BEV swaps Smartcards to stop satellite piracy
BEV swaps Smartcards to stop satellite piracyFor the second time in three years, BEV is introducing a new signal encryption system which the company hopes will thwart pirates from stealing its satellite television signals.
The transition by BEV to the new encryption system is now in its second stage and requires many BEV subscribers to remove the Conditional Access (CA) SmartCard inside their satellite receiver with a new one.
In the first stage of the transition to the new encryption system, BEV issued new firmware updates to all BEV direct-to-home (DTH) satellite receivers. These firmware updates were sent out by the company at night to selected receivers without any intervention by the subscriber.
In the second step of the update process, BEV sent a letter in the mail to affected subscribers which included a new upgraded Conditional Access (CA) SmartCard, which looks similar to a credit card, and instructions on how to swap their cards.
Swapping the SmartCard on BEV receivers is usually a simple process. On most BEV receivers, the SmartCard is located at the front on the left hand side. The card fits into a small slot and, depending on the model, is either exposed or behind a protective panel.
The subscriber just removes the old card and slides in the new one. Some BEV receivers may not have a SmartCard in the slot so the subscriber simply slides the new card in the free slot.
Once the new card is in place, customers activate the new card online or via a toll free phone number. BEV says it will then take approximately 15 minutes to 2 hours for programming to return to normal.
The company is encouraging subscribers to replace and activate the new Smartcard in the given time limit or they'll see a message telling them that it's critical to replace and activate their SmartCards. Failure to do so will eventually result in their programming be turned off.
Backgrounder on Encryption
BEV Error 127 Simply speaking, Encryption is the digital process of modifying data to to prevent unauthorized access or viewing of the information. The process of transforming the data back into a format that is readable is called decryption.
To defeat pirates from stealing their broadcasts, digital cable and satellite television providers, such as BEV, encrypt the signals prior to transmission. Once the signals reach the subscribers homes, the encrypted signals can only be decrypted by an authorized digital set top box or satellite receiver.
With BEV, the SmartCard essentially holds the magic key that allows your satellite receiver to decode the encrypted signal. Without a properly authorized SmartCard, subscribers won't be able to watch television.
Why is BEV introducing a new Encryption scheme
Since the last encryption scheme update in 2005, the BEV and DN systems in the United States, have been seriously compromised by satellite pirates who are using inexpensive Free-to-Air (FTA) receivers to illegally watch BEV and DN programming.
Last year, the Carmel Group estimated that more than 2 million homes in North America were pirating BEV and DN Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite television signals.
The new encryption scheme is an attempt by BEV and DN to shut down the satellite pirates.