Latest In Tech

To help remove 5C FireWire encryption

If you’re looking for a job, then my title is probably a let down. Usually the FCC is running around doing stuff that pisses me off, but every once in a while…

If you’re trying to record HD with something like a MythTV then you know how much of a pain in the @ss those set top boxes can be. Throw in a cable company that uses 5c encryption on even the channels it’s not supposed to and the home DVR scene looks pretty bleak.

Now it looks like, years after making a firewire mandate, they’re working on the problem with the 1394 port in set top boxes. In order to move things along, the FCC needs a few complaints because the cable companies are telling the FCC that their customers never ask for 1394 so they have no incentive to provide a better solution.

If you’ve had a problem, with your set top boxe’s fire wire ports, fill out a form for the FCC here. Despite all the telephone related stuff form 475 is the correct form for this type of complaint. Step 2f is the most important part of the form. Give any information you can provide about 5C encryption and why it’s bad for society in general. Next, save a copy of what you wrote in 2f. After submitting, save your tracking number (it should look something like
FORM475: XX-XXXXXXXXX).

Now you’ll be writing to James Snider , executive director of the 1394 Trade Association (1394 TA). 1394 TA is an industry
organization that promotes the deployment of devices compatible with IEEE 1394 (firewire). Send an email to jsnider@1394ta.org with your name, address, the tracking number, and a copy of what you wrote in 2f.