Changes in format of SD programming?

[Hoosier-Daddy]

I've been a PVRExplorer Pro user for as long as I've had my 522. It's always worked great for programs on just about every channel with the exception of HBO/MAX and maybe some I don't get. But sometime in the last few weeks, numerous other channels have changed working, including USA, TMC and CNBC/MSNBC). Does anyone know what changed for those channels and is it something that's going to happen to them all soon?

My 522 was replaced once before and its on its last legs now. I was about to buy a 7xx, but if PVRExplorer is about to stop working for all channels, it's time to find alternatives to satellite/cable.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

All the NBC owned channels now have DRM turned on by request of Comcast / NBC.

 

[CK SatGuy]

All the NBC owned channels now have DRM turned on by request of Comcast / NBC.

Disappointing but not surprising.

 

[Hoosier-Daddy]

All the NBC owned channels now have DRM turned on by request of Comcast / NBC.

Makes perfect sense. There goes my get rich quick scheme to make bootleg boxed sets of the evening news.

Do you have a link to anything confirming that its DRM? I don't have any reason to doubt you but then I didn't have any reason to doubt a few other things over the years that turned out to be someone just making a bad educated guess.

Whoops, I just realized, what you said is NOT the cause of the PVRExplorer problem. I archive some sporting events and PVRExplorer still works with the NBC Sports network. So you may be right that DRM was turned on but if that is true its NOT what's stopping PVRExplorer from working on at least some of the NBC owned channels. FYI the only reason I knew that CNBC or MSNBC weren't working was because a sporting even originally scheduled for the NBC Sports Channel got bumped to CNBC or MSNBC.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Do you have a link to anything confirming that its DRM? I don't have any reason to doubt you but then I didn't have any reason to doubt a few other things over the years that turned out to be someone just making a bad educated guess.

Sure here is a link. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...estricts-a-show-on-Joey?p=3292169#post3292169

Looking at the list not all the NBC stations have DRM turned on, but most do.

 

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Sure here is a link. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...estricts-a-show-on-Joey?p=3292169#post3292169

Looking at the list not all the NBC stations have DRM turned on, but most do.

Thanks for the link.

So that is likely somehow related to the PVRExplorer problem but that thread only talks about HD channels and talks about a temporary HDCP problem with Hoppers.

But since SD receivers do not have digital output (or HD), HDCP is irrelevant for them. Does anyone know what specifically was done to the SD version of these channels? Is there a change log for software updates? Its almost a certainty that the software had to change or the 522 would have choked on the new format just like PVRExplorer did. I'm guessing the PVRExplorer problem is an unintended consequence that might be easily fixed. I mean it makes no sense to spend even a dime to try to stop perfect copying of 1.x Mbs quality SD programs with PVRExplorer when lossy (via analog) copies of HD would be far superior to that.

 

[Tampa8]

Could the problem be it is the HD broadcast simply downrez to SD? Would the HDCP remain? (But using analog outputs should resolve that.... hmmm)

Makes perfect sense. There goes my get rich quick scheme to make bootleg boxed sets of the evening news.

 

[Hoosier-Daddy]

Could the problem be it is the HD broadcast simply downrez to SD? Would the HDCP remain? (But using analog outputs should resolve that.... hmmm)

Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing but that its not really HDCP in that context. It's just "noise" that's breaking PVRExplorer. One reason I would like to see change logs for the SD DVR software is to get some more clues that might tell if a fix is possible. I'm not sure if HDCP means the actual file has to be encrypted and I would be really surprised if the 522s have the HP to unencrypt a file in real time.

 

[TheKrell]

The DRM imposed on those channels means (among other things) that it's not stored on disk unencrypted. So there goes your get rich quick scheme.