[lego]

When I phoned Shaw to complain about the HD delays with my 6208 after they had enabled the 5C encryption, I was told by the CSR that Shaw was forced into encrypting the HD channels by the CRTC. To paraphrase the CSR said "we have devlivered the HD channels without encryption longer than we were supposed to, the CRTC will no longer let us deliver these channels unencrypted." I thought it was highly strange that the CRTC would care whether Shaw encrypted thier channels or not so I sent them an email. This is the response I received today:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact the CRTC. I am not aware of any regulations which would have required Shaw Cable to encrypt HDTV Channels.

Although your message does not appear to raise any regulatory concerns we still expect that Shaw Cable, will be sensitive to the concerns of their subscribers. This is why I am taking the liberty of forwarding a copy of your message to Shaw Cable, asking that they copy us on their direct response to you."

I have seen other posts here where Shaw has told others that the reason they encrypted the HD cahnnels was because DCT2500 boxes would lock up if they tried to tune an HDTV channel. This also doesn't ring true to me because they could lock out those channels for people with DCT2500's. I think Shaw is trying to snow us here, they simply want the handful of people that were recording to a PC with a 6200 to spend the extra bucks on the 6208.

I am forwarding this message to Shaw and I will post thier response if I get one. I think though that we should all complain loudly and he Shaw turn off the encryption until the bug is fixed.

Does anyone have an email address of a person of consequence at Shaw? I feel I should send this directly to someone instead using the website's silly HTML form.

Lego

[edit]
I changed the subject because of some objections.

 

[Digital79]

CSR's dont lie, they are just trying to do there job with limited information. If you wonder if something is correct call for a 2nd opinion or ask teh CSR to double check.

99% of the time they will come back with the correct answer.How many CSR know what 5c is, and how many customers care.

 

[lego]

CSR's dont lie, they are just trying to do there job with limited information. If you wonder if something is correct call for a 2nd opinion or ask teh CSR to double check.

99% of the time they will come back with the correct answer.How many CSR know what 5c is, and how many customers care.

I talked to 2 different CSR's the second confirmed the first's CRTC story. I realize that they have limited info but they should inquire with soemone who knows and get back to the customer instead of spreading misinformation or making things up.

Anyway the real reason I posted this isn't to b*tch about the CSRs it is to inform people that may have being given the same story that it is not true, Shaw's decision to encrypt the HD channels was thier own not the CRTC's.

 

[Icemann]

I talked to 2 different CSR's the second confirmed the first's CRTC story. I realize that they have limited info but they should inquire with soemone who knows and get back to the customer instead of spreading misinformation or making things up.

How are they going to know its misinformation if most don't even know what 5c is?

Getting back to the point, maybe I don't understand what turning 5c encryption on means because on my 6208, here in a suburb of Vancouver, I have the 5c flag set to 0. Or, is 5c encryption turned on mean that previously the unit didn't care about the 5c flag?

 

[lego]

How are they going to know its misinformation if most don't even know what 5c is?

Getting back to the point, maybe I don't understand what turning 5c encryption on means because on my 6208, here in a suburb of Vancouver, I have the 5c flag set to 0. Or, is 5c encryption turned on mean that previously the unit didn't care about the 5c flag?

I work in the development department of a software company, if a customer calls one of our CSRs with a question about something the CSR does not know about they contact development to get the proper answer, they don't make something up just to get the customer off the phone. I think most Shaw customers would expect the same.

My 6208 was working fine until Shaw started encrypting the HD channels, I'm pretty sure the encryption is done at the headend and not the cable box so I am not sure why you seem to be unaffected.

Anyway my point here is that Shaw did something of their own free will that caused problems for many top paying customers, they should do the right thing and turn off the encryption until Motorola can fix the 6208 bugs.

Lego

 

[Icemann]

First of all your assuming that they made it up to get you off the phone and since you did say that you called twice and got the same answer that would tell me that they were told to say what they told you. That is not misrepresentation from the CSR, its misrepresentation from Shaw.

Yes, the encryption is at the headend. But, my question is, is the encryption a protocol that is turned on or is it the setting of the 5c encryption flag from 0 to 1 or 2?

 

[lego]

First of all your assuming that they made it up to get you off the phone and since you did say that you called twice and got the same answer that would tell me that they were told to say what they told you. That is not misrepresentation from the CSR, its misrepresentation from Shaw.

Yes, the encryption is at the headend. But, my question is, is the encryption a protocol that is turned on or is it the setting of the 5c encryption flag from 0 to 1 or 2?

If the digital stream going to the box is encoded the flag indicates what levels of copying are supported:
0 = freely copy
1 = copy once
2 = never copy

If your box is reporting 0 for the HD channels then your provider is not encrypting the signal. Now the question is why is Shaw encrypting some customers channels and not others?

 

[Nanuuk]

Lego and Digital, could you indicate in your profile your area? Perhaps this is area related.

 

[Icemann]

Okay then. If turning the flag to 1 or 2 is turning on copy protection, it is a good question why some of us even in the same cable areas have 5c=0 while others have 5c=1. I just checked again for the umpteenth time just to make sure and even Spy Kids 2 was set to 0.

Is it set randomnly or is there a pattern. And, this is my second 6208 and both had 5c=0 after the HD channel change delay appeared.

 

[Digital79]

I have no problem with 5c, but cant play back a 1080 mpg cleanly, what is the best way?

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

I've been watching the 5c flag and it varies by programming so it is being set based on something.

I've been told be a Shaw senior management type that they are setting the flag at 5c=1 if a content provider requests it.

I haven't seen 5c=2.

 

[Puzz13]

Really JohnnyCanuck? I have never seen the 5C flag set to anything other than 1 on my HD channels. Can you give an example of programming that doesn't have 5C implemented? Anyways, doesn't Shaw own their content provider, Cancom?

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

At this very moment ... Law & Order on KINGHD (305 in Vancouver) ... 5C implementation is turned off. Earlier tonight, it was turned on for the baseball game as 5c=1.

By content provider I am referring to CBS/NBC/FOX/ABC/MC, etc ...

 

[Icemann]

At this very moment ... Law & Order on KINGHD (305 in Vancouver) ... 5C implementation is turned off. Earlier tonight, it was turned on for the baseball game as 5c=1.

Interesting, we're both in Vancouver and the baseball game was set to 5c=0 on my 6208.

 

[Puzz13]

Since we're not getting any consistant answers from Shaw I sent a nice little essay of a complaint to the CRTC, so I guess we'll see what happens.

 

[Mexicanuck]

I am forwarding this message to Shaw and I will post thier response if I get one. I think though that we should all complain loudly and he Shaw turn off the encryption until the bug is fixed.

Did you ever get a reply from Shaw about this?

 

[ddman]

HDFOX is blocked as well.

What do you call it when they block it?

5c=0??


CNBC, and HDFOX both are blocked... why?