2004
Tough Times Ahead for
Satellite TV Pirates
In addition to constant
fear of being raided and arrested by police, those dealing in illegal satellite
TV equipment will now have to face more aggressive electronic security hurdles.
Nagra, the security vender for both EchoStar and Bell Expressview, has also been able to increase the effectiveness and frequency of their electronic counter measures (ECM’s). Cardless, “Free to Air”, receivers such as the Blackbird, seem to be the most immune to these ECM’s, but are also among the most expensive black market devises, selling for approximately $500 to $800. Nagra has announced that by September 2005, they too will complete a migration to a new level of security that will be much more difficult to compromise. As with the DirecTV P4 card, this will, for a period of time, render all devices that pirate EchoStar and Bell Expressview systems, inoperable.
It is naïve to think the P4 card and the anticipated Nagra security upgrades will not be compromised, but it’s fair to say it is becoming more difficult, less convenient, and a lot more costly to steal satellite signals. For those dealing in this illegal service, this is not good news. The prospects of lower revenues combined with the increased risk of enforcement action should have them thinking it might be a good time to consider a new line of business.
|
Links - Liens
|