Only the major packages (eg Sky) have full details and throughout Europe the broadcasters of these packages want you to use their own dedicated receiver. The problem with using a combined Satellite box and Tivo is the availability of the programme schedules. In fact IIRC the Dreambox runs on Linux too so that probably makes it even more suitable to combine with Tivo software. The Dreambox would, for example, be a good basis for such a recorder. It is generally accepted that about half the population will probably never pay for subscription TV and of those many live in non-Freeview areas and so are a great potential market for a non-Sky sat recorder. AFAIK with the current CAMs the cards still need to go back into a real Sky box from time to time anyway. This is the only valid way for Tivo or anyone else to get such functionality out as all these unofficial Sky CAMs are just that: unofficial and as such not to be marketed as Sky-compatible. I just pointed out that there is a lot of scope for Tivo to release a sat receiver with twin tuners, built-in hard drive and Tivo software for people who don't want pay channels and that if such a machine also contained a CAM slot then Sky might well be very tempted to release an official CAM for it once they saw people buying the boxes. For TiVo to go down that route they would have to open up their architecture to the extent that their provision of EPG data for Sky could not be considered an endorsement of externally developed softcam plugins that breach Sky's CAM licensing restrictions - and I'm not sure whether that would even be possible, let alone desirable from their point of view.Ĭlick to expand.That's fine but there are plenty of people who don't want Sky channels at all. The only reason the DreamBox can do it is because the softcam used to decrypt Sky is not provided by Dream, but is a third-party plugin developed by enthusists not in any way connected with or endorsed by Dream Multimedia. Therefore, if TiVo wanted to include a Sky tuner in a future UK machine they would still have to get Sky to agree to license the CAM - or resort to using a softcam and incur the wrath of Mr Murdoch and his army of lawyers! However, I don't think the CAM used for the decryption is actually 'legally' licensed by Sky - indeed the post from alunj above says it is a softcam, a software CAM normally used for 'free' reception of encrypted satellite channels using hacked keys posted on internet bulletin boards. Therefore you are paying Sky for the channels, so in terms of fair-use, it would be considered legal by most people. The DreamBox can accept a Sky viewing card and can decrypt the channels if you have a valid Sky subscription. I think 'legally' might be the wrong word 'successfully' would probably be better
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