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Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 8:59 am
by SJMaye
Hi,

I have been using a cablecard for a while. Can someone tell me the types of DRM designations there are and how I can tell how each recording is flagged? I have heard of copy once, copy freely..... I just want to understand how my cable company is doing this.

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 11:03 am
by Scallica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_Control_Information

Look at the bottom of your recordings:

Image

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 12:32 pm
by SJMaye
Thanks for your reply. I saw that "Copy Protected" on my recordings. Looking at your link provided how can I tell which flag is set for each recording?

The following flags exist:[1]
0x00 - Copy freely - Content is not copy protected.
0x01 - Copy No More - A copy of the content has already occurred and no more copies are permitted.[2]
0x02 - Copy Once - A recording can be made, but that is it.
0x03 - Copy Never - the content can be recorded and viewed for 90 minutes after transmission, and is not transferable.
0x04 - Content is Copy Once for digital output, but would have Macrovision 7 Day Unlimited restriction applied on the analog outputs. This affects content viewed either on an HDTV with component cabling or on a standard definition TV. It also affects content saved to VCR or DVD when the recorder is connected to an analog output on the DVR.
0x07 - Content is Copy Never for digital content (deleted after 90 minutes) and Macrovision 7 day/24 hour for content recorded from analog channels. Content cannot be transferred via TiVoToGo transfers or MRV, and cannot be saved to VCR or DVD.

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 1:32 pm
by mdavej
On my Ceton tuner, I can go to the diagnostics web page for each tuner and see. I think you can do something similar for Silicon Dust.

There are some custom tools you can run as well, like this:
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/m ... ers/487621

After the wtv file is recorded, I think you can also see the flag in the file properties in windows explorer.

On my cable system (Charter) almost everything is Copy Freely.

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 4:26 pm
by sbaeder
As far as I know, since *IF* you can record the program in WMC, it must be flagged as "Copy Once" (since you made a recording and can play it back on that machine - but no other one)... I have never seen any cable broadcast marked in any other way, but I'm sure that it mighe be used in some sort of pay per view senario...

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2014 10:05 pm
by signcarver
The only way you can record is if it is marked copy freely or copy once. I prefer the term SiliconDust uses on the Prime of "unrestricted" rather than "copy freely" as l would prefer more unrestricted options to allow more devices access and copy freely (freely copying) is what they are trying to prevent. Copy once will change to copy no more when written to disk as you just made the one copy. The others, other than copy never (should only be on PPV) which won't record, won't really come into play. In most cases CCI is what controls this however if CCI is not present (none), OCUR devices (cablecard tuners) must adhere to other forms of copy protection that may be present, most commonly cgms (and quite often "mistakenly" set to copy never... CCI will override this if present and CCI is expected for all encrypted channels).

Generally Comcast and Verizon will have all but premiums (such as HBO) as copy freely... generally TWC, Brighthouse, and Cox will have all but locals as Copy Once (cox does have a couple of markets that are more liberal). Charter depends too much on market as to whether all but premiums are copy freely, or locals and SD channels are copy freely while nearly all HD channels are copy once, or protecting all but locals so it probably would help if one makes the statement of location with the provider when making statements about protection especially when dealing with charter (though I do hear of more markets changing to allow more as they are trying to get into another security model).

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:40 am
by DSperber
signcarver wrote:The only way you can record is if it is marked copy freely or copy once. I prefer the term SiliconDust uses on the Prime of "unrestricted" rather than "copy freely" as l would prefer more unrestricted options to allow more devices access and copy freely (freely copying) is what they are trying to prevent. Copy once will change to copy no more when written to disk as you just made the one copy.
I'm not sure your last statement is accurate.

Using Motorola DCT/DCH (and DCX as well, but not very reliably) equipment and a firewire connection from DVR to DVHS VCR's (e.g. JVC DT100U), you can "offload" (i.e. archive) copy-freely and copy-once content from DVR to DVHS tape. The copy-once flag may or may not actually be on in the DVR recording (or even a live TV program that you are simultaneously recording to DVHS tape via firewire from DVR), but whether it is or not has no effect on the ability to offload to DVHS tape from the DVR via firewire. That 1st-generation tape recording (from a previously made DVR recording, or from the live original TV program) is allowed, same as the 1st-generation DVR recording itself is allowed for copy-once and copy-freely.

However a 2nd-generation tape recording (i.e. from one DVHS VCR to a second DVHS VCR via firewire) is absolutely NOT possible if the 1st-generation content was copy-once. Only if that 1st-generation content is copy-freely can a 2nd-generation tape copy be made via firewire.

Yes... DVHS tape.

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 4:36 pm
by blueiedgod
sbaeder wrote:As far as I know, since *IF* you can record the program in WMC, it must be flagged as "Copy Once" (since you made a recording and can play it back on that machine - but no other one)... I have never seen any cable broadcast marked in any other way, but I'm sure that it mighe be used in some sort of pay per view senario...

I think one year SuperBowl was flagged "copy never" you could only watch it live.

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 8:14 am
by SJMaye
signcarver wrote:The only way you can record is if it is marked copy freely or copy once. I prefer the term SiliconDust uses on the Prime of "unrestricted" rather than "copy freely"
I am using HDHomerun Prime. Can you tell me where to see this information in their software?

Also, I am with Time Warner Cable. I can attest that everything, but locals show as copy protected. I just do not know if it is copy once or some other copy protection flag.

Re: Help me understand DRM for CableCard recordings

Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:12 pm
by barnabas1969
Go to your HDHRP's webpage. Click Tuner Status. Click the link for the tuner which is currently tuned to the desired channel. There is a line labeled "CCI Protection". It is shown there.