As I reported in a previous entry, B-CAS encryption system was broken with various technologies. The easiest way was found by a code breaker Friio, which sends the encryption key via the Internet. In the earlier version, Friio box needed a B-CAS card, but now users can download the encryption key by which they can copy MPEG2-TS indefinitely.
Thus "Dubbing Ten", new copy control system that allows users to make only 10 copies but prohibits editing which was introduced last month, is dead, too. TV stations are lobbying to enforce Dubbing Ten by legislation, but few bureaucrats agree to make a new obstacle for the DTV transition until 2011.
In fact Friio didn't break the encryption code but only dug the bug in the protocol of B-CAS. The bug was made because ARIB added copy protection to the encryption. Usually they are integrated as in the CSS of DVD, but ARIB tried to "enforce" the copy-control flag with encryption. It's nonsense because, after decryption, B-CAS generates the raw flag in the video stream that can be ignored easily.
Anyway Japanese government will give up B-CAS and Dubbing Ten. It's their own fault that implemented stupid CAS to free broadcasting.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
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1 comments:
Dear Ikeda san,
The real purpose of BCAS is for NHK and the TV license fee when analogue is switched off.
Imagine this scenario:
- It is 2011, analogue no longer works
- NHK charges license fee to every household, but not everyone pays
- BCAS company has the power to shut off any BCAS card. This is real and not a fantasy.
- NHK decides that people who do not pay NHK license fee must not be able to watch TV, or at least not NHK channels.
- NHK asks BCAS to shutdown any BCAS card that has not been registered.
- People lose TV access.
This is much more scary than some copy protection flag. This is the bigger picture. I doubt that NHK cares about copy protection. WOWOW/Sky Perfect probably do, but people pay willingly to WOWOW/SP whereas NHK is a free service.
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