4 ms·

Sky is a satellite system, not cable; it's trivial to take the receiver and smartcard from one address to another and plug it into the dish there.

• jimktrains2 11y ago
  How does the pint glass help with this and how doesn't this just strengthen gp's point?
  • deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  • sveiss 11y ago
    I expect that Sky broadcast multiple copies of the sports channels simultaneously (at a minimum, one with and one without the pint glass logo). Home subscribers are set up to tune[1] to the channel without the logo, the more expensive pub subscribers get the version with the pint glass logo. If a pub landlord subscribes at home, and then take their receiver/smartcard to the pub and plug it in there, the receiver will still display the home version of the channel without the logo. That's what the inspectors are looking for. (Alternatively, the smartcards used for pub subscription could insert the image into the decoded stream, but I'm not sure if they have enough processing power for that. The end result would be the same, though -- no expensive subscription, no logo.) [1] Yes, it's a digital system with multiple program streams per frequency, so 'tune' isn't quite the right word, but it's close enough.
    • jimktrains2 11y ago
      A for some reason I thought you were talking about a COTS receiver and just pirating the business channel completely, not using an actual home receiver.
      • sveiss 11y ago
        I think there's probably a perception issue at play too. Buying a pirate decoder card from a shady dealer is 'obviously' wrong, while using a subscription that you've already paid for in a different location is a different matter. I could see pub landlords being more comfortable doing the latter than the former. I don't know what the current state of the art for pirate decoders is, but if it still depends on extracting a keystream from a legitimate decoder in real time and sending it to the pirate receivers, limiting the number of legitimate receivers of the business channel to would also help cut down on piracy of the business channels by reducing the possible sources of key material. The high cost of a subscription and limiting subscribers to pub businesses only also reduces the number of potential key sources.
        • jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
          The current state of the art prevents this technique from working on Sky's highest value HD channels. (HD channels require a newer set top box with a later generation of decryption abilities, and these ensure that any liftable keystream is specific to that one receiver, so it has no value if distributed, and no ability to activate other receivers.)
    • philh 11y ago
      > the receiver will still display the home version of the channel without the logo. That's what the inspectors are looking for. But why can't the inspector just look for: is this pub showing the channel, and is it in our database of pubs which are allowed to show the channel? That was what I took from scrollaway's post, though I might have misinterpreted ver.
      • robotresearcher 11y ago
        They are also seeking to prevent subscribers re-streaming the content on the Internet.
  • yanowitz 11y ago
    The more expensive subscription displays the pub glass. I don't think sky minds if you want to pay for the more expensive sub and move it elsewhere. Because satellite is one-way, the cheapest option for sky is to pay for enforcers. There must be quite a spread between commercial and home licenses.
    • stickydink 11y ago
      It's pretty expensive; based on location, size/value and some other factors (whether the location serves food etc.). The average pub Sky Sports subscription is £1250-1500 per month, on a 12-month contract. You can price it up online just like a domestic package. http://business.sky.com/calculator/desktop.aspx http://business.sky.com/calculator/desktop.aspx The domestic equivalent is about £25
      • jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
        That's £25 on top of the basic package subscription, which is another £22-£30 by itself.
• junto 11y ago
  Not entirely true. Sky can be delivered over the internet via Sky NOW / Sky GO and in certain countries (e.g. Germany) over the cable network.
  • velox_io 11y ago
    The picture quality on Sky Go is horrible (no where near HD), even over fibre. Sky Go is just a token feature. For instance, you're allowed 4 devices (with Sky multiscreen) but can only add/ change one device per month.
    • jamesbrownuhh 11y ago
      And they'll still know exactly which door to knock on if they see the streams being illegally re-streamed.