[TriLUG] myth tv, the broadcast flag, encoder cards, and the like

[Rick DeNatale]

On 10/20/05, Greg Brown <gwbrown1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> So, as I understand it the broadcast flag is dead, right?  Stop me
> here if I'm wrong.
>
> As I recall last year around this time all the linux rags were saying
> "get your non-broadcast flag card now before it's too late".  I
> assume, since there was some overlap of the broadcast flag starting
> and it being shot down that cards sold would have had to support this.
>  True?
>
> What about the cards made now?  Do they still support the flag in the
> sense that if the flag were reinstated via supreme court decision
> tomorrow would they cease to copy programs or can I purchase one to
> make a portable DVR out of and I don't have to worry about it?

The straight poop is at http://www.eff.org/IP/Video/HDTV/

As far as I know, most digital tv cards already had support for the
broadcast flag.  The HD 3000 from pcHDTV (http://www.pchdtv.com/) is
one (maybe the only one) which doesn't. Any cards not supporting the
broadcast flag were going to be taken off the market when the FCC ban
went into effect on July 1.  The court ruling was that the FCC did not
have the regulatory authority to effect the ban.  So sale of the
card(s) not supporting the flag goes on.

HOWEVER, there is still pressure by the industry to have Congress
effect the ban by law.  So, if you want to get a broadcast flag free
card, you're well advised to do it now. The ban may still come, the
difference is that we don't know when.

Technical details on how to build an HDTV broadcast flag free PVR are at
http://www.eff.org/broadcastflag/cookbook/

--
Rick DeNatale

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