Videocrypt revival

Byteman

Member
Joined
May 7, 2011
Messages
45
Reaction score
3
Points
8
Age
31
Website
bytespace.by
My Satellite Setup
Dreambox DM500s @ 36E
//Amstrad SAT 301 (analog) @ 5W
//Echostar SR-90 (analog) @ 19E
//Nokia SAT 8003 S (analog) @ 19E
My Location
Belarus, Minsk/Brest
I still have an old russian analog NTV+ decoder with key card in it. If somebody is interested in it, I can take some photos and perform any tests with this decoder. Decoder is the same as on this photo:
1234963232.jpg
 

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
I spent Saturday night playing around with hacktv and an original Thomson VideoCrypt decoder. Stupidly blew the TX amp in my HackRF during the process though. :(

I have a fairly large collection of Sky cards, I'm pretty sure I have every design that they issued publicly. With the official release from fsphil, I had two Sky issue 11 cards that work. One of them was actually my parents' card from around 1997. I've loads of issue 12 cards (the yellow ones) and none of them work. They sit on PLEASE WAIT but nothing happens.

With Captain Jack's fork, I experimented with the 09 mode. I have two 09 cards that work, but interestingly, I also have three issue 10 cards that work in this mode too. I wonder if the VBI data was extracted from a time when the transition period between 09 and 10 was taking place? The 09 cards also show the P0 T0 message when inserted.

For the laugh, I had an old Telecom Éireann CallCard, which was a type of prepaid phone card that was sold in Ireland in the 1990s which could be used in payphones. Putting this in the VideoCrypt decoder returns the message "50 TOKENS REMAINING". I'm surprised that it reads it at all.
 
Last edited:

Channel Hopper

Suffering fools, so you don't have to.
Staff member
Joined
Jan 1, 2000
Messages
35,536
Reaction score
8,554
Points
113
Age
59
Website
www.sat-elite.uk
My Satellite Setup
A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
My Location
UK
I do have some prepaid BT cards in the shed (green and silver). Are they still a valid method of making calls ?
 

fsphil

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Messages
112
Reaction score
52
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
Still playing with analogue. Also running a Humax FOXSAT-HDR and a Thomson THS804.
My Location
UK
Stupidly blew the TX amp in my HackRF during the process though

I feel your pain. They seem to be particularly fragile. The component is cheap but very very tiny.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Hi @steviebops. Do you have a Sky 07 card? It's the one with blue clouds on it. I have but it's expired. I have the code that I think should work with it but without the card, I cannot test.

If I send you a version that I think should work with 07 version, can you test it for me?

Sky 09 code is not captured VBI but dynamically generated control words as that system was hacked to pieces and there was plenty of code available to make use of. There's no 10 series code, which used custom ASIC but I believe 10 series cards had 09 code in as well for transition period. I also have one that works.
 

2cvbloke

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2006
Messages
9,768
Reaction score
1,808
Points
113
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
No satellite stuff for the moment (aside from a 43cm minidish that was on the house already), Samsung SyncMaster T27B550 Smart TV & Monitor, and a few computers...
My Location
Near Pontop Pike, Co. Durham
I do have some prepaid BT cards in the shed (green and silver). Are they still a valid method of making calls ?

Nope, they scrapped the old phonecards years ago, modern ones (if any remain) tended to use cards with chips in them, and even those died off, any cards used today are debit & credit cards assuming you can find a working payphone...
 

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
Hi @steviebops. Do you have a Sky 07 card? It's the one with blue clouds on it. I have but it's expired. I have the code that I think should work with it but without the card, I cannot test.

If I send you a version that I think should work with 07 version, can you test it for me?
I do indeed. I have at least three but I'm not sure if they're active or not. Feel free to send on the code.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
I do indeed. I have at least three but I'm not sure if they're active or not. Feel free to send on the code.
That's great! I am not at home this week but I'll ping you next week and I'll send you a copy that should work.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Thanks to @steeviebops for running some tests last week. Have now pushed a patch that will work Sky 06 and Sky 07 cards. So just series 10 and 12 missing - pending VBI data captures...
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Been playing with PPV on series 10 card...

 

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
That's brilliant! I forgot about the Events Paid message that appeared when you purchased a PPV programme.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
That's brilliant! I forgot about the Events Paid message that appeared when you purchased a PPV programme.
I pushed the latest with PPV - see if your 10 series cards ever had it enabled. Some extra info In code itself.
 

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
I pushed the latest with PPV - see if your 10 series cards ever had it enabled. Some extra info In code itself.
They both give the "please call" message. Must play with the PPV code when I have time (maybe on Monday as I have the day off work).
 

orizatriznyak

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Messages
32
Reaction score
6
Points
8
My Satellite Setup
Vu+Duo4kSE, Vu+Solo2, Wavefrontier T90 (via satip)
My Location
Budapest,Hungary
Hi Captain Jack!
I just saw your latest youtube video about VC2. So does it work now in conditional access mode as well?
I have 2 official Multichoice cards I hope these are still "active". If not I'll make a PIC card for it. As I know Multichoice had never changed keys, before they ceased. I am trying to find a VC2 decoder too.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Hi Captain Jack!
I just saw your latest youtube video about VC2. So does it work now in conditional access mode as well?
I have 2 official Multichoice cards I hope these are still "active". If not I'll make a PIC card for it. As I know Multichoice had never changed keys, before they ceased. I am trying to find a VC2 decoder too.
Yes, correct. It should also work with your Multichoice cards. However, I don't have an official one to test - only using a PIC card with old hex files. If you feel like letting one of your official cards go for "testing", let me know :)
 

steeviebops

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
105
Reaction score
74
Points
28
My Satellite Setup
A basic 28.2 Freesat config, but have had a long history of satellite TV dating back to the analogue 19.2 days. Using a HP ZBook 15 G5 laptop (Core i7-8850H, 32GB RAM, Quadro video card)
My Location
Drogheda, Ireland
I noticed that Sky series 12 cards have been added. I have four of them and three work. The one that doesn't is the card my parents had when I was a child.
 

orizatriznyak

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Messages
32
Reaction score
6
Points
8
My Satellite Setup
Vu+Duo4kSE, Vu+Solo2, Wavefrontier T90 (via satip)
My Location
Budapest,Hungary
Yes, correct. It should also work with your Multichoice cards. However, I don't have an official one to test - only using a PIC card with old hex files. If you feel like letting one of your official cards go for "testing", let me know :)
Sorry, but it seems like I was wrong. One of my Multichoice card looks like this:
It looks like more of an Irdeto card but there is also a "Multichoice Magyarország" text on the backside of the card. Strange because Irdeto was not used for any service here back then. When I insert this card I get eurocrypt ATR and my eurocrypt decoder shows the cardname "Skymac". So it is an eurocrypt (pirate?) card. Now I have 3 of them one with a much longer ATR with the name "RDV"

My other card seems to be a real VC2 Multichoice card with the text "Your Choice of Quality Television" on it. I am getting back my old pace vc200 decoder next week.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Old Sky 09 (and 10) cards could be programmed into Eurocrypt ones. Some of them could also be converted into Multichoice cards. This means that old Multichoice cards, after its demise in 98, could also probably be programmed into Eurocrypt ones. So that card probably was VC2 originally...

What are the other cards that you have - post a pic :)
 

orizatriznyak

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Messages
32
Reaction score
6
Points
8
My Satellite Setup
Vu+Duo4kSE, Vu+Solo2, Wavefrontier T90 (via satip)
My Location
Budapest,Hungary
This is my Multichoice card.
128006

My other 2 (eurocrypt) pirate cards are blank white ones.

I collect expired subscription cards for ages, but these others are used for digital services.
 

Captain Jack

Burnt out human
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
11,797
Reaction score
7,980
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
See signature
My Location
North Somerset
Thanks for that. I'd be really interested (and, frankly, surprised) to know if Videocrypt 2 conditional access mode works with this.
 
Top