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48-616: The Common Interface is the connection between the TV tuner (TV or set-top box ) and the module that decrypts the TV signal (CAM). This module, in turn, then accepts the pay-to-view subscriber card, which contains the access keys and permissions. The host (TV or set-top box ) is responsible for tuning to pay TV channels and demodulation of the RF signal, while CAM is responsible for CA descrambling. The Common Interface allows them to communicate with each other. All Common Interface equipment must comply with

96-414: A cable box , receiver, or simply box , and historically television decoder or a converter , is an information appliance device that generally contains a TV tuner input and displays output to a television set , turning the source signal into content in a form that can then be displayed on the television screen or other display device . It is designed to be placed alongside or "on top" (hence

144-562: A PCMCIA -like card inserted as part of the digital signal path as their alternative to a tuner-equipped set-top box. According to the Los Angeles Times , the cost to a cable provider in the United States for a set-top box is between $ 150 for a basic box to $ 250 for a more sophisticated box. In 2016, the average pay-TV subscriber paid $ 231 per year to lease their set-top box from a cable service provider. In June 2011,

192-617: A personal identification number . Some boxes simply block all channels, while others allow the user to restrict access to chosen channels not suitable for children below certain ages. As complexity and potential programming faults of the set-top box increase, software such as MythTV , Select-TV and Microsoft 's Media Center have developed features comparable to those of set-top boxes, ranging from basic DVR-like functionality to DVD copying, home automation , and housewide music or video playback. Almost all modern set-top boxes feature automatic firmware update processes. The firmware update

240-433: A satellite dish , a coaxial cable (see cable television ), a telephone line (including DSL connections), broadband over power lines (BPL), or even an ordinary VHF or UHF antenna . Content, in this context, could mean any or all of video , audio , Internet web pages , interactive video games , or other possibilities. Satellite and microwave-based services also require specific external receiver hardware, so

288-400: A CI+ CAM and television receiver (Host). This SAC is used to generate a shared key, unique per a CAM-Host pair, which protects from unauthorized copying the content marked in the associated URI (Usage Rules Info) as a content which needs to be re-encrypted on its way from CAM to Host after removal the original CA or DRM scrambling (in the original CI standard, decrypted content could be sent over

336-459: A mandated inclusion in new television sets . Some have also been produced to mute the audio (or replace it with noise) when profanity is detected in the captioning, where the offensive word is also blocked. Some also include a V-chip that allows only programs of some television content rating systems . A function that limits children's time watching TV or playing video games may also be built in, though some work on main electricity rather than

384-422: A receiver must be able to accept DES ( Data Encryption Standard ) keys in intervals of some milliseconds, and use them to decode private channels according to a specific algorithm. Those algorithms are proprietary to individual suppliers. Each one uses their own algorithms and there is no defined standard for them. As the full MPEG-2 transport data stream comes out of the demodulator, and error correction units,

432-677: A report from the American National Resources Defense Council brought attention to the energy efficiency of set-top boxes, and the United States Department of Energy announced plans to consider the adoption of energy efficiency standards for set-top boxes. In November 2011, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association announced a new energy efficiency initiative that commits the largest American cable operators to

480-632: Is a form of copy protection between a CI+ conditional-access module (referenced by the spec as CICAM , while CI+ CAM seems to be a more precise abbreviation) and the television receiver (Host). CI+ is backward compatible with DVB-CIv1. Old television receivers, which have CIv1 CI-slot, can be used with CI+ CAM and vice versa, but for viewing only those of TV programs which are not marked as CI+ protected. CI+ specification has been developed by consumer electronic firms Panasonic , Philips , Samsung and Sony , as well as pay-TV technology company SmarDTV and fabless chip maker Neotion . A first draft of

528-462: Is fed with the baseband television signal from the set's tuner, and can have the television display the returned processed signal instead. This SCART feature had been used for connection to analogue decoding equipment by pay-TV operators in Europe, and in the past, it was used for connection to teletext equipment before the decoders became built-in. The outgoing signal could be of the same nature as

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576-650: Is fitted and not the PCMCIA type CI slots. Even if the Common Interface has been created to resolve cryptography issues, it can have other functions using other types of modules such as Web Browser , iDTV ( Interactive Television ), and so forth. In Europe, DVB-CI is obligatory in all iDTV terminals. The host sends an encrypted MPEG transport stream to the CAM and the CAM sends the decrypted transport stream back to

624-525: Is mandatory or optional. The mandatory feature (as it's actually the main raison d'être of CI+) is Content Control. The optional feature of v1.2 version is "PVR Resource" – this can be concluded from the fact that it doesn't appear in newer CI+ spec versions. In 2011, version 1.3 of the CI+ spec was released (later, was replaced with CI+ v1.3.1 and then with CI+ v1.3.2 , still commonly referenced as CI+ v1.3). The main features added by CI+ v1.3 to CI+ v1.2 are: With

672-452: Is to add USB as physical layer to replace the aging PC Card interface. CI+ Host and CAM test tool development, testing and certification is carried out by Resillion (formerly Eurofins Digital Testing, formerly Digital TV Labs) in the UK (Bristol) and China (Shenzen). By making use of certificates issued by a trusted certification authority, a secure authenticated channel (SAC) is formed between

720-402: Is typically provided by the service provider. With the advent of flat-panel televisions , set-top boxes are now deeper in profile than the tops of most modern TV sets. Because of this, set-top boxes are often placed beneath televisions, and the term set-top box has become something of a misnomer , possibly helping the adoption of the term digibox . Additionally, newer set-top boxes that sit at

768-561: The DTV Receiver sends it through the card plugged into the Common Interface, before it is processed by the MPEG demultiplexer in the receiver. If several CI cards are present, the MPEG transport data stream will be passed sequentially through all these cards. An embedded CAM may not physically exist, as it may be in CPU software. In such a case, only the smart card reader normally in the CAM

816-545: The PC Card Standard ( PCMCIA ). By reducing the widths of the address and data buses it has been possible to include a bi-directional parallel transport stream interface. The transport stream format is specified by IEC 13818-1 and is the MPEG 2 TS format. In addition there is a command interface for communication between the host and module. This communication is in the form of a layered protocol stack which allows

864-507: The PCMCIA interface only in unscrambled form). CI+ standard allows revocation of compromised CI+ Hosts. This is done by broadcasting a Service Operator Certificate Revocation List (SOCRL) in a DSM-CC data carousel. If CAM detects that its Host's ID, model or brand is listed in SOCRL (and isn't listed in optional SOCWL - Service Operator Certificate White List), the CAM must refuse descrambling

912-582: The CA Support resource is necessary for descrambling the selected channels. The Command Interface is extensible and there are several specification documents available which describe these extensions (e.g. ETSI TS 101 699). However, these extensions have often not proved popular with manufacturers. CI+ (also known as CI Plus or Common Interface Plus ) is a specification that extends the original DVB Common Interface standard (DVB-CI, sometimes referred to as DVB-CIv1). The main addition introduced by CI+

960-705: The CAM to request and receive PIN numbers. Some of defined by DVB-CI resources are de facto optional. For example, the host could contain a modem for communication over a telephone line allowing the CAM to implement pay-per-view. This can be done by opening a session to host's Low-Speed Communication (LSC) resource (assuming that the host announced the availability of this resource). The Host Control resource (allowing CAM to request force-tuned) also may be absent in some of hosts. The definitely mandatory resources are Resource Manager, Application Information and Conditional Access Support ones. First two of these three are necessary for initial handshaking between CAM and its Host, while

1008-490: The Common Interface. This allows broadcasters to use modules containing solutions from different suppliers, thus increasing their choice of anti-piracy options. A DVB receiver may have one or two slots implementing the Common Interface (CI). The CI uses the conditional-access module ( PCMCIA ) connector and conforms to the Common Scrambling Algorithm (CSA), the normative that specifies that such

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1056-468: The EN 50221-1997 standard. This is a defined standard that enables the addition of a CAM in a DTV receiver to adapt it to different kinds of cryptography . The EN 50221 specification allows many types of modules but only the CAM has found popularity because of the pay TV market. Indeed, one of Digital Video Broadcasting's main strengths is the option of implementing the required conditional access capability on

1104-761: The US and Europe, telephone companies use IPTV (often on ADSL or optical fibre networks) as a means to compete with traditional local cable television monopolies. This type of service is distinct from streaming television , which involves third-party content over the public Internet not controlled by the local system operator. Electronic program guides and interactive program guides provide users of television, radio, and other media applications with continuously updated menus displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming. Some guides, such as ITV , also feature backward scrolling to promote their catch-up content. This feature allows

1152-519: The air and were therefore not on standard TV receivers. Before cable-ready TV sets became common in the late 1980s, an electronic tuning device called a cable converter box was needed to receive the additional analogue cable TV channels and transpose or convert the selected channel to analogue radio frequency (RF) for viewing on a regular TV set on a single channel, usually VHF channel 3 or 4. The box allowed an analogue non–cable-ready television set to receive analogue encrypted cable channels and

1200-557: The cable head-end instead of the final viewing location. However, most cable systems could not accommodate the full 54-to-890 MHz VHF/UHF frequency range and the twelve channels of VHF space were quickly exhausted on most systems. Adding any additional channels therefore needed to be done by inserting the extra signals into cable systems on nonstandard frequencies, typically either below VHF channel 7 (midband) or directly above VHF channel 13 (superband). These frequencies corresponded to non-television services (such as two-way radio) over

1248-674: The content marked in CI+ URI as protected. A SOCRL is created and signed by the CI+ Root-of-Trust on request of a Service Operator. To prevent replay of out-of-dated SOCRL and SOCWL, they must be broadcast in combination with RSD (Revocation Signaling Data) table which specifies the last versions of SOCRL and SOCWL and their location in the DSM-CC data carousel. The RSD also must be signed. A CI+ 1.3 compliant Host device must implement MHEG-5 interactive TV engine to manage navigation of

1296-543: The cost of launching new services, increases speed to market, and limits disruption for consumers. As examples, Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) set-top boxes allow traditional TV broadcasts, whether from terrestrial (DTT), satellite, or cable providers, to be brought together with video delivered over the Internet and personal multimedia content. Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB) launched its first hybrid DTT/IPTV set-top box in 2005, which provided Telefónica with

1344-476: The development of CI+, the standard has now come under the umbrella of the DVB standards organization. In 2014, DVB released ETSI TS 103 205 V1.1.1 specification, defining what is often referred as "CI+ v1.4". The main features added by ETSI TS 103 205 to CI+ v1.3 are: In 2018, ETSI published the second generation DVB-CI standard (often referred to as CI+ v2.0): TS 103 605 V1.1.1 . The main evolution of this version

1392-478: The digital TV platform for its Movistar TV service by the end of that year. In 2009, ADB provided Europe's first three-way hybrid digital TV platform to Polish digital satellite operator n , which enables subscribers to view integrated content whether delivered via satellite, terrestrial, or internet. UK-based Inview Technology has over 8   million STBs deployed in the UK for Teletext and an original push VOD service for Top Up TV. In IPTV networks,

1440-416: The edge of IP-based distribution networks are often called net-top boxes or NTBs, to differentiate between IP and RF inputs. The Roku LT is around the size of a pack of cards and delivers Smart TV to conventional sets. The distinction between external tuner or demodulator boxes (traditionally considered to be "set-top boxes") and storage devices (such as VCR, DVD, or disc-based PVR units) is also blurred by

1488-753: The first batch of 15,000 SMiT (Shenzhen State Micro Technology Co., Ltd.) CI+ CAMs was offered by various Dutch retailers, followed in October 2009 by the first batch of Neotion CAMs. Other supporters include Canal+, and conditional access companies Irdeto and Conax. In 2009, NDS (now Cisco ) announced that it will support Kabel Deutschland to deploy CI+ to its customers. In 2014, CI+ CAMs with Cisco VideoGuard CA, manufactured by SMiT were deployed at D-Smart , KDG ( Kabel Deutschland ), KBW, Sky Deutschland , Tele Columbus etc. A new ETSI working group will be working on Embedded Common Interface (ECI). Set-top box A set-top box ( STB ), also known as

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1536-612: The higher layers are defined in the MPEG-2 specifications. The second interface, the command interface, carries commands between the host (receiver) and the module. The specification does not define the operation or functionality of a conditional access system application on the module. The applications that may be performed by a module communicating across the interface are not limited to conditional access or to those described in this specification. More than one module may be supported concurrently. The common interface shares many features of

1584-446: The host and module to share resources . For example, the module can request the current date and time from the host. To use this service, module shall open a session to the "Date-Time" resource provided by host. Or, module can ask the host to display a message on the TV screen and can then read keypresses from the host remote control. This is done by opening a session to host's Man-Machine Interface (MMI) Resource. This resource also allows

1632-615: The host. The CAM often contains a smart-card reader. The normative DVB-CI standard EN 50221 was defined in 1997 by CENELEC , the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. According to the Common Interface scheme: The specification only defines two aspects, two logical interfaces to be included on the same physical interface. The first interface is the MPEG-2 Transport Stream. The link and physical layers are defined in this specification and

1680-592: The incoming signal, or RGB component video , or even an " insert " over the original signal, due to the "fast switching" feature of SCART. In case of analogue pay-TV, this approach avoided the need for a second remote control . The use of digital television signals in more modern pay-TV schemes requires that decoding take place before the digital-to-analogue conversion step, rendering the video outputs of an analogue SCART connector no longer suitable for interconnection to decryption hardware. Standards such as DVB 's Common Interface and ATSC 's CableCARD therefore use

1728-463: The increasing deployment of satellite and cable tuner boxes with a hard disk , network or USB interfaces built-in. Devices with the capabilities of computer terminals , such as the WebTV thin client , also fall into the grey area that could invite the term "NTB". In Europe, a set-top box does not necessarily contain a tuner of its own. A box connected to a television (or VCR) SCART connector

1776-463: The name) of a television set. Set-top boxes are used in cable television , satellite television , terrestrial television and Internet Protocol television systems, as well as other uses such as digital media players ("streaming boxes"). Alternatives to set-top boxes are the smaller dongles , or television sets with built-in TV tuners that hence won't require a separate device such as a set-top box. The signal source might be an Ethernet cable,

1824-836: The professional broadcast audio/video industry. They are designed for more robust field handling and rack mounting environments. IRDs are capable of outputting uncompressed serial digital interface signals, unlike consumer STBs which usually do not, mostly because of copyright reasons. Hybrid set-top boxes, such as those used for Smart TV programming, enable viewers to access multiple TV delivery methods (including terrestrial, cable, internet, and satellite); like IPTV boxes, they include video on demand , time-shifting TV, Internet applications, videotelephony , surveillance, gaming, shopping, TV-centric electronic program guides , and e-government. By integrating varying delivery streams, hybrids (sometimes known as "TV-centric" ) enable pay-TV operators more flexible application deployment, which decreases

1872-539: The receiver to shift a portion of the UHF-TV spectrum onto low-VHF channels for viewing. As some 1960s-era 12-channel TV sets remained in use for many years, and Canada and Mexico were slower than the US to require UHF tuners to be factory-installed in new TVs, a market for these converters continued to exist for much of the 1970s. Cable television represented a possible alternative to deployment of UHF converters as broadcasts could be frequency-shifted to VHF channels at

1920-576: The set-top box is a small computer providing two-way communications on an IP network and decoding the video streaming media . IP set-top boxes have a built-in home network interface that can be Ethernet , Wireless (802.11   g,n,ac), or one of the existing wire home networking technologies such as HomePNA or the ITU-T G.hn standard, which provides a way to create a high-speed (up to 1 Gbit/s) local area network using existing home wiring ( power lines , phone lines, and coaxial cables ). In

1968-578: The specification was put up for review in January 2008 as V1.00 CI Plus Specification. The establishment of the Trusted Authority has been completed and an official security certification lab appointed. In 2009, versions 1.1 and 1.2 were released. The 1.2 version became the first one which was massively deployed. The main features added to the original DVB-CI standard by the CI+ v1.2 are: The spec doesn't state explicitly about each feature if it

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2016-556: The use of set-top boxes of various formats has never completely disappeared. Set-top boxes can also enhance source signal quality. Before the All-Channel Receiver Act of 1962 required US television receivers to be able to tune the entire VHF and UHF range (which in North America was NTSC-M channels 2 through 83 on 54 to 890   MHz ), a set-top box known as a UHF converter would be installed at

2064-692: The user is out. The user still needs to program the VCR or DVD recorder. Some models have controls on the box, as well as on the remote control . This is useful should the user lose the remote or if the batteries age. Some remote controls can also control some basic functions of various brands of TVs. This allows the user to use just one remote to turn the TV on and off, adjust volume, or switch between digital and analogue TV channels or between terrestrial and internet channels. The parental lock or content filters allow users over 18 years old to block access to channels that are not appropriate for children, using

2112-432: The user to choose preferred channels, making them easier and quicker to access; this is handy with the wide range of digital channels on offer. The concept of favourite channels is superficially similar to that of the " bookmark " function offered in many web browsers. The timer allows the user to program and enable the box to switch between channels at certain times: this is handy to record from more than one channel while

2160-601: The user within an interactive TV application, using its device remote control. Support of MHP or HbbTV interactive TV engines are also optional. CI+ 1.4 Hosts may optionally support the MHEG-5 interactive TV engine. The following operators have currently rolled out CI+ support or plan to do so: In July 2009 the largest Cable operator in the Netherlands, Ziggo , announced that it will support CI+ based Integrated Digital Television sets (IDTVs) actively. In September 2009

2208-555: The video signal. The transition to digital terrestrial television after the turn of the millennium left many existing television receivers unable to tune and display the new signal directly. In the United States, where the analogue shutdown was completed in 2009 for full-service broadcasters, a federal subsidy was offered for coupon-eligible converter boxes with deliberately limited capability which would restore signals lost to digital transition. Professional set-top boxes are referred to as IRDs or integrated receiver/decoders in

2256-460: Was a prototype topology for later date digital encryption devices. Newer televisions were then converted to be analogue cypher cable-ready, with the standard converter built-in for selling premium television (aka pay-per-view ). Several years later and slowly marketed, the advent of digital cable continued and increased the need for various forms of these devices. Block conversion of the entire affected frequency band onto UHF , while less common,

2304-720: Was used by some models to provide full VCR compatibility and the ability to drive multiple TV sets, albeit with a somewhat nonstandard channel numbering scheme. Newer television receivers greatly reduced the need for external set-top boxes, although cable converter boxes continue to be used to descramble premium cable channels according to carrier-controlled access restrictions, and to receive digital cable channels, along with using interactive services like video on demand , pay per view, and home shopping through television. Set-top boxes were also made to enable closed captioning on older sets in North America, before this became

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