax has published this information, because it has to help in its BTCI-5900 receivers reprogramming on Nagravision. We can also suspect that Premiere Austria digital package will also change encryption on Nagravision. Most likely, NTV Plus is the following package which is intend to use Nagravision encryption. At the moment, this Russian digital package is using Viaccess encryption, which is not procected against piracy in any way, in spite of the NTV Plus package strongly fights with hackers in Russia. Many other encryptions, include BetaCrypt, Irdeto and Viaccess were quickly broaken by hackers. Broadcasters, which are using Viaccess encryptions has a huge problems with pirate cards which are available on European markets. Most of the packages have to exchange encryption on better protected like for example Viaccess 2 or... Nagravision. It is unknown yet, what Viasat package will do. At the moment it is using Viaccess encryption, which was broken by hackers a long time ago. Own by Mr. Kudelski, Nagra SA company offer is financialy and technicaly very attractive for broadcasters. Nagravision encryption has many possible ways of modifications on different lewels, what create better protection against piracy. It looks like the market of pay TV in German-speaking countries (Switzerland, Austria, Germany) will use Nagravision encryption. This is a sensational information. It is well known, thay all digital packages, which are using Nagravision are at the moment available on pirate cards. It`s look like pirate decription of Nagravision is not a big problem for hackers, therefore we can suspect, that also this encryption is not very secure for broadcasters. Via Digital, TV Cabo, Polsat Cyfrowy and Turkish Star Digital are available on pirate cards, and keys for those packages are available on Internet. We can only hope, thay newest version of Nagravision encryption can be better protected, and give security for this broadcasters, who decide to change encryption on Nagravision and taking a hugh risk.

Next channels in Viaccess 2

Following digital channels are intend to exchange Viaccess encryption on better secured Viaccess 2. New Viaccess 2 id have been switched on for Tamil TTN channel broadcast from Hot Bird satellite and two Russian ORT International and NTV Mir channels broadcast from Sirius. Bosnian NTV Hayat channel has also started using Viaccess 2 encryption, and Romanian TVR Cultural and Viasat package are intend to use it in the close future. TTN (Tamil TV Network) channel broadcasts from Hot Bird 3 - 13E z 12,245H (SR=27500; FEC=3/4). Until recently TTN was using both, Viaccess 1 and Viaccess 2 encryptions, but on the beginning of November, TTN channel has give up 00 74 00 ident, and it start using 01 54 00 id only for Viaccess 2, similary like Ultra Blue, Channel Sun and Paris Premiere channels, which are also using Viaccess 2 encryption. Russian televisions ORT International and NTV Mir, wich broadcast from Sirius - 5E satellite with frequency 12,380H, have started using a new 01 94 00 id for Viaccess 2. Most likely, 01 0C 40 Viaccess 1 id will became switch off, after the all code cards will be exchanged. Interesting thing is, that pirate cards for Viaccess 2 do exist in Russia, and new encrption become broken. Unofficially, costumers in Moscow are able to buy pirate cards and watch all porno channels encrypted in Viaccess 2. Bosnian television NTV Hayat, which aim is to broadcast programmes abroad, until recently available from Intelsat 707, has changed a satellite. On the beginning of November channel start broadcast from Eutelsat W2, position 16E with frequency 12,692V (SR=4340, FEC=1/2). At the moment, NTV Hayat broadcast is partly encrypted in Viaccess 2. Since 1st January 2003, the all broadcast of the channel will became encrypted. Romanian TVR channel has also informed, about its encryption in Viaccess. Such information was broadcast to cable networks and individual viewers on TVR International channel. TVR Cultural channel will became encrypted in Viaccess since 27th of November. As yet, it is unknown, which Viaccess encryption it will use, 1 or 2. TVR Cultural broadcasts from Eutelsat W2 - 16E na 12,680V (SR=3000, FEC=3/4). Scandinavian digital package Viasat is intend to exchange its cards. Package is available on pirate cards, and package has to change encryption to be able to fight with hackers.

Dutch package exchanges cards in March

In accord to many sourses, Canal Digitaal Satelliet - Dutch digital package will delay its cards exchange until March 2003. Package is exchanging the old Seca 1 cards on better protected against piracy Seca 2 cards, but because of technical reasons, the exchange deadline was moved to the March 2003 year. Canal Digitaal package broadcasts an information board, where it has informed, that it will use only one encryption after the all cards become exchanged. Until, now package is using two encryptions: Seca 1 and Irdeto 1. Until now, it is unknown, what channges will become introduced.

Pirate cards for Seca 2!

One from Internet websites, which address unfortunately we can not publish, is offering for sale pirate wafer cards for illegal decryption of two digital packages encrypted in SECA2 already since 4th of September. The pirate cards are decrypting two packages: Spanish Canal Satellite Digital and Italian Telepiu, and also, what is most important, the all erotic channels broadcast in thouse packages. In accord to quite reliably looking information publish on the website, assure, that pard for Telepiϊ (D+)/Palco Card in SECA 2 Birda should decrypt all channels of this package broadcast from Hot Bird satellite, including Palco channels. The card suppouse to has 12 monthly guarantee as well as auto update. The card has white colour, and is not broadly-known in Europe type of wafer card (it is not FunCard 5!). Because of atypical chip used in the cards, nobody would be able to read this chip. (This is an additional information for thous, who would think to read a chip and Tele+ or Taquilla X for free). The card is co-operate with AstonCrypt CI 1.03 i 1.05 and Magic CI module as well as all satellite receivers with Seca-Mediaguard embedded. The same situation is with the second card offered on the website (Taq2), which suppouse to decrypt all Spanish channels, include all Taquillas X/XX/XY. In case of this cards, is no information wheter it is co-operating with Magic CI or old version of AstonCrypt 1.03. Unfortunately, the price of card is overthrowing and many can afford to buy it, especialy when on both packages are separately cards, which cost are .... 299$ each. This price is a really barrage. Cards are sent by DHL within 3-4 days from the purchase, probabyly from ...Thailand. Few disguised servers and websites are use for cards sale, one in ....Slovakia. This website is also offering a little-known in Europe, new version CAS5 of Conax pirate card for Scandinavian Canal+ channels, which broadcast from 1W. But the price of this card is even higher - 430$. But, exactly this Conax card, used by some people in Europe – is working without any problems since several years. This might be some kindof proof, that Seca 2 pirate cards sold through this website are not only another false information. Few year ago, as the first one, this website has shown pirate card for SECA1, which was later widely acccesible in all Europe as PIC or FunCards. So, what will happen this time? At the moment, pirate decryption of SECA2 channels is not very dangerous for all packages encrypted in this system. The most interesting for hackers are porno PPV channels which are not available in all packages. Also the ptice of this card is to high for some markets. But, you should remember, that the same situation was with the pirate cards for SECA1 packages. Canal+ packages have to be aware of this possibilities. Does Canal+ Technologies have a next weapon against hackers? It might be a time to use it.

Humax has lost Viaccess licence

Since 1st July two producers of satellite receivers Telemann and Humax losted a licence on receivers production with Viaccess encryption embedded. All this because pirate software for Humax VACI5300 appeared on Internet, and allows Seca, Irdeto and Viaccess channels decryption.... 3in1. On the main Viaccess SA Internet website: www.viaccess.fr/customers/partners.htm we can no longer find Humax or Telemann companies as an autorised distributors. On Russian Internet website http://humaxfox.narod.ru/, where un till recently patch software for Humax receivers with Viaccess embedded (VACI-5300 or VA-Fox) was available, now, there is only Viaccess SA notification (Christine Maury Panis i Marc du Peloux). Viaccess SA notification is also on other Russian Internet website http://www.satzone.hobi.ru/.

TPS Crypt encryption broken

TPS package new encryption - TPS Crypt have not been safe for a long time. Not a long time ago TPS has changed all the old cards to the new, safer cards. The new cards were supposed to reduce the illegal viewing of the TPS package on pirate cards. However, the software for TPS Crypt Fun is already available for uploads. TPS Crypt encryption is used by two packages of paid televisions on Hot Bird-13E satellite - TPS and Arabesque broadcasting from the transponder 65, frequency - 12,015H. Break of TPS Crypt encryption is a defeat of conditional access modification for paid television in Europe. Seca 2 is supposed to be the next one. Soon we will know whether TPS will make the necessary improovments to protect their system, together with the other broken encryptions: Irdeto, BetaCrypt, Seca 1, Viaccess, Nagravision.

 Parts: satkurier © 2002