BT goes multi-cast – awkward for TopUpTV?

A story on The Register today says that BT is planning upgrades to its network that will support multi-cast, which is good news for digital TV, but buried away in the middle is a comment that may be less good for those who are presently subscribing to Sky Sports via Freeview, and specifically via TopUpTV.

BT’s Steve White is quoted as saying

“It’s too expensive renting DVB-T multiplex space to deliver Sky Sports to BT Vision customers, so we want to send it multicast.”

For the less technical, that means that the capacity on Freeview which is used to broadcast Sky Sports is proving pretty expensive. What’s that got to do with TopUpTV, when this is a chap talking about BT Vision?

Well, BT Vision is the phone company’s TV on demand service, which works with a BT broadband connection, and has a receiver that includes a Freeview tuner. As an add-on to the service, you can subscribe to TopUp TV. But, because it’s hard to send live TV over the internet without multicast, which BT’s network doesn’t support yet, the Sky Sports streams are broadcast on Freeview, at considerable expense.

Those streams aren’t just used by BT vision, though – TopUp TV uses them too, and sells access to their own customers. I don’t know the details of the commercial arrangements, but it seems obvious that by sharing the streams, with two sets of customers paying for them – some paying BT, some paying TopUp TV – the costs are spread between the two.

And now BT is considering a network upgrade that will enable them to deliver the streams to their customers over the internet, at a lower cost. That, potentially, is going to mean less income from subscribers to cover the costs of the Freeview capacity. And I can’t see how that can be anything other than awkward for TopUp TV. If no one else is going to be reselling the streams for Sky Sports, they’ll have to make sure they have sufficient revenue to cover the costs themselves.

I’ll be asking TopUp TV for a comment on this, but it’s a bank holiday today, so likely to be later in the week before I know any more.

What is multicast anyway?

Although it could be awkward for TopUp TV, BT’s upgrade to multicast is good news for everyone else – even if you’re not a BT broadband customer, you will probably rely on part of their network for your service, and a move by the biggest player to support multicast is should prompt others to do the same.

You can already watch live TV on the internet, via sites like iPlayer, so what’s the big deal? Well, the standard internet is what’s called ‘unicast’ which means that each connection between a server and client is a one to one link, like an ordinary phone call. So, when you watch BBC News live via iPlayer, a dedicated connection between your PC and the BBC server is created. If someone else comes along and watches the same channel, there’s another dedicated channel created for them, even though the information is exactly the same. If 300 people in your area happen to be watching BBC News live via iPlayer at the same time, 300 identical copies of the same data will all be being sent down the link to your telephone exchange at the same time. And the same will be happening all over the country.

So, you can see that traditional broadcasting is going to clog up the internet pretty quickly like that, which is why it’s simply not practical for people like BT Internet to deliver Sky Sports over the internet. As more and more people watched, the quality would drop dramatically, and people would be asking for their money back.

Multicast solves that. It’s an enhancement to the traditional internet technologies that allows information to be sent to more than one destination at the same time. Instead of there being a separate connection to each person who’s receiving the broadcast, there’s one data stream, and multiple computers can connect to it.

It’s not exactly new technology – the ‘MBONE’ project to provide multicast over the internet dates back around 20 years, most famously with a Rolling Stones concert transmitted using the technology in 1994.

With the example I mentioned above, if 300 people were watching the same thing, all connected to your local phone exchange, the amount of data being sent would be exactly the same as if one person were watching.

That’s much more efficient, which in turn means more channels can potentially be offered that way too. Upgrading their network to multi-cast can save BT money on the broadcasting of Sky Sports, without compromising the quality – it may even increase it, given how squeezed pictures are on Freeview at times. And it also makes it much easier for them to offer extra live channels too, so they can fight harder against Virgin and Sky, which may bring increased competition in pay TV around the UK.

That’s a good thing for pretty much everyone, with the possible exception of TopUp TV.

Panasonic Convention roundup

I spent two days this week at the Panasonic Convention, held in London’s Excel Centre. The Convention is an annual event where Panasonic shows off its new European product ranges to both press and dealers, and happens in a different city each year.

Amsterdam in 2009 saw the launch of the VieraCast service, and last year’s event in Munich featured the first FreeviewHD sets. So, what’s in store this year? Rather than do lots of articles, I’m just going to do a roundup here, with some of what I think are the most interesting points from the two days.

• VieraCast renamed VieraConnect, adds new features

• iPlayer very likely to come to VieraCast platform

• Commitment to Freesat appears scaled back

• New Freeview HD recorder with 3D BluRay support

• Freeview programme guide still uses much-loathed Guide+

• New TV sets don’t have CI+ software, but are capable of supporting it

So, let’s take each of those one at a time:

VieraCast becomes VieraConnect

Panasonic’s VieraCast system, which provides YouTube, EuroSport clips and a few other things for people in the UK  has been rebranded as VieraConnect, and will have a better range of services on it in future – the UK has been particularly poorly served by VieraCast, in my view.

Additions to the service include an app store (and a free SDK for developers will be available later this year), and new categories, including more social networking with a facebook client, and even games.

However, not all content will be available on previous sets; last year we saw some services, like AceTrax movies and Skype, that wouldn’t work on 2009 models as they lacked either support for cameras, or DRM. And it looks like games probably won’t work on older sets. Where possible, they’ll make things backwards compatible, but don’t expect to get everything that’s coming on an older product.

iPlayer very likely

After a fair bit of prodding with questions, one of the Panasonic team told us that he’s seen iPlayer running on VieraCast (rather than via the Freesat/MHEG model used at present, and which I thought Panasonic would rely on). It’s technically possible, and “very likely” to be arriving. The impression given is that the issues delaying this are not technical ones, but ones related to the necessary agreements that will have to be signed. So, if there are lawyers involved, don’t hold your breath – they take longer than engineers to get things done. But it’s now looking pretty likely.

Whether this will come to all VieraCast/Connect sets, I don’t yet know; that will depend on the DRM situation. I would hope that they’ll simply stream it in the same way the various other services do at the moment, but if they decide that DRM is essential then that will effectively rule out 2009 model year sets, which lack the necessary chips (which is why they don’t get things like AceTrax).

The impression from the comments yesterday is that they’re also talking to other broadcasters, about their catch-up services too.

Not so committed to Freesat?

One brief comment in passing was that the GT and VT series sets have Freesat tuners built in; these are towards the higher end of the range, THX certified, 3D plasmas.

All sets have FreeviewHD built in to them (and should, though I have yet to confirm, transcode surround sound, as it’s mandatory from April this year), but if it’s correct that only two ranges have Freesat tuners, that’s a considerable scaling back in the support for the platform, which used to extend right down to the lower end sets.

The press announcement for the new ranges doesn’t mention Freesat at all, so I shall seek further clarification on this. A further interesting point to note is that there were no new Freesat recorders this year – last year’s model was being displayed instead.

Panasonic's DMR-BWT800 is a 3D BD player/recorder with twin FreeviewHD tuners and DLNA server

New FreeviewHD + boxes

One of the most interesting boxes I saw was the new Freeview+ HD recorder, the DMR-BWT700 (there’s also an 800, which wasn’t on display, but presumably just has a larger hard drive; the press release doesn’t give sizes).

Update: the 800 indeed has a larger hard drive, at 500GB, compared to 320Gb for the DMR-BWT700.

These are twin tuner FreeviewHD BluRay recorders with 3D support. There’s full DLNA support too, including as a server, which means that if you have a Panasonic TV in another room, you’ll be able to watch recordings over the home network (and, according to the staff I asked, you’ll need a Panasonic TV, as there’s no support for DTCP-IP).

They also feature VieraCast, with Skype support, wireless LAN, and can convert 2D films to 3D on the fly.

GuidePlus is still there

The Freeview programme guide on this year’s Panasonic sets still features Guide Plus, the almost universally loathed EPG that forces advertisements in your face and generates more comments than just about everything else whenever I review one of their TVs.

The impression from Panasonic staff is that they know it’s unpopular, and frankly they don’t seem to happy about having to have it either, but it looks as if their hands are tied. If I can find out who’s responsible for inflicting this rubbish on otherwise decent TV sets, I’ll let you know, as it’s long past time they stopped messing about with it.

Want Sky Sports?

As with all digital TVs, there’s a common interface slot on the new VieraCast models. But, of course, that’s not enough if you want to watch Sky Sports via Freeview any more, as TopUpTV will be using CI+ modules. (See here for more details).

So I asked if the new sets support CI+ and was told that they’re capable of it, but it’s not enabled yet; that’s something that Panasonic will be keeping an eye on and they update the sets if necessary, which will depend on the perceived demand for Sky Sports via a CAM, I guess.

That’s the main news, from my perspective, from the Convention. As and when I get products to play with, keep an eye out for information here or at RegHardware.

Ofcom rules against Sky on CAMs for TopUpTV

Now you’ll be able to get Sky Sports on Freeview without a set-top box

A few months ago, I wrote about how to get Sky Sports on Freeview (strictly ‘digital terrestrial television’, before someone nitpicks) and explained that the only equipment that was permitted to be used was that with ‘embedded encryption.’

That means that only a box that had a card slot, with up to date software, would be able to be used to receive Sky Sports. If you were using a CAM – a small module that fits into a larger slot on some digital TV recorders, and TVs, and into which the subscription card fits, you wouldn’t be able to carry on getting Sky Sports.

Although these modules have been quite popular elsewhere, especially in the satellite world, they’ve not been widely used in the UK. Most digital TVs have a slot – called a CI slot – into which they can be fitted, and the Setanta sports (now ESPN) service provided by TopUpTV was available with a CAM.

The practical upshot of that was that you could put a CAM in your TV, a subscription card in the CAM, and watch ESPN without a separate box. And while Sky Sports worked for a while, it was clear that at some stage it would stop working, as Sky weren’t happy that the solution was secure enough.

Ofcom’s new ruling

This week, Ofcom has ruled against Sky and their restriction on the usage of CAMs. That potentially opens the way to TopUpTV to sell subscriptions to Sky Sports using CAMs.

What it doesn’t mean, however, is that an older TV you have, and an old TopUpTV or EPSN CAM will now be able to receive Sky Sports via Freeview. TopUpTV tells me that you will need a new CI+ CAM for Sky Sports.

CI+ is an enhanced version of the original CAM system, which I described in this post. It should meet the security requirements of Sky, but of course it will need equipment that has a CI+ slot. Some recent TVs have them (I’ll investigate more to find out which ones), and it’s also worth noting that the Humax HDR Fox T2 Freeview HD recorder does as well.

So, in theory, the Humax will allow you to record Sky Sports (in SD only, as it’s not transmitted in HD on Freeview), once it’s equipped with a CI+ CAM. In practise, that’s something I’ll need to check up on – since there weren’t any services using CI+ in the UK, they might not have added everything necessary in the firmware yet.

What do you need?

If you want to get Sky Sports without a separate box, you’ll need a new CI+ CAM from TopUpTV. I expect these will be available early in the new year.

You will also need a TV that has a CI+ slot. On that front, you’re going to have to check the specs for your TV, and look for CI+ on any new kit you buy. It would be wise to make it clear to the shop that that is one of the reasons you’re buying a new TV, just in case you find the hardware’s present, but the software’s not up to scratch.

When I look at TVs in future for RegHardware, I’ll try to check whether or not they include CI+.

Calling time on Sky Sports via a CAM?

When Sky Sports was launched as an add-on to Freeview by TopUpTV and BT Vision, quite a few people wondered if they’d be able to use a CAM – the module into which a subscription card fits, which itself slides into the slot on most digital TVs and a fair number of recorders.

At the time, I wrote that it was possible, but I’d been told by TopUpTV that CAMs would stop working for Sky Sports later this year, though they’ll continue to work for EPSN.

It looks like that time is almost here. I’ve been sent a copy of a letter – see the attached PDF – posted to subscribers who receive Sky Sports via TopUpTV. From the letter, it looks like this is going mostly to those customers where the company isn’t entirely sure which equipment they’re using.

(TUTVletter)

Essentially, subscribers are asked to indicate which box they use to watch Sky Sports, and whether it’s a TopUpTV model, one of two Sagem models, or anything else. You’re supposed to provide this information by Monday (18^th October), “to ensure there are no interruptions to your viewing.”

I’m awaiting a comment from TopUpTV on this, but since they’ve previously confirmed that CAMs will stop working, then it’s very likely that this is the start of an update to their systems that will make that happen.

If you do use a CAM for Sky Sports, and you’ve not received a letter, it might be a good idea to call them on 08444 124 898 and have a chat.

The future for CAMs

When I wrote about Sky Sports on Freeview a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that one possible outcome may be the ability to use a CI Plus module with some receivers. Before people get too excited, it’s worth saying that that’s my theory, not an official comment. TopUpTV would obviously like it to be available to everyone via standard CAMs, and Sky would like it restricted only to receivers with embedded encryption. A CI+ system would, I think, be a reasonable compromise.

And that has raised the issue of what is CI+ and why is it more secure than a standard CAM solution. I answered this question on a well known forum, but for reasons best known to them, all the messages have mysteriously disappeared. So, I though I’d explain here what the difference is between embedded encryption, CI+ and standard CAMs, and why it affects what you’ll be able to use to watch Sky Sports.

Embedded solutions

The i-Can EasyHD has embedded encryption for watching Sky Sports on Freeview

What I mean by embedded encryption is a solution that is, essentially, akin to what you have with a Sky box. There’s a slot in the receiver that takes a viewing card directly; these are credit card sized, with a small chip. The receiver has the chips necessary to handle the encryption system built in; they can’t be replaced with another system, but they can often be updated to a newer version, and sometimes newer versions of the smart cards are handed out too.

Often, these systems allow for things like configuring the box only to work with a specific card, so you can’t take your card from your home, pop round to a friend’s place and put it in their receiver to watch the match on their fancy TV. It’s considered the most secure system, because there’s essentially nothing you can tamper with.

What’s wrong with a CAM?

A CI slot accepts a CAM, into which you fit your 'viewing card'

The CI (common interface) slot appears on many digital TVs and lots of receivers, including PVRs. It looks just like the PC card slots that used to be on notebooks, and uses the same connectors. A CAM (conditional access module) fits in the CI slot, and the smartcard slides into the CAM.

A receiver that works like this sends the encrypted information to the CAM, and then receives an unencrypted stream back, which can be displayed on screen, or in the case of a PVR saved to the hard disk.

The advantage is that the consumer can pick the equipment they want, then they buy a CAM that supports the encryption used by the programmes they want to watch, subscribe, and put smartcard in CAM, then CAM in CI slot, and tune it.  Some equipment supports two CI slots, so you could have two different pay TV providers on one box – much more convenient than having a separate box for each one.

So, on the face of it, a great idea, and there are more clever things you can do with CAMs and the CI system; for example, I’ve seen a CI module that fits in the slot, and has an Ethernet connector, and is designed to stream media from your home network, passing it into the set top box via the CI slot. A neat solution, though hard to make it work.

One of the reasons for that was that the CI system is limited in functionality. It’s designed to do one thing, really – take an encrypted signal and turn it into an unencrypted one. There’s a built in system that allows modules to display menus via the TV interface, but it’s very basic – a simple text based system. And when you want to do other things, it’s tricky; the Ethernet module I mentioned worked with some TVs; with others, you just couldn’t get the TV to display a picture from the module, because it wasn’t programmed to do that, unless it was tuned to a channel with an encrypted transmission.

But what about Sky Sports?

The CI/CAM system has worked pretty well in the past, so why would Sky have problems with it? One of the issues is the way that the CAM decrypts the broadcast and transfers it back into the receiver in the clear. When you’re just using a TV that’s not so much of a problem, but these days many people use recorders (PVRs), and the last thing the owner of rights wants is the ability of people to save unencrypted, unprotected copies of their broadcasts.

Some people have said “But it’s only sports, which is ephemeral” and there may be a degree of truth in that, but if other content were to follow later, like movies, that might be of more concern, and so no one’s going to settle for anything less than the strongest protection they can agree on.

There are already a few recorders out that that will save programmes unencrypted on the hard disk and have easy ways of transferring those to PCs. It doesn’t take much imagination to realise that with premium content, some people won’t be happy with CAMs for that reason.

They can also cause issues for users too; with live TV, a CAM is straightforward. With recorded TV, it’s less so. For example, if you’re watching one encrypted channel while recording another, what can happen is that the CAM is used for live TV, and the recording is saved to disk in encrypted form, then decrypted on playback (and which point some recorders let you save a decrypted version too). But if you don’t watch for a while, and the encryption keys are updated (for example with your  monthly subscription data), you can find that a recording on the hard drive won’t play any more. That’s obviously very annoying for users, too.

Step forward CI Plus

The CI Plus logo - already appearing on some equipment, like the Humax HDR Fox T2

The CI Plus system is designed to solve, or help solve, lots of these problems. Physically it looks just the same, and a CAM will fit into a CI Plus slot and work just the same. But for the broadcasters – and the user – it brings some useful advantages.

Since I started this piece by talking about Sky Sports, let’s look first at the broadcaster’s point of view. Where a standard CAM has a straightforward unencrypted link back into the receiver, in CI Plus that’s replaced by a secure encrypted link. Think of it as a bit like a secure connection between your web browser and an online shop. This allows for the module to pass information back to the receiver, including details of ‘entitlement,’ which is the jargon for saying what you can do with the material.

The decrypted programmes can be stored on the hard drive using a different encryption system, like AES, so that they can’t simply be copied (or uploaded to the internet), but without the potential problems caused by things like monthly updates to the smartcard. So the programme remains protected, even though it’s been decrypted, which is obviously appealing to companies like Sky, or anyone else with premium content.

From the user’s point of view, that’s probably not an overwhelming reason to embrace CI Plus. But it does also improve on the interface between the CI system and the equipment. Where CI allowed only basic text menus, CI Plus allows for a much richer, browser-based sort of system. That means that it can display graphics, and be much more interactive and – potentially – show you menus within your TV or PVR interface with options for buying pay per view content, and other fancy things like that.

And, to go back to the beginning, with the ability to ensure content is protected on the hard disk of recorders, to all intents and purposes, CI Plus will allow broadcasters like Sky the same control over their content as they get with embedded encryption systems, while giving customers the benefits of being able to choose their own equipment – albeit from the more limited range of CI Plus kit, though that already includes some TVs and recorders, including the new Humax HDR Fox T2 Freeview HD recorder.

Sky Sports on Freeview – how do you get it?

Now that Sky Sports 1 and 2 are available on terrestrial TV, a lot of people are wondering just what equipment they need to receive it, and what it will cost. Essentially there are two ways to get the channels through an aerial.

The first is via a BT Vision subscription. That means that you need a BT phone line, and you have to subscribe to BT Vision, which is their combined Freeview and internet TV package.

The price that BT shouts about in the adverts is £6.99 per month, but that’s just for one of the Sky Sports channels, together with EPSN and BT’s own Vision Sport. Add another fiver if you want both. And, on top of that you need a BT Vision package, which includes broadband service, and a free box. The Vision subscription is £17.99 per month, so you’ll pay £29.98 for the cheapest option, every month. There’s a 24 month minimum term, and you’ll also have to pay £60 for the box, and of course BT line rental of at least £9.49 per month. To get a free box, you’ll have to go for either the £32.99 or £48.99 a month package; both still have a 24 month contract, and you need to add the sports bundle on top, taking them to £44.98 or £60.98 respectively, if you want both of Sky’s channels.

On Top

BT Vision isn’t the only company from which you can now buy Sky Sports. The second is via small-scale pay TV operator TopUpTV. TopUp has offered various pay services as an adjunct to Freeview over the last five years; their current service is largely based around access to EPSN, plus a service that provides overnight downloads of films and popular TV shows to PVRs with dedicated software.

You can, with TopUpTV, subscribe to just Sky Sports 1 or 2, and nothing else; each channel will cost you £22.99, but if you take both together the bundle price is £31.99 per month, and there’s no minimum contract term. Adding ESPN is £9.99, with the bundle discount bringing the total for all the sports channels to £39.99 per month. There’s a £20 connection fee, which is cancelled out by a ‘first month free’ offer at the moment.

The i-Can EasyHD provides access to FreeviewHD, iPlayer and sports via a card slot for TopUpTV

You will need a suitable box to use the TopUpTV service; there’s a range available on their site, and elsewhere – including most recently the i-Can EasyHD 2851, which picks up FreeviewHD and offers iPlayer too.

TopUpTV’s own box – a 250GB Freeview+ recorder – can be bought for £49.99 with a subscription to Sky’s channels, or you can get the 160GB version free if you add EPSN or one of TopUp’s other services to your order, and are prepared to commit to a 12 month subscription.

If you’re hoping to use a CAM, so that you can receive Sky Sports through the internal tuner in a digital TV, or in a PVR that you already own, you need to read this post.

Sky Sports on Freeview – can you use a CAM?

While many are eager for the chance to watch some top class football without installing a satellite dish, not everyone wants to have a dedicated receiver sitting under their TV just for a couple of extra channels. Especially when almost all digital TV sets, and many other set top boxes and recorders, include a CI slot.

The CI slot is a standard interface into which a PC-card module can be plugged to provide encryption services. A smart card (or ‘viewing card’) slots into the module (called a CAM, or Conditional Access Module), and the whole combination unlocks the paid content.

So, in theory, if you have a TV with a CI slot, or a similarly equipped Freeview recorder, all you’d need is an appropriate CAM, together with a viewing card from TopUpTV, and you’d be able to watch Sky Sports 1 and 2 using your existing equipment.

Ofcom ruling

Last week, an Ofcom decision was reported, in terms which suggested Ofcom was refusing to allow a ‘blocking’ or ‘spoiler’ move by Sky against TopUpTV. Many have assumed that this has given a green light to the use of CAMs to receive the Sky channels on equipment of users’ choice, just as they can be used to receive the ESPN sports channel at present.

In fact, the ruling was on a different matter entirely. Sky’s contention was that, by forcing them to allow other companies to sell Sky Sports 1 and 2, Ofcom had not intended those to be the sole thing sold, but that they should be add-ons to other services. In other words, that TopUpTV – whose main service is provided by overnight downloads to a dedicated recorder – should only sell the sports channels as an adjunct to that service. TopUpTV wanted to sell boxes that had no hard drive, and so couldn’t access the overnight service, and would thus be primarily used only to receive Sky Sports. Sky objected, Ofcom overruled them, and on the 16^th of August, i-Can unveiled the ‘TopUpTV-ready’ version of their EasyHD set top box. It provides FreeviewHD, iPlayer, and if you put a TopUpTV viewing card into the slot on the front, you can have Sky Sports 1 and 2 as well. It’s being sold for about £125, and more stockists will be announced soon; if you already have an EasyHD, you’ll need a firmware update to enable the card slot. I reviewed the box for RegisterHardware a few months ago.

So what about CAMs?

If the Ofcom ruling wasn’t about CAMs, what’s the current situation? According to TopUpTV, the only officially supported boxes at the moment are those with embedded encryption. That means that TV sets, or third party set top boxes and PVRs with CI slots aren’t supported. They may work at the moment – several people on sites like Digital Spy have reported success – but there is no guarantee that they will continue to do so in future.

Obviously, TopUpTV would like as many subscribers as possible, and so would prefer to be able to allow anyone with a CAM to subscribe. However, the design of the CI/CAM system is pretty old now, and there are some security concerns, alongside issues to do with the way CAMs fit into the user interface of different bits of equipment.

One way of addressing that is via a system called CI+ (or CIplus), which offers several improvements over the existing system, and is already found in some equipment, including the Humax HDR-Fox T2 FreeviewHD recorder. It’s reportedly included in some TVs from major manufacturers as well.

TopUpTV tells me that talks with Sky are ongoing; the most likely outcome is probably a compromise that will see CI+ modules being made available. In the long term, though standard CAMs may work today, it’s not guaranteed that will remain the case.

With no minimum contract for Sky Sports via TopUpTV, if you already have a CAM (for example, for ESPN) it may be worth taking a punt on trying the service. If you’re buying new equipment and hope to use one, then your best bet is to make sure that your new TV or PVR also supports CI+, in case a compatible module is released later.

The important thing to remember, though, is that all that’s guaranteed to work for Sky Sports is receivers with embedded encryption, and that’s all that TopUpTV is selling at the moment – though they will sell you a CAM for £19.99 if you just want ESPN.

Anything other than a box with embedded encryption is at your own risk, and may stop working, leaving you out of pocket for the cost of a CAM and a month’s subscription.

Update: I’ve just had confirmation back from TopUpTV, for those who are using a CAM at present: “These will stop working with Sky Sports later in 2010 when new security measures are introduced.”