When I subscribe to a satellite TV service my decoder can be activated and de-activated remotely. How exactly is this done?
I assume that when I phone the provider to activate my service they insert the serial number of my decoder into the stream of data that it receives and this then activates it. The same principle probably applies when my service is cancelled with a deactivation code being sent.
I suppose this authentication information is sent at regular intervals because otherwise I could disconnect my decoder when it is activated and then when the provider sends the deactivate code my decoder will not receive it. 3 months later when I swich my decoder on again it will continue to be activated and receive TV that I am no longer paying for.
Obviously this would be a bad business decision for the provider so I assume that every x minutes they send the serial numbers of all activated decoders from the satellite and if your decoder doesn’t receive it’s serial number within a certailn time it will deactive itself.
Is my thinking correct and if so how often are the serial number/activation codes sent? If I am way off base in my thinking can somebody tell me the basics of how the authentication is done?
This question is just out of curiousity, I am not planning to try get TV for nothing
The second older system relies on using cards that are activated by hidden signals in the satellite stream. This can be individually activated as they simply turn off your particular activation codes in the signal.
It would seem more like the stream of data must give the box some ‘key’ to decode the signal, or else people would just make boxes that ignore the shutdown seaquence. Something like the Satalite broadcasting “Hey Zerc’s box To decode the next hour(day?) of programming use this key 54653616792076, and divide by your unique secret code, plug that number into your disgromification and Zerc can watch his TV programs”
The key would be useless to any other box, since it would not have Zerc’s unique code.
This is how I thought it worked, how it actually works I really don’t know.
The method of using signals in the satellite stream is also used to update the software on your decoder. I have had my Sky satellite box for about six years now and in that time the software has been updated quite a few times . This usually changes the way the EPG (electronic programme guide) works and installs extra features , such as enhanced parental control of the channels. There is another major upgrade due in the next week or so which will see a major reorganization of the EPG.
The codes go out pretty quickly, as well. A few weeks ago, I called Dish to turn off the HBO since we didn’t watch it enough to justify the $25 or whatever per month. The rep had just barely finished saying that he’d canceled it, and it was off. I knew this because someone in the house was watching HBO (oops!) - it was less than five seconds from his typing to a black screen.