Virgin Media TV Pirates - Please Read and Respond

[Red32]

Dear Cableforum

This is my first post on the site. I would like you to read what im about to say on the subject of Virgin Media TV Pirates.

As im sure many of you are aware Cable TV Piracy in the UK is huge. There are thousands and thousands of Virgin Media customers who steal Virgin TV via a modified digibox or card. Not only that but you can also purchase ***** boxes from ebay which decrypt and operate much better than our own UK boxes. This has been going on for many years.

I won't go into any details as to how the digiboxes/cards are modified etc that is not why Im posting on this subject today.

I have a few issues with Virgin Media that I would appreciate your thoughts and opinions on if you have a few minutes to spare.

1. Nothing sufficient has been done to deter these people who continue to this day to use the above methods to watch premium content on Virgin Media. There was a "Blackout" back in April of this year which was rectified within 48 hours believe it or not. <edit Rob: deleted as too much information>..

2. Viewers who choose to update their digiboxes via the <edit Rob: deleted as too much information>.

3. Back at the end of April 2008 I reported several people to Virgin Media via their freephone Fraud Hotline. The people I reported included users of the afore mentioned set top boxes or cards and also people who are able to repair and or reflash software to digiboxes and cards. Names, Addresses and telephone numbers of all four persons reported were given to Virgin Media and as yet absolutely nothing has happened to any of them, who all stay locally I might add. Business is booming for the crooks and so it will continue as no one at Virgin Media seems to be bothered by whats occuring.

4. Did you know that the latest set top box, the V+ box can be modified so that all channels and pay per view events can be ordered completely free at the touch of a button? V+ Boxes seem to be readily available from a local seller at £180. This includes all the technical support you will ever need and free repairs should you experience any problems. Viewing cards that have been modified to recieve all channels are also readily available for only £30.

5. Ebay sellers as well as local sellers in my area are doing a huge amount of buisness providing multiple set top boxes/cards to each household. This ensures that bedrooms as well as living rooms offer the choice of what you want to watch. Any channel Anywhere in the house! Let me add that I know of an address that has four of these boxes in use in every room in the house.

At the end of the day Virgin Media seem powerless to stop people stealing their television service. Software is readily available as are Keycodes to keep users of these digiboxes and cards very content.
So do Virgin Media have something up their sleeve? I honestly can't see it but maybe we will be surprised in the weeks ahead.

What's your views on this subject?

<Edit Rob: Some of the post has been edited. We really do not want to encourage people who don't know how to do this stuff, from even having an idea of what terms to input into google>

[ShadowTD]

The situation is pretty horrible and needs something doing about it. As I sat down to write this post it came to me in a blinding flash - IPTV. If Virgin's 'next gen' service is based on IPTV then the piracy problem will simply disappear. All channels and PPV's will be entirely managed at the VM end on your account. There will be no way of 'fooling' the system with a dodgy card because a card will not be needed. Just a hardware ID.

Genius.

[v0id]

Originally Posted by Red32

......What's your views on this subject?

Although you make some valid points, and it's a well written article, I was under the impression that we don't discuss this subject on Cable Forum

[cimt]

Originally Posted by v0id

Although you make some valid points, and it's a well written article, I was under the impression that we don't discuss this subject on Cable Forum

I think it depends what you mention? Like you can't mention where to get them from, and the makes and stuff?

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by v0id

Although you make some valid points, and it's a well written article, I was under the impression that we don't discuss this subject on Cable Forum

You can discuss the subject. You just can't discuss specifics of how to do it (where to get equipment, how to set it up etc).

[haydnwalker]

Although I don't know how often it happens in my area various people have brought it to my attention that it can be done. My father-in-law is always at various places they are available from and he's always saying "why don't i get one of these chipped boxes". My answer is always "Because it's stealing...and I'm not a thief!" I think VM should do something like go to the dealers and stop the dealings in these boxes. Though as previous posters have said IPTV should be better if they managed packages without cards etc piracy would be a much more difficult prospect for them.

[mertle]

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

The situation is pretty horrible and needs something doing about it. As I sat down to write this post it came to me in a blinding flash - IPTV. If Virgin's 'next gen' service is based on IPTV then the piracy problem will simply disappear. All channels and PPV's will be entirely managed at the VM end on your account. There will be no way of 'fooling' the system with a dodgy card because a card will not be needed. Just a hardware ID.

Genius.

spot on I think this why VM going to IPTV service to stop this.

To be honest in the meantime if they moved to switched system would this equally stop the issue.

Just have the main stuff you get from freeview as transmision signal. Have the rest switched so the box has to request it.

[bywater]

Surely if ntl know which households do not subsribe to services. Wouldn't it just be a simple case of disconecting cable from the cab. Part problem solved.

I know it goes on and it's rife around here. I'm amazed at people's attitudes that it's considered OK to be ripping off a large corporate, almost as if they deserve to have those services for free. They don't see it as theft.
I'm completely guessing - does the work that would be put into having these bogus boxes traced & disconnected outweigh having them leeching off the system?

[bmxbandit]

Originally Posted by ShadowTD

The situation is pretty horrible and needs something doing about it. As I sat down to write this post it came to me in a blinding flash - IPTV. If Virgin's 'next gen' service is based on IPTV then the piracy problem will simply disappear. All channels and PPV's will be entirely managed at the VM end on your account. There will be no way of 'fooling' the system with a dodgy card because a card will not be needed. Just a hardware ID.

Genius.

What, like a MAC address? Just as spoofable. Some intelligent 'is this packet going to the right cab' would crack down fairly well, but I bet someone would crack it Management at the VM end makes a lot of sense though, given enough hardware...

[sakiblateef]

Although iptv sounds good how many of you would just sit there ordering a channel each time you want to watch something? I know I wouldn't if they made all channels that way I would move to sky plus their vod system doesn't even work most of the time and to have channels this way would mean the channels will be down most of the time.

[LostintheNW]

Although I don't agree with the piracy thing as I think you should always pay for what you get, I do however find this laughable that this goes on and sorry to say good on the people for doing it at the moment given the state of play with VM and their attitude towards their customers, they are shafting us so people are shafting them back.

And before anyone suggests, no I do not have any form of pirated service in my house I pay for packages I have and the naff service I receive (although this is being removed shortly )

[mattyg]

Originally Posted by bywater

Surely if ntl know which households do not subsribe to services. Wouldn't it just be a simple case of disconecting cable from the cab. Part problem solved.

I used to do this when i used to reposses none payers equipment
I got paid £5 per box and £5 per disconnect. nice earner.
However we tried as a bit of a sideline to contact someone in CS In scotland and find out who was on/off in street A then whilst in the cab disconnect and get another £5 they soon put stop to that when they realised we were disconnecting without a work order.
The line from the then area manager was they just wont pay I said give me a list and i'll clear up each cabinet for £10 then. nope not interested. that was back in the analogue days when they were getting bad splashover from open ports on the main boards.

We did a mass pit clean up in bristol but thats as far as it went.
I collected a chipped box once gave it to the boss next week in the same cabinet and the cust was back on but with my disc tag still intact so i disc him again phoned boss he said yeah there now on digi.

If there not bothered why should we be

[senna123]

I know people can/do buy boxes to steal cable services but could Virgin minimise it by ensuring that they collect cable boxes when a customer drops the TV service and also make sure that they disconnect that address from the street cab. That way people would have to break into the street cab to connect again if they were going to steal cable TV, (then again these are normally left open or have no door!)

[mattyg]

Make sure they collect them easier said than done my friend

Unfortunatly there are hundreds that refuse to give them back or just move and take it or sell em

As for disconecting at the cabinet if they pay for someone to doit it would get done but they wont/dont as much as they should