Freecam 2.019, is it genuine

[rolfw]

Just found on http://home.wish.net/~ouwerker/ under CAM software. It claims to work with Conax (if the correct keys are obtained) and PowerVu, the second is the one that makes me suspicious, as far as i was aware, Powervu required a dedicated receiver for it's unique compression format. The text read-me file is attached.

Rolf

 

[nobbly]

There's one way to find out...LOL
nobbly :+

 

[rolfw]

Yes, after you Nobbly ;)

rolf

 

[wolsty]

I know I sometimes look so hard that I can't see what I want, but I've just looked on the site and can't see a button for CAM software. Where is it?

wolsty

 

[rolfw]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-Mar-02 AT 11:42 AM (GMT)]Odd, there appeared to be a different page there yesterday, it is however available on Satdudes download and also Nobbly's link below. It looks almost certainly to be a fake though.

Rolf

PS Satdudes upload/download is down at moment, Kink has removed it as he is having problems with the Forum program.

 

[2old4this]

the 019 is "fake". There are a couple of minor changes in the bin but not germane to the functionality. Avoid it.
2old

 

[wolsty]

Thanks, 2old; you've saved me a lot of wasted time.

Just as a matter of interest, why would anyone publish 'hacks' that don't work? What does the author stand to gain except the disapproval of those he's misled. Is it just a mistaken desire to help, or is there a more sinister reason?

wolsty

 

[2old4this]

More often than not, there is one person who generates the original "fake" for the same kind of reasons people create & spread viruses. EG (brief) notoriety, practical joke, personal vendetta/axe to grind.
Then there are many more innocent (although perhaps careless/selfish) people who propagate the file, more intent on bringing it quickly to the attention of whatever forum they inhabit, than on actually testing or verifying it themselves. They may simply be motivated by a desire to have others test and take the risk first, or to enjoy the "honour" of being first to post, should it turn out to be genuine (some are, occasionally).

But there are also other possibilities. Frequent rumour has it that several of the over-enthusiastically posted fake conax files are posted by satellite dealers in an attempt to boost conax CAM sales.
There is no question that CAM prices are adjusted when a hack becomes public. The very day that the Viaccess hack went public (12 feb 01) Viaccess CI CAM prices increased by 25%...

It is also true that many of the most frequent posters in satellite boards are actually proprietors or employees of such companies. Many of the sites hosting boards are funded directly or indirectly by satellite dealerships.

There have also been instances of malicious posting of files that will actually damage your equipment. Maybe you recall an early AllCAM (v0.04.60se, 10-march-00) firmware for the series-1 Irdeto CAM. It had a feature built-in that disabled the CAM after a certain number of uses, damaging the loader and so rendering it not just unusable ("licence error") but also non-patchable. Why would anyone do that? Who knows. Either the "virus" mentality mentioned above, or maybe something more sinister. I can imagine, for example, that Mindport (owners of Irdeto) might have something to gain from circulating a file that knocked out reverse-engineered CAMs (stranger things have happened ... see the breaking Canal+ vs NDS saga...).
And a very similar thing happened again with the first Alphacrypt firmware for the newer Euro CAM.

When you swim with sharks, expect to get bitten...

2old

 

[Burnt Chips]

Ive just been reading a thread on Phills about this. All the Mods were
telling every1 to hang on before trying,(the were cautious about trying themselves)1 quoted irdeto v4 which kills your cam.Anyway 1
brave sole has (alledgedly) Flashed his cam with it,He thought it opens CONAX channels without a card (we wish) but states it does say in menu CONAX and Powervu and when on Thor hes getting the famous
NVRAM ERROR DAVE.

 

[sjude]

I had flashed my cam to 2.019 but after reading the board reflashed it back to 2.018.

Does anyone know if 2.019 is genuine or a fake one. I could see PowerVu which I would like to try. How does PowerVu work. Does it need codes as I read that special PowerVu decoders are required for it.

Thanks,
Jude

 

[rolfw]

The 2.019 is simply the earlier version renamed. There is a better version of 2.018 though called kinawebFreecam2.018 this solves the V-ram error and also works with Seca on Hyundai receivers and some others where the original version didn't. The switching also appears to be better.

Rolf

 

[Amnesiac]

PowerVu is, as I understand it NOT DVB compliant. It is an MPEG2 variant, but uses different compression (& I wish I could remember the detail of the article I read). It is a quirk that the PowerVu receivers can receive some DVB broadcasts.

Also, the PowerVu used over Europe is primarily intended for US armed services personnel. Looking at the US military and Scientific Atlanta's web sites it seems that each customer has a unique encryption version in the reciever's firmware, and, the US Armed forces one is matched to the US military broadcasts (worldwide) - the box's expire after 2 years and each one is tracked by the US military.

So... I'd guess you'd need to alter the firmware of the reciever to catch the different flavour of MPEG2 stream before it even hit the CAM - so perhaps a HUMAX or Nokia variant might surface which cloned a working reciever.

Someone who knows more than I do (not difficult) might like to comment.

A.

 

[steford]

Any links for the enhanced v2.018? Works OK on my Hyundai but not so great on Telepiu Seca. Polish C+ is fine however!

 

[rolfw]

http://www.satellites.co.uk/scripts/webforum/DCForumID33/153_2.html this thread has the link to the Kinawb file that you are asking about.

Rolf

 

[nobbly]

KinaFreecam2-018 is now on Phills sat files
www.satnip.net > FIRMWARE > CAMS > IRDETO CAMS

nobbly :+