Videocrypt revival

[Captain Jack]

I see - now I understand that everything is done in software with HackRF. Maybe I found a time to play a little bit with it - but can I reprogramm the software that I can make the outside 60bit control bits into the viewable first lines to put it into a Youtube Video? YT cut all the first lines out so there is no information like the old system from Videocrypt. I would like to send a Videocrypt Signal into YT coded. And decode it after playing from YT with the same system.

Take a look at Cryptimage - it already does what you want.

 

[weakbit]

@fsphil - I know it is only a fbas signal. This will be sampled in a 8bit ADC so the old Videocrypt Decoder. You can see this on the poor Videodynamic and strong color noise (red color noise inside the decoded Video). OK Kicad is much newer then the old eagle. I have a Linux Mint so this will work on the Mint 18.3 or so.

 

[weakbit]

we can make a new linecut point structur list that nobody can decode it - or we can mix the two old systems the line cutpoint Videocrypt and the NagraVision Line changer in one system. I think this is also made in software. Is there also a 8by8 pixel scrambler exist that will also fun.

 

[Captain Jack]

we can make a new linecut point structur list that nobody can decode it - or we can mix the two old systems the line cutpoint Videocrypt and the NagraVision Line changer in one system. I think this is also made in software. Is there also a 8by8 pixel scrambler exist that will also fun.

A Premiere Syster decoder already does it.

 

[Captain Jack]

Got an Arduino gizmo thing and thought I'd try reading OSD messages from Videocrypt decoder...

I need to sort out the timing so it updates faster but it generally works.

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

Hi everyone,

I have what is probably a ver dumb question.

I have ubuntu 20.04 installed

I am able to install hacktv in ubuntu with 'sudo apt install hacktv'

After some research I have found how to open the hacktv-gui.jar

When I go to GUI settings I can see the detected build is fsphil.

My question is how can I install the captainjack64 version?

'sudo apt install hacktv/captainjack64' does not work.

I have tried:

make
sudo make install

But then a lot of packages were not found in the pkg-config and it ends with:

font.h:22:10: fatal error: ft2.build.h: no such file or directory 22 | #include <ft2build.h>
Compilation terminated.
make: ***[Makefile:32: hacktv.o] Error 1

I am not sure what this would have done if it had worked but I was hoping it would have created a hacktv.c file which I could then move to usr/bin, replacing the other version.

I am totally new at this. If anyone could give me some tips I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

Hi everyone,

I have what is probably a ver dumb question.

I have ubuntu 20.04 installed

I am able to install hacktv in ubuntu with 'sudo apt install hacktv'

After some research I have found how to open the hacktv-gui.jar

When I go to GUI settings I can see the detected build is fsphil.

My question is how can I install the captainjack64 version?

'sudo apt install hacktv/captainjack64' does not work.

I have tried:

make
sudo make install

But then a lot of packages were not found in the pkg-config and it ends with:

font.h:22:10: fatal error: ft2.build.h: no such file or directory 22 | #include <ft2build.h>
Compilation terminated.
make: ***[Makefile:32: hacktv.o] Error 1

I am not sure what this would have done if it had worked but I was hoping it would have created a hacktv.c file which I could then move to usr/bin, replacing the other version.

I am totally new at this. If anyone could give me some tips I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Sorry for the dubbelpost I thought I had posted in the wrong thread.

 

[Captain Jack]

My version is not published in any repos and I'd suggest compiling fsphil's version from source as it will contain the latest and greatest.

Have you installed all the pre-requisites for compilation?

$ apt-get update
$ apt-get install libhackrf-dev libavutil-dev libavdevice-dev libswresample-dev libswscale-dev libavformat-dev libavcodec-dev libfreetype-dev libfreetype6-dev libpng-dev libavfilter-dev

There may be others as well - depending on what you already have on your system.

I would also take a look at @steeviebops's version (steeviebops/hacktv) which has some fixes from mine (I should really incorporate these into mine too).

@steeviebops - feel free to do pull requests!

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

Hi,

It works now. I just wanted to have my computer ready, still waiting on the hackrf to arrive. So can't test yet but at least everything seems to be installed correctly.

Next challenge is connecting the hackrf and programming the PCB goldwafer. I have a Macab NRF 570 D2MAC hoping to get that working again.
Do I need original card or will the files in the 'cards' folder work when programmed correctly?


Thanks!

 

[Captain Jack]

The files in cards folder will work fine.

Will be interesting to see how that receiver works - not seen one for sale.

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

Yes, I will definitely share if I get it to work.

Is there any advice you can give me on what accesories i'll need to make the connection between the old equipment and the HackRF. And do I need to put something between the two devices for protection. I believe I saw a youtube video where someone connected the hackrf to some kind of wallsocket and from there to the receiver.

 

[Captain Jack]

Macab is a receiver from what I understand, so easy to connect with a cable between HackRF and the receiver's LNB input.

For protection of HackRF from receiver's 13/18v on the socket, get a DC blocker, something like this.

F Screw Type DC Power Blocking Blocker Inline In Line Connector Coupler 100994 | eBay

F screw type inline connector. F Screw Type Connector with DC Blocking. DC blocking. Used for blocking DC content. All sizes are approximate and colour may vary slightly. We evaluate and test all our products so you don't have to.

www.ebay.co.uk

Of course, if you set up a small antenna at both ends, this is not needed.

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

Would this work with a chinese clone of Hackrf?
Or better not try?

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

I just got my decoder back. I get "THIS CHANNEL IS EXPIRED" message with the card I have posted above. It looks like this card is deactivated.
But I also got this other blue coloured Multichoice card:

View attachment 128139

My VC200 decoder works with this blue card so it is not reprogrammed (or reprogrammed as a pirate card) as my other blue card. But white cut-points are visible and the colour doesn't look nice at all.

This was is an irdeto card for digital TV, I know it was used in Belgium and The Netherlands in a Pace DVR 501. It was their very first digital satellite receiver.

 

[steeviebops]

Would this work with a chinese clone of Hackrf?
Or better not try?

The DC blocker will protect the HackRF from any voltages from the receiver, so this is a must. Also, be very careful with the amp option. Don’t use it with a cable attached and if using an aerial, don’t let anything touch it. It’s very easy to blow the amp in the HackRF, I know from experience!

 

[Captain Jack]

This was is an irdeto card for digital TV, I know it was used in Belgium and The Netherlands in a Pace DVR 501. It was their very first digital satellite receiver.

The used the same design for the later Videocrypt 2 cards as well.

Chinese HackRF will be fine. The design is open source so anyone can make one. I haven't heard of any issues with these.

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

Would Cablecrypt/Luxcrypt be possible with Hacktv as well?
Luxcrypt was used for RTL4 in the Netherlands. It looked very similar to Cablecrypt. This Cablecrypt Decoder was used by the cable companies in Belgium.

Technical info

L U X C R Y P T

 

[Captain Jack]

It's on the todo list. I have a couple of RTL4 decoders but need to work out the technical side of things

 

[D-e-l-e-t-e-d]

I may finally get my hands a videocrypt Sky card, a yellow one. I think it may be a series 12 card. It has the text 'The viewing card' on it and NDS on the back. Would it possibly be usable?

 

[Captain Jack]

Yes, it will work using --videocrypt sky12 argument.