Notice: This tutorial is kindly provided by our user DXer M.Plötz, from tab-multimedia.de, and added with additional information andtopics by us. Please credit his work and effort and visit his site!

Tutorial-structur: 1.0 Conditional Access Module 1.1. Updating CAM-Firmware and Encryption-standards (AlphaCrypt)   1.1.0 Introduction 1.1.1 Requirements for updating 1.1.2 Updating the firmware and encryption-standards   1.1.2.1 Update Over-the-Air   Update Over-the-Air for Receivers / Set-Top-Boxes Update Over-the-Air for Computer-TV-Cards 1.1.2.2 Update with a Computer 1.1.3 Change of Encryption-method 1.1.4 Supplement

1.1 Conditional Access Module: Updating CAM-Firmware and Encryption-standards (AlphaCrypt)

1.1.0 Introduction

When Premiere HD was started on 19.11.2005 the new and up-to date encryption Nagra (more precisely, a derivate of Nagravision called Aladin) of the Kudelski Gruppe was used, because the previous enryption had been opend several times. For this new encryption there had been no Conditional Access Module (CAM) for PC-cards for a long time, so that Premiere HD was only been decrypted by some few receivers certified by and for Premiere. In the course of the last year a CAM with homebrewed firmware by hackers came up, that was able to decrypt the normal Premiere progamme and even the HD-progammes as a by-product. But the disadvantage of the not further named CAM is, that it is able to decrypt the programme even without any an abonnement smartcard and that the CAM has tobe declared illegal because of this feature and is no real alternative for us. Furthermore it is against Kudelski's licencing-rights, because there are no licencing deals and payments with Kudelski,that has to be fulfilled, when a CAM-module should be able to decrypt Nagravision. There also had been legal actions against it by Premiere. But even the usage of not-certified hard- and software is forbidden according to Premiere's current user-agreement, but is not hindered by Premiere officially (there are only comments during telephone-srevices, and you are notabletouse all features, because these require a validation of the receiver's serial-number by the service person. But this is circumventable by the normally attached receiver to the abonnement and an afterwardly switch of CAMs between the receivers and is no real problem for costumers, as long as there will be no ABO-Smartcard-Receiver pairing.). Additionally there appeared several problems of video-stuttering and system crashes during CAM-usage, even with your own smartcard, and because the the hacker-group controlls the offering of the updating (these groups get their money in that way, that a CAM will become massively popular and the user gets in a quasi-dependent state and then forced to buy a new version ofthe CAM and/or the firmware to keep this kind of "service"), the usage is really limited. Not even speaking of this grey area you are acting in. So it is obvious that this way was only done by only a few tinker-friends and ventourus, but not passable by "Joe Sixpack". So it had been once again dark for longer period of time until a a new CAM by an unknown company was introduced and it was promised that is was able to legally decrypt all German pay-tv channels, as long as a legal ABO-card is used. Omegatech's Omegacrypt-CAM was said to be not violating Premiere's General Terms and Conditions, against Kudelski's Nagra-licences nor violating German right and until nowthere has been not starting a legal actions against this company. And this promises were really been fulfilled, because Premiere's HD-channels are really usable via this CAM.
However there are other positive consequences for the viewer, because Mascom, the long known manufacturer of the similar sounding CAM AlphaCrypt, which has been able tolegally decrypt Premiere SD for a long time, released an update. After replacing the firmware with the new update, the CAM was also able to decrypt Premiere HD now and the costumer got another possible choice and comort of using the receiver or TV-card, that he prefers.

This guide leads step-by-step through the updating process of the AlphaCrypt-CAM onto the current, Nagra-capable version 3.11.

1.1.1 Requirements for updating

- CI-module AlphaCrypt with operating-system 1.10 (older software-versions has to be previously updated by notebook or the AlphaCrypt-update-service on www.hmmdigital.de to 1.10)
- digital satellite-receiver with CI-slot
- interference-free receiving of the satellite-system Astra 19,2°East and ORF-transponder (more exact information in info-Box)

1.1.2 Updating the firmware and encryption-standards

1.1.2.1.1 Update Over-the-Air for Receivers / Set-Top-Boxes

A Humax PR-HD1000 satellite-receiver is used.

Putting in AlphaCrypt right site up into the receiver.

Mascom's update-service is transmitted via ORF-transponder and therefor you have to switch on one of theses channels. Although these channels are not receivable by non-Austrians, the update can be received and loaded into the CAM by everyone.
The best way o retrieve the update is to switch to one of the ORF-channels (ORF1, ORF2 or Regional ORF). Anyone who likes to listen to music or information can switch to "Hitradio OE3", which is completely free-to-air and will pleasantly bridge the short time-gap. Otherwise the TV-screen will stay black and a message appears displaying "no card inserted" (German, "Keine Karte eingesteckt"). Continue by not inserting a abo-card and confirm the message (OK or EXIT).

Choose the on-screen menu by using the remote-control and choose the subpoint CI-module in the main-menu "Premiere menu".

In CI-module, choose the CI-slot with inserted AlphaCrypt-module and then go into the seperated AlphaCrypt-menu.

In there the current version-number is shown (in the guidance-video is allready on th enewest version 3.11), that is also displayed in more details under "Information".

The next stepis to go to "AlphaCrypt menu -> Settings" (German, "AlphaCrypt Menü -> Einstellungen") and to choose "AlphaCrypt Applications/Updates" (German, "AlphaCrypt Applikationen/Updates"). This is just possible starting with version 1.10. When there is anolder version displayed, then the updated has to be done with a computer or the CAM has to be send in to the manufacturer Mascom via postal mail for an external update.

Under "AlphaCrypt menu -> Settings -> AlphaCrypt Applications/Updates" (German, "AlphaCrypt Menü -> Einstellungen -> AlphaCrypt Applikationen/Updates") whether you can click on "Automatical Transponder-scan" (German, "Automatische Suche nach Transponder") when you allready are on an ORF-channel and letting the receiver do the rest of the workalone, or you can click on "Manual PID-setting" (German, "Manuelle PID-Eingabe") and fill in the special packet-identifier PID: "00546". Bot options lead to exactly the same result.

After that a mesage is shown displaying "Work in progress, please wait..." (German, "Vorgang in Arbeit, bitte warten ...") and the receiver is scaning for the updatestream inside the satellite-signal. When this is found the offered version is displayed. In this case "Mascom Update V3.11/1.11", that is important for Premiere HD, and this you have to conform once again.
After that "Work in progress, please wait" is displayed once more and a progess-bar is displaed underneath. During this periode the receiver should not be switched of, pluged off from powerline by accident, nor an electrical power outage accur or neither the old firmware nor the new version is completely stored on CAM.
After downloading an integrety test for the CAM is undertaken and the application is restarted.

Finally the new version is confirmded once again and the Mascom OTA (Over-the-Air) Loader is displaying the current version, which is stored on CAM. In our case "Error 6" (German, "Fehler 6") is displayed, but only because the used version on CAM was allready the loaded version and the update progress was canceld, because it was not necissary to update.

After that the receiver should be completely shut off and the CAM should be removed in this phase and then you should restart the receiver followed with a normal shut off. It was mentioned, that the new version hadn't be recognized in all cases after updating and just finally be used after this procedure.

1.1.2.2 Update Over-the-Air for Computer-TV-Cards

A TechnoTrend S2-3200 DVB-S2-TV-Card and original TechnoTrend software is used.

After inserting the AlphaCrypt module into the CI-slot the symbole for the CI-settings will change to red in TechnoTrends Media Center.

Mascom's update-service is transmitted via ORF-transponder and therefor you have to switch on one of theses channels. Although these channels are not receivable by non-Austrians, the update can be received and loaded into the CAM by everyone.
The best way o retrieve the update is to switch to one of the ORF-channels (ORF1, ORF2 or Regional ORF). Anyone who likes to listen to music or information can switch to "Hitradio OE3", which is completely free-to-air and will pleasantly bridge the short time-gap. Otherwise the TV-screen will stay black and a message appears displaying "no card inserted" (German, "Keine Karte eingesteckt"). Continue by not inserting a abo-card and confirm the message (OK or EXIT).

Click in "CI-Settings" afterwards, it will open the application window, in which you will further navigate.

The next step is clicking in the writing "AlphaCrypt", then infomration and settingoptions will appear. There, click on "settings" - now, more settingoptions will be shown.

Here, "AlphaCrypt Application/Updates" is used, at the next step you will be asked if you want to have an automatic search for the update via the transponder, or via a manual PID-input.

Now, you should use the automatic search.

Occasionally there will be an "error information" ( no application was found ), closing the application solves that problem - put out the module and begin from start.

Instead Mascom Update V appears... in this case V3.11/1.11. After activating the application the update will run automatically. The update will now been loaded, which depends on the signal-strength, shared bandwidth and rotationfrequance and leads to different duration times.

After loading the update, there will be an integrity test.
With this guide there came an error message, this was just caused because of the newest sw-version already installed on the module.

1.1.3 Change of Encryption-method

This kind of update can tearetically be done for every CAM. The onlylimitation is a licence infringement and complain against the CAM-manufacturer, a new version, that will not be recognized by the firmware or a complete change of encryption-method. Will there be a change from Nagra to NDS-encryption by Premiere, the hunt will start all over again. Until now there is now offical CAM for NDS and if Kudelski will ever support an offical CAM or external licence manufacturer is still not known. There have been serveral rumours for quite some time.

Notice: HDTVTotal.com and M.Plötz responsible for any damages or following costs due to failures during the updating.

1.1.4 Supplement

1.1.4.1 Needed Soft- and Hardware:

Software:
1. TV-Software that firstly supports CAMs and secondly can do Over-the-Air updates.
2. During updating with a PC Windows 2000/ME or higher and driver by Mascom internetsite.

Hardware:
1. Receiver with CI-Slot and Over-the-Air update function
2. AlphaCrypt-CAM