What content will allow MRV?

1441 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by nhaigh, Sep 14, 2007

nhaigh

Discussion Starter · Sep 14, 2007

I'm trying to understand what content will work with MRV when it comes but I'm confused by some conflicting details I see on my TiVo. Perhaps someone can help shed some light on whats what.

I thought from what I see here the copy protection is is based on a flag on the cablecard diag screen and roughly 0x0 allow copies or 0x2 don't allow copies. When a recording is made there is a message on the info screen for that recording saying what the restrictions are. My problem is the message on the info screen does not seem to line up with the flag on the cablecard.

For example, on my system I see the following combination examples:

Channel - Flag - Restriction Message
Broadcast
Fox SD - 0x2 - No restriction reported on the recording
Fox HD - 0x2 - No restriction reported on the recording
Digital
BBC America - 0x0 - No restriction reported on the recording
Discovery - 0x0 - No restriction reported on the recording
Premium
HBO HD - 0x2 - No copy to other media device allowed
Starz HD - 0x2 - No copy to other media device allowed

All the recordings are digital.

It seems to me that the flag and the message don't line up so is it that there is more to this than simple flag setting? Is it that I'm nor reading the cablecard screens right when the recordings are being made?

Save

1 - 7 of 7 Posts

sfhub

· #2 · Sep 14, 2007

Is this on the TiVo HD? Don't see that information on an S3.

FOX shouldn't be flagged CCI=0x02. Someone made a mistake somewhere.

It doesn't look like the reporting mechanism is using the CCI flag at all, which begs to question what it is using. I remember on ReplayTV, they disallowed certain functions for channels identified in the guide as premium. I wonder if that is what the mechanism you are seeing is using.

I would think as a CableCARD device TiVo would eventually need to use CCI to determine copy protection so maybe what you are seeing is because the software is based on an earlier OS release?

Save

nhaigh

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 14, 2007

I have an S3 with Comcast cable and Motorola cards.

When I saw all the main networks were 0x2 I thought MRV was going to be a wash but then I noticed the recordings from the premium channels have the restriction notice where the main network recordings don't.

I also seem to remember a while back recording some things from the disney channel on an S2 and not being able to TTG it because it had a copy protection flag on it. Could that have been the case or do I remember wrongly? Anyway, perhaps there is more than simple 0xn flags driving this.

I think if things stay as they are MRV will be fine. I always figured the premium channels would be protected anyway.

Save

MickeS

· #4 · Sep 14, 2007

sfhub said:
FOX shouldn't be flagged CCI=0x02. Someone made a mistake somewhere.

Could it be that the TiVo is smart enough to know that it's a broadcast channel that's not allowed to be 0x02?

I doubt it, but who knows.

Save

jfh3

· #5 · Sep 14, 2007

From what I understand:

Anything recorded OTA
All analog content
Any digital content recorded with a CCI flag of 0x00

Save

moyekj

· #6 · Sep 14, 2007

nhaigh said:
I'm trying to understand what content will work with MRV when it comes but I'm confused by some conflicting details I see on my TiVo. Perhaps someone can help shed some light on whats what.

I thought from what I see here the copy protection is is based on a flag on the cablecard diag screen and roughly 0x0 allow copies or 0x2 don't allow copies. When a recording is made there is a message on the info screen for that recording saying what the restrictions are. My problem is the message on the info screen does not seem to line up with the flag on the cablecard.

For example, on my system I see the following combination examples:

Channel - Flag - Restriction Message
Broadcast
Fox SD - 0x2 - No restriction reported on the recording
Fox HD - 0x2 - No restriction reported on the recording
Digital
BBC America - 0x0 - No restriction reported on the recording
Discovery - 0x0 - No restriction reported on the recording
Premium
HBO HD - 0x2 - No copy to other media device allowed
Starz HD - 0x2 - No copy to other media device allowed

All the recordings are digital.

It seems to me that the flag and the message don't line up so is it that there is more to this than simple flag setting? Is it that I'm nor reading the cablecard screens right when the recordings are being made?

You have to read CCI settings from the Diagnostics menu not from the CC menus. For unencrypted channels (such as the broadcast channels) the CCs are not used at all and the CCI flag reported in the CC menu is of the last encrypted channel you were tuned to, therefore the CC menus are not very useful for checking CCI value. The Diagnostics menu is correct and easier to access and you can see both tuners in same menu. In case you don't know what I'm referring to:
Tivo Central->Messages&Settings->Account&System Information->Diagnostics
(Scroll down and look for CCI Byte for each tuner)
A good tip for checking CCI values of multiple channels quickly:
* Exit Diagnostics by pressing the Live TV button.
* Tune to a channel you want to check, then hit Live TV to swap to other tuner and tune to another channel of interest.
* Click the Clear button to clear program info then click left arrow which will return you to Diagnostics menu
* Repeat above for next 2 channels

Based on TivoPony's post any non-protected channel/program with CCI=0x0 should be a valid MRV/TTG candidate.

See less See more

Save

nhaigh

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 14, 2007

moyekj said:
You have to read CCI settings from the Diagnostics menu not from the CC menus.

Thanks. This is exactly the reason I'm seeing the results I reported. I followed your advise and can now see that the only channels being received with CCI 0x2 are the premium channels. I guess that means MRV will work with almost all the stuff I record except the odd film, Weeds and The Wire.

Now I feel comfortable about MRV being OK I can get myself another S3 next week hopefully before stocks run out and we can't get them anymore.

Save

1 - 7 of 7 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month