7 ms·

The sticker-on-screen hack seems a bit easy to detect. I've always wondered why there isn't (or maybe there is?) a black market for a wee box that takes the Sk

The sticker-on-screen hack seems a bit easy to detect. I've always wondered why there isn't (or maybe there is?) a black market for a wee box that takes the Sky box video output and overlays a pint glass icon in the corner. But I didn't know until this article that the pint glass volume and colour changes each day; that would make it a lot tougher. Plus I guess the pint glass isn't always shown, e.g. during adverts.

Varcht 11y ago
Startup opportunity - Capture pint glass logo from commercial feed in real time, Chroma key it, stream over internet to small overlay device, profit.
- Jugurtha 11y ago
  Beat me to it. In one sentence. You're another Dirac, only human.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  Sky will then start to geo-code the pint glass shape and colour...
  - SpaceInvader 11y ago
    Via satellite? Good luck...
    - TeMPOraL 11y ago
      Oh, right, I forgot about that. Disregard my comment.
      - theintern 11y ago
        They could though, your subscription is tied to a viewing card, which should be tied to your address. They could use firmware on the box to generate a modified pint glass based on that. It'd be a fun game of cat and mouse.
    - jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
      The pint glass is generated by the box software, so it already knows the viewing card number and, potentially, can ascertain where that card should be, geographically. So it's absolutely possible.
- pdpi 11y ago
  A startup with an offering based entirely on making fraud easy. That's... novel.
  - alpaps 11y ago
    but it's "disruptive" :-)
    - tonyblundell 11y ago
      Ask for forgiveness, not permission!
  - keenerd 11y ago
    It was how Jobs and Woz got started.
Jugurtha 11y ago
Maybe there can be a server with a genuine subscription that would capture the video (genuine), process it, and extract the pint's features. Then it'd broadcast that information to the other wee boxes that would have 3G and will always overlay the "right pint". The cost of Sky pub subscription is €1,224 (about $1314.65).. I think you can go wild on the box's features and still be cheaper than a one month subscription. That could be interesting.. Oh, the publicans have to pay you, of course, a subscription for your subscription avoiding scheme.. You could send inspectors to verify the box is operating properly, and have a drink with Sky's inspectors.
- yaur 11y ago
  You would need an HDCP license... I don't see that happening.
  - zumtar 11y ago
    > You would need an HDCP license... The suggestion is for an illegal device, no need for licenses in that case ;) The easiest way would be to extract the pint glass graphic over the wire (sitting in middle of the HDMI cable the set top box to the TV) then transmitting that to other establishments and overlaying that graphic in between the set top box and the TV (the best bit is that you wouldn't even need to decrypt the video, just overlay the graphic).
TeMPOraL 11y ago
> The sticker-on-screen hack seems a bit easy to detect. Probably a little harder when you're in a crowded, bar with low illumination and TV hung from the ceiling. Maybe that was enough for the hack to work.

Varcht 11y ago

Startup opportunity - Capture pint glass logo from commercial feed in real time, Chroma key it, stream over internet to small overlay device, profit.

Jugurtha 11y ago
Beat me to it. In one sentence. You're another Dirac, only human.
TeMPOraL 11y ago
Sky will then start to geo-code the pint glass shape and colour...
- SpaceInvader 11y ago
  Via satellite? Good luck...
  - TeMPOraL 11y ago
    Oh, right, I forgot about that. Disregard my comment.
    - theintern 11y ago
      They could though, your subscription is tied to a viewing card, which should be tied to your address. They could use firmware on the box to generate a modified pint glass based on that. It'd be a fun game of cat and mouse.
  - jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
    The pint glass is generated by the box software, so it already knows the viewing card number and, potentially, can ascertain where that card should be, geographically. So it's absolutely possible.
pdpi 11y ago
A startup with an offering based entirely on making fraud easy. That's... novel.
- alpaps 11y ago
  but it's "disruptive" :-)
  - tonyblundell 11y ago
    Ask for forgiveness, not permission!
- keenerd 11y ago
  It was how Jobs and Woz got started.

Jugurtha 11y ago

Maybe there can be a server with a genuine subscription that would capture the video (genuine), process it, and extract the pint's features. Then it'd broadcast that information to the other wee boxes that would have 3G and will always overlay the "right pint". The cost of Sky pub subscription is €1,224 (about $1314.65).. I think you can go wild on the box's features and still be cheaper than a one month subscription. That could be interesting.. Oh, the publicans have to pay you, of course, a subscription for your subscription avoiding scheme.. You could send inspectors to verify the box is operating properly, and have a drink with Sky's inspectors.

yaur 11y ago
You would need an HDCP license... I don't see that happening.
- zumtar 11y ago
  > You would need an HDCP license... The suggestion is for an illegal device, no need for licenses in that case ;) The easiest way would be to extract the pint glass graphic over the wire (sitting in middle of the HDMI cable the set top box to the TV) then transmitting that to other establishments and overlaying that graphic in between the set top box and the TV (the best bit is that you wouldn't even need to decrypt the video, just overlay the graphic).

TeMPOraL 11y ago

> The sticker-on-screen hack seems a bit easy to detect. Probably a little harder when you're in a crowded, bar with low illumination and TV hung from the ceiling. Maybe that was enough for the hack to work.