Archive for September, 2006

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Rupert Murdoch: “Turd Bird” DirectTV Up For Sale

Friday, September 29th, 2006
In a splattering blow to the satellite biz, Rupert Murdoch supposedly dubbed D*recTV a “turd bird” and is considering selling News Corp.’s controlling stake to Liberty Media.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin on Thursday shot down another possible outcome for the satcaster. He indicated regulators still would be reluctant to greenlight a merger between D*recTV and smaller rival E*hoStar.

News Corp. owns 38% of D*recTV, the nation’s largest satellite provider. But Murdoch’s been down on the business lately. Cablers are successfully rolling out a triple play of video, Internet and telephone — service that satcasters can’t easily match.

D*recTV stock fell 3.23% Thursday to close at $19.19 after a Morgan Stanley analyst downgraded the shares.

A person close to the conglom said a D*recTV sale is being discussed as one of several possible ways to unwind Liberty’s large stake in News Corp.

CNBC reported that Murdoch had made the “turd bird” remark.

For well over a year, News Corp. has been trying to find a way to buy Malone’s stake in exchange for some combination of assets and cash. Liberty holds voting and non-voting stock worth $10 billion, making Malone News Corp.’s second largest shareholder after Murdoch.

Malone’s position made Murdoch so nervous that News Corp.’s board adopted a poison pill, which is meant to deter hostile takeovers. Shareholders, including Liberty, will vote at News Corp.’s annual meeting Oct. 20 on whether to keep the poison-pill measure in place.

News Corp. wanted to resolve the issue before then.

Investors tend not to like poison-pill provisions, and some shareholders had sued News Corp. for imposing it and then extending it.

This past summer, the swap for News Corp. stock was going to include some Fox TV stations, but that option seems to have been tabled.

News Corp. chief operating officer Peter Chernin said earlier this week that “talks (with Liberty) are going pretty positively.”

“We’d like to see this resolved, but we’re not going to feel pressure to do a deal. We feel that investors are likely to vote in favor of a poison pill because no one wants us to do a deal that’s not in our best interest,” he said at a media conference.

Chernin also shot down speculation that D*recTV is looking to merge with E*hoStar, saying there have been no substantive talks.

The satcasters tried to merge in 2002, but U.S. antitrust regulators killed the deal, and News Corp. swooped in.

Some industryites have argued recently that the entrance of telcos into the video biz has changed the competitive landscape and thus could render a satellite merger allowable.

“Obviously, there’s the potential for that in the future,” Martin said, referring to the growth of the telco TV biz. “But I don’t think it’s been widespread enough to talk about changing our analysis of the nationwide video market,” he said on a conference call with Wall Streeters sponsored by UBS.

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17 website’s busted

Friday, September 29th, 2006

As part of the piracy crackdown, 17 Web sites that were allegedly selling illegal equipment or offering technical advice on stealing signals have been disabled:
spacetwister.com
angelpride.com
devilscrypt.com
dssword.com
ftafix.com
dsstoybox.com
extremen2.com
globalpayment.com
d*sharm.com
internationalhosting.info
outerlimitsatellitesupplies.com
satgroup.ca
overseashostingonline.com
d*shtoybox.com
nagra2hack.com
dsswholesale.com
armsecuritysolutions.com

The raids were simultaneously conducted at storefronts and residences in Niagara Falls, Amhurstburg, Brampton, Innisfil, Mississauga and Markham, Ontario, according to E*hoStar

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FTA fights back!

Friday, September 29th, 2006

More units are coming back to life now since providers pulled MAP57. DVB is up and others will be back up soon. Seems Team Reliable has helped quite a bit this time. This was badly needed too. As long as FTA’s are up, the masses have their free TV the easy way. MAP57 & 3B are public now so look for several releases this coming week from various manufacturers. Competiton is good for the industry and keeps prices low & features up..Nagrastar is changing directions tho, and we will probaly see more new revs coming quicker.It’s cat & mouse now till providers tighten up their security. I’m pretty sure we will have tv for some time yet tho. Enjoy it!

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Solar Blackout Time Begins

Friday, September 29th, 2006

Experienced this today on 119 around 2 PM local at Latitude 15N. This happens for about 10 mins. as the sun passes directly behind the sat. As the sun goes lower the blackout latitude will get higher. There are calculators out there to show you the exact dates and times from your location. Try Google.

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Rev 10b in the stream

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006

For those all happy bout the change of events, don’t get your hopes up too high. You more than likely be in the same boat you were in this past June. My guess enjoy until friday of ths week but later than 23 of this month for sure. Word is dish will initiate 3 map calls instead of 1.

Dishnet REV10B update

; ** STREAM PACKETS **
21406DA0CA00006704650001820010EA7D44480379026F210D 08EF4F9A1C6C2D92D8CF7B210867AB083ADE6282FEF4297B5C DBD7D7FED5A58CF9F959CCC9B9920F84B0F33B210628E9EAEA B0EC18B8056C901483CE15ACC4CF1F204CC0F25909788AC72F F9F5D3442045CE937E36AF0237
21406DA0CA0000670465000182001015253376B0760105232D EDE94A3A2FF7EC645B0FF197F258C7CC3C43B7E3C3180B5AD6 4A720A6D10CA4DACB4CAEF52181B3CF5CDB6B2AA73C3E25AF6 6EF6AA139FEEA00EF046F0D62068580F019C5F2C86D4F4B68D C2DEB4495E70BB3A97E1250267
21006DA0CA00006704650001820010BDBFAC225ED55D82C674 F520D1F356166DC91242A3F61074ADAE9FF82D14C68D1EE2C4 FAEFF8F440AD592F768AA0BE2D0AFE372AE59D51E8817C315A 7B903C8C1A7F6E2B9D98787EA37544020A13F5AC9E97E05942 5E5117E5AC73115525B90802DC
21006DA0CA0000670465000182001087A4480C8A084ECA0F49 ADAF1B4D486F782A4058F05D346ACF3D83A9D546072331F169 BCF24F3285D47C8CD6DA150AC0B03DBB3ECF088ABC7C4F2CD8 C8B0AF7BAAE67E30813968830F8577E27801D8A9A1A00FBE50 6D30C81F77D58C3271F73902C6

; ** DECRYPTED **
21406DA0CA000067046500018200101ceb1e1b6b670c010001 14dc707f18717787e309104c340291d501000291d501000292 8c268383838383838383838383838383838383838383838383 838383838383838383838383838383e309104d050230d70141 0000000000000000000000
21406DA0CA000067046500018200100d0561844005f0080001 14dc707f18717787e309104e490291d7458a9ba602b748cd92 7ecd59da019080cd5ac00a00019003a6f888a6918888cc9121 905f5fa601b74aa690b74bd601a8aa01d701a83f48a618cd58 ecb64ab744b64bb745a607
21006DA0CA00006704650001820010189e00bd6abc4bf50001 14dc707f18717787e309104f4902921c45cd927ea618cd596b b64ab744b64bb745a603b748a63bcd927e3f48a60ccd927e90 5c90a302240b9fab2897a628cd58ec20b5a643cd927ecd5ac0 0190040040a644cd927ecd
21006DA0CA00006704650001820010624c3db2a3f960890001 14dc707f18717787e30910502f0292612b5ac001d0040040a6 44cd927ecd59da019080cd5ac0044401900286988788899089 8acd3840869085858481e30910510a0291d501070230d70142 0000000000000000000000

; ** BREAKDOWN **
21406DA0CA0000670465 0001 820010 1CEB1E1B6B670C01 0001 14DC707F 18717787
___E3 09 104C 34
______02 91D5 01 00
______02 91D5 01 00
______02 928C 26 83838383838383838383838383838383
_________________83838383838383838383838383838383
_________________838383838383
___E3 09 104D 05
______02 30D7 01 41
___00 END 00000000000000000000
21406DA0CA0000670465 0001 820010 0D0561844005F008 0001 14DC707F 18717787
___E3 09 104E 49
______02 91D7 45 8A9BA602B748CD927ECD59DA019080CD
_________________5AC00A00019003A6F888A6918888CC91
_________________21905F5FA601B74AA690B74BD601A8AA
_________________01D701A83F48A618CD58ECB64AB744B6
_________________4BB745A607
21006DA0CA0000670465 0001 820010 189E00BD6ABC4BF5 0001 14DC707F 18717787
___E3 09 104F 49
______02 921C 45 CD927EA618CD596BB64AB744B64BB745
_________________A603B748A63BCD927E3F48A60CCD927E
_________________905C90A302240B9FAB2897A628CD58EC
_________________20B5A643CD927ECD5AC00190040040A6
_________________44CD927ECD
21006DA0CA0000670465 0001 820010 624C3DB2A3F96089 0001 14DC707F 18717787
___E3 09 1050 2F
______02 9261 2B 5AC001D0040040A644CD927ECD59DA01
_________________9080CD5AC00444019002869887888990
_________________898ACD3840869085858481
___E3 09 1051 0A
______02 91D5 01 07
______02 30D7 01 42
___00 END 00000000000000000000

; ** PATCHES **
; REV10A_update_patch:
; disable module
$91D51 00
; update module code (clear old)
$928C=83838383838383838383838383838383
$929C=83838383838383838383838383838383
$92AC6 838383838383
; update last byte of rev to “A”
$30D71 41

; REV10B_update_patch:
; update module code
$91D7=8A9BA602B748CD927ECD59DA019080CD
$91E7=5AC00A00019003A6F888A6918888CC91
$91F7=21905F5FA601B74AA690B74BD601A8AA
$9207=01D701A83F48A618CD58ECB64AB744B6
$9217=4BB745A607CD927EA618CD596BB64AB7
$9227=44B64BB745A603B748A63BCD927E3F48
$9237=A60CCD927E905C90A302240B9FAB2897
$9247=A628CD58EC20B5A643CD927ECD5AC001
$9257=90040040A644CD927ECD5AC001D00400
$9267=40A644CD927ECD59DA019080CD5AC004
$9277=44019002869887888990898ACD384086
$92875 9085858481
; enable module
$91D51 07
; update last byte of rev to “B”
$30D71 42

** DISASSEMBLY **
91D7: 8A push CC
91D8: 9B sim
91D9: A602 ld A,#$02
91DB: B748 ld $48,A ; $48 = 2
91DD: CD927E call MapCall_ ; (02) set default size
91E0: CD59DA call ClearRAM
91E3: 0190 .dw 0190 ; dest
91E5: 80 .db 80 ; len
91E6: CD5AC0 call Copy
91E9: 0A00 .dw 0A00 ; src
91EB: 0190 .dw 0190 ; dest
91ED: 03 .db 03 ; len
91EE: A6F8 ld A,#$F8
91F0: 88 push A ; push F8 91 91
91F1: A691 ld A,#$91
91F3: 88 push A
91F4: 88 push A
91F5: CC9121 jp $9121

91F8: 905F clr Y ; Y = 0
91FA: 5F clr X ; X = 0
91FB: A601 ld A,#$01
91FD: B74A ld $4A,A
91FF: A690 ld A,#$90
9201: B74B ld $4B,A ; RC2 = 0190

:_LOOP_
9203: D601A8 ld A,($01A8,X)
9206: AA01 or A,#$01
9208: D701A8 ld ($01A8,X),A ; $01A8 |= 01
920B: 3F48 clr $48 ; $48 = 0
920D: A618 ld A,#$18
920F: CD58EC call ADD_A_to_RC2 ; RC2 += 18h
9212: B64A ld A,$4A
9214: B744 ld $44,A
9216: B64B ld A,$4B
9218: B745 ld $45,A ; 44:45 = RC2
921A: A607 ld A,#$07
921C: CD927E call MapCall_ ; (07) import [44:45] to MR_D
.
921F: A618 ld A,#$18
9221: CD596B call Sub_A_from_RC2 ; RC2 -= 18h
9224: B64A ld A,$4A
9226: B744 ld $44,A
9228: B64B ld A,$4B
922A: B745 ld $45,A ; 44:45 = RC2
922C: A603 ld A,#$03
922E: B748 ld $48,A ; $48 = 03
9230: A63B ld A,#$3B
9232: CD927E call MapCall_ ; MapCall_ (3B) ?
.
9235: 3F48 clr $48 ; $48 = 0
9237: A60C ld A,#$0C
9239: CD927E call MapCall_ ; (0C) export MR_C to [44:45]

923C: 905C inc Y ; Y++
923E: 90A302 cp Y,#$02
9241: 240B jruge $924E ; if Y

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EchoStar must disable DVRs, judge rules

Sunday, September 3rd, 2006

Fri Aug 18, 2006 LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – A judge has ordered E*hoStar to disable the digital video recorders used by several million subscribers to its D*sh satellite TV service because they infringe on patents held by TiVo. E*hoStar’s DVRs must be disabled within the next 30 days.

Thursday’s ruling from U.S. District Judge David Folsom in Marshall, Texas, demands that within 30 days E*hoStar must basically render useless all but 192,708 of the DVR units it has deployed.

The decision comes four months after a jury ruled that E*hoStar should pay TiVo $74.9 million because it willfully infringed TiVo patents that allow for the digital storage of TV programming.

The judge also denied E*hoStar’s request that the injunction be stayed pending appeal, making it difficult for E*hoStar to continue offering its subscribers’ DVR functionality without striking a quick licensing deal with TiVo or another DVR maker.

While the injunction battle clearly was won by TiVo, the scrappy pioneer of the DVR industry also was handed a loss Thursday when Folsom ruled against its request that the jury award be tripled. The judge, however, ordered E*hoStar to pay an additional $5.4 million in interest payments and $10.3 million in supplemental damages, bringing the amount E*hoStar owes TiVo to nearly $90 million.

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