This article focuses on Belgium, but it’s also a commentary in general on the state of digital video receiver boxes. Since about a year, I have a Telenet Digicorder (site in Dutch), which is a device that both decodes incoming digital broadcasts and is able to record and timeshift them. It’s a fairly user-friendly device and, while I have experienced a crash or two, is pretty stable so I’m happy with it.
What does bother me is the totally closed nature of the box. There is absolutely no way to interact with the device, except through the remote control. You can’t control it via automation and, more importantly, you cannot get the recorded video of the box, not even for streaming it to another TV in the house.
This seems to be a pretty common occurrence in many new media devices. Try to keep everything as closed of as possible. Even connections the screens are now secured. Users are treated as pirates. In this regard, I’ve always wondered why we can’t skip those terribly annoying anti-piracy messages when watching a DVD. But if one was to watch the pirated version of that same DVD, there’s no message, and no annoyance.
Anyway, getting back to the Digicorder, I turned to the Internet to see what people had already done and apparently, no one has done much hacking on the device. There’s a lot of talk about it, but it seems every one is afraid to void their warranty and possibly get blacklisted by Telenet, I guess. I did find out that the device is very likely an ADB one, but with a custom front (via). If you’re interested, here and here are a few discussions, both in Dutch though.
I’d like to conclude this post with a quote by Hack-a-Day commenter “Ugly American”:
Of course, pro pirates have inside connections and get the media before it ever hits retail so all the RIAA/MPAA actions really do is make piracy more profitable for organized crime the same way Prohibition in the US catapulted organized crime to the big leagues and the continuing ‘war’ on drugs sustains it.
7 Comments
let's open a contest:
challenge n°1: hack the Telenet digicorder so customers can finally export their recordings
challenge n°2: find a solution to get rid of the old-fashioned Telenet devices
we are ready to offer a 1000 euro award for challenge 1. the purpose of this contest is to force Telenet to open their platform, and reconsider their business model so their clients can finally decide themselves which hardware to use. most TV's nowadays just need a smart-card. yes, it could be as simple as that. Telenet, just sell us a subscription and a smart-card.
Yes, this seems like a great idea.
)
It's not going to help with the challenge, but I was going to sniff the network traffic. Just to see what gets transmitted, such as the program guide. I've also been told this is how Telenet enables and disables subscription channels, although this really isn't my primary concern (I already have enough television to watch right now
i might be a bit late bumping this
, but i feel the same. people should set-up a community dedicated to get this done. there's a methode to get it working on other hardware tho , it requires you de-solder the rom chip's that have the box-key.
ill start up a community for this ! , i want this over with !
,i'll post it here
Xtremegamer
like i promised i've setup a forum we're we can start bundling all we know about this http://tndbh.tk/
FUCK TELENET THE STEAL PEOPLE MONEY. I ALSO HAVE DIGITAL TV AND IT SUCKS. I PAY FOR SOMETHING WHICH I CAN HAVE FREE ON INTERNET.
TELENET = FRAUD
Just want to add that the network authentication protocol is already no problem, the only problem is to get the 2 keys out of the smartcard. but the reader on the digibox is a nonstandard type, so imo, it would be possible to have make a different driver so as to get the 2 keys out of the smartcard. the real problem is here that the protocol of that smartcard reader is pretty unknown. if we get the smartcard reader protocol, it may be possible to write a nonstandard driver for a smartcardreader to get both keys out of the smartcard reader.
i've setup a community for this @ http://tndbh.tk/
just join and see if you could help if not just be there to either do testing or chatting
,Greetz
Xtremegamer