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<font size="+1"><font face="sans-serif">Shaw cable here in Canada
(specifically Vancouver) on Friday began implementing the Copy Control
Information (CCI) flag on several digital channels, notably a number of
HD channels, rendering my IEEE 1394 (firewire) connection useless on
these channels. Below is some correspondence I've had with Shaw (note
the CRTC is the Canadian equivalent to the FCC).<br>
<br>
Any Myth users in Canada successfully convince their providers to drop
the CCI flag? Has anyone else had this issue recently? If so, has the
CRTC been approached? Were they helpful in any way?<br>
<br>
Will keep the list posted of any developments.<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
<br>
Martin<br>
<br>
</font></font><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;">-----Original
Message-----<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> *omitted*<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Sunday,
December 23, 2007 11:23 AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Eservice
Vancouver<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b>
Cable/Digital Cable</span></font><font face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">As of Fri,
Dec. 21, it appears the output of several channels via the IEEE 1394
ports on my Motorola DCT-6200 either scramble or fail to output several
channels (which I subscribe to and pay to receive). Specifically: -All
time shifted channels -60 (Movie Central) -61 (Movie Central) -117
(NHLTV) -139 (DejaVu) -200 (ABC-HD) -201 (CBS-HD) -202 (NBC_HD) -203
(FOX-HD) -204 (PBS-HD) -209 (CBC-HD) There are several others, and may
further be others I don't subscribe to but which may be causing
problems for your other customers. This is a very significant issue, as
most 3rd party hard-disk based recorders, used for personal use, time
shifting and other 'fair use' purposes, communicate with the set top
box via the IEEE 1394 ports. In my case, I use an open-source system
called Myth TV. Preventing customers from the fair use of channels
they've paid to receive absent a cable company's proprietary
recording/time shifting systems constitutes a restraint of trade. Can
you please advise what's changed and how I can continue to receive the
channels I pay for via the IEEE 1394 output? Are there settings on my
end I can change to re-enable these channels? If this is the result of
a firmware update, please roll back the firmware to a previous version
compatible with receiving all the channels I subscribe to via the IEEE
1394 output. I've included a copy of this request to the CRTC for
further clarification of the regulatory propriety of blocking
subscribed channels on particular output ports and would appreciate all
correspondence in writing. Thank you. Martin Lynch</span></font><font
size="+1"><font face="sans-serif"><br>
</font></font><br>
<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><big><font
face="Tahoma" size="2"><big><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;">-----Original
Message-----<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> *omitted*<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Sunday,
December 23, 2007 11:23 AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Eservice
Vancouver<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b>
Cable/Digital Cable</span></big></font></big><br>
<font face="Arial" size="2"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><big>As of Fri,
Dec. 21, it appears the output of several channels via the IEEE 1394
ports on my Motorola DCT-6200 either scramble or fail to output several
channels (which I subscribe to and pay to receive). Specifically: -All
time shifted channels -60 (Movie Central) -61 (Movie Central) -117
(NHLTV) -139 (DejaVu) -200 (ABC-HD) -201 (CBS-HD) -202 (NBC_HD) -203
(FOX-HD) -204 (PBS-HD) -209 (CBC-HD) There are several others, and may
further be others I don't subscribe to but which may be causing
problems for your other customers. This is a very significant issue, as
most 3rd party hard-disk based recorders, used for personal use, time
shifting and other 'fair use' purposes, communicate with the set top
box via the IEEE 1394 ports. In my case, I use an open-source system
called Myth TV. Preventing customers from the fair use of channels
they've paid to receive absent a cable company's proprietary
recording/time shifting systems constitutes a restraint of trade. Can
you please advise what's changed and how I can continue to receive the
channels I pay for via the IEEE 1394 output? Are there settings on my
end I can change to re-enable these channels? If this is the result of
a firmware update, please roll back the firmware to a previous version
compatible with receiving all the channels I subscribe to via the IEEE
1394 output. I've included a copy of this request to the CRTC for
further clarification of the regulatory propriety of blocking
subscribed channels on particular output ports and would appreciate all
correspondence in writing. Thank you. Martin Lynch</big> </span></font></p>
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Shaw Internet Vancouver Help wrote:<br>
><br>
> Hi Martin,<br>
><br>
> <br>
><br>
> Thank you for choosing Shaw Technical Support.<br>
><br>
> <br>
><br>
> Presently the 1394 ports you are referring to are actually not
active on our Shaw Digital Terminals and are unsupported. At present we
are examining several options for increasing the number of features and
unit capacity of our units in the future. One option we are looking at
in particular right now is CableCARD 2.0 in addition to enabling use of
the USB ports on the units. Unfortunately we have many considerations
to make including security concerns as well as impact on our current
business model. We are unsure when future changes will be made.<br>
><br>
><br>
> We hope this information has been useful to you. Please feel free
to contact us by phone 604-629-4000 or by email response. If you need
further assistance you may also visit our website at
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.shaw.ca/">http://www.shaw.ca/</a>.<br>
><br>
____________________________________________________________________________________________<br>
<br>
David Rep #7466, Technical Support, Telephone: (604) 629-4000, Shaw
Communications Inc.<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="OutlookMessageHeader" dir="ltr" align="left" lang="en-us"><font
face="Tahoma" size="2"><b>From:</b> Martin
Lynch<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, December 24, 2007 5:46 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Shaw Internet Vancouver Help<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Cable/Digital Cable<br>
</font><br>
</div>
<font size="+1"><font face="sans-serif">Thank you, David - I
appreciate the prompt response, however both IEEE 1394 ports on my
Motorola 6200 have been active for at least 9 months, as I've been
using them continuously throughout that entire time to output the
signal to my MythTV setup on my computer in order to time shift the
programs I like to watch, which in turn passes the signal via DVI cable
to my TV. In fact, it's worked remarkably well during that time.<br>
<br>
I should point out that the so-called "US Superstations" never worked,
and when the additional HD channels were recently introduced, channels
205 - 208 didn't work from the get-go.<br>
<br>
Just to clarify, Shaw has not altered or encrypted any additional
channels within the past week? Can you perhaps clarify at which point
encryption or other techniques to disrupt the channels I subscribe to
are introduced, ie at source, at some redistribution point, at Shaw's
distribution point or at the cable box? The reason I ask is that if
it's at source, I find it odd that disparate, unrelated (by corporate
ownership) channels should simultaneously stop working.<br>
<br>
Thanks again for the response and your ongoing assistance - I hope you
can appreciate that, having spent considerable funds (and even more
time) building my system it is quite disappointing to suddenly find
certain channels no longer viewable. Unfortunately no commercially
available system combines all the features I want, which to my
knowledge only MythTv provides.<br>
<br>
Martin<br>
</font></font><font size="+1"><font face="sans-serif"><br>
Shaw Internet Vancouver Help wrote:<br>
> Hi Martin,<br>
> <br>
> We have not made any significant changes to how we encrypt our
channels recently. If you connect your Shaw digital cable box to your
TV, with the cables provided, and having reception issues, we can do
our best to troubleshoot with you. <br>
> If you are using IEEE 1394 or a Myth TV setup, we can not provide
technical support. <br>
> <br>
> We hope this information has been useful to you. Please feel free
to contact us by phone 604-629-4000 or by email response. If you need
further assistance you may also visit our website at
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.shaw.ca/">http://www.shaw.ca/</a>.<br>
> Thank you for choosing Shaw Eservices.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
<br>
<br>
Thanks for the reply.<br>
<br>
I took the liberty of accessing the diagnostics mode of the the
DCT-6200 and, unfortunately, it appears you are not providing me with
accurate information (or perhaps your choice of the term "significant"
is well chosen). Specifically, I checked the status of the Copy Control
Information (CCI) flag at menu point 6 for the channels I've suddenly
begun having problems with and they all now show the 0x02 code, which
indicates CCI is now enabled on these channels. This in turn blocks
output via the IEEE 1394 ports. It further applies to channel 209 -
CBC-HD, a public broadcaster, for which I pay twice (once via my taxes
and again in subscribing to this channel). It's difficult for me to
fathom how blocking a public channel is in the public interest.<br>
<br>
Keep in mind, these are channels I've paid (in advance, as your billing
cycle dictates) to receive, and the particular connection through which
I choose to receive these signals ought to be a completely neutral
issue, left to my discretion. There is a significant restraint of trade
issue here, since these channels will now presumably only work with a
PVR solution provided by Shaw, and not with the myriad other options
available (including the MythTV system I use). There is a rapidly
growing segment of your subscriber base which now routes all their
entertainment through a computer - implementing obstacles to this
convergence of entertainment with the home computer is most certainly
not in the interests of your customers. We are discussing, after all,
"fair use" issues here.<br>
<br>
I've further taken the liberty of copying in the Reporters' Desk at the
Vancouver Province, as well as the CRTC who, I hope, can provide
further insight on whether you are permitted to do this (in the US, the
FCC mandates cable operators must enable the IEEE 1394 output ports at
the request of a customer; should that be the case here in Canada, I
formally request the ports be enabled for all channels to which I
subscribe) and also to make them aware this fact is being obfuscated by
Shaw representatives. The Honourable Josee Verner,<big> </big></font></font><big><font
face="sans-serif">Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and
Official Languages (and responsible for the CRTC) has been copied in as
a courtesy.</font></big><br>
<font size="+1"><font face="sans-serif"><br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Martin Lynch<br>
<br>
</font></font>
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