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Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

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Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#101

Post by myself248 »

munk-a wrote: post #78
escapecharacter wrote: post #15

I’m really into the dark future of DRM enforcement drones flying around cities listening for illegal streaming.

Eh, I prefer dark future dystopia's that rely on terrible human nature - call me when the provider starts injecting an advertisement into the game over all residentially broadcast streams "We're conducting a market research survey, are you seeing this in a pub or bar? If so call this number for a free 10$ starbucks gift card!" or even just "Broadcast of this program in a pub or bar is illegal, if you have witnessed t…

I recall hearing of a DirecTV or similar network using a trick like that: In the minutes prior to a PPV broadcast, they sent a "Subscriber bonus - call now to claim your free T-shirt" or something, but it was encrypted with a key that the legit receivers didn't have -- only the pirate receivers could decode it. Thousands claimed it...

I can't find a source for this anecdote at the moment, sorry.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#102

Post by egeozcan »

johnnycab wrote: post #69
guiomie wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My key take away from your comment is F1 has non geo-fenced service. I just went on their website, and I'm blown away. You can select a cockpit to stream, you have a bunch of geeky data, all while you can watch the GP in it's traditional way. I might get back into F1 just for this.

>I might get back into F1 just for this. I wouldn't be so hasty, as the service has had some blackouts. https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/38904/f1-tv-offering-comp...

Yes and they actually refunded some percentage of the subscription fee for that, and sent a long email apologizing. I mean, I take it over many other services which just ignore the problems.

Disclaimer: Happy subscriber and an F1 fan.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#103

Post by stale2002 »

oh_sigh wrote: post #13
jMyles wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

edit: I misunderstood OP's comment; makes much more sense when I read it in the light suggested by anchpop below. ...that they can get away with copying a bytestream and decoding the result onto a screen? Which harms nobody? The insane part is that people, even on HN, have become convinced that someone can own knowledge to such exclusivity that copying bytes can be a crime.

So you wouldn't mind if I copied bytes of yours, such as private pictures, private documents, etc?

If I've published it in any way then go ahead!

Seriously. If I publish something, I want others to see it. I don't really care if people see it because it was "pirated".

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#104

Post by schnevets »

myself248 wrote: post #93

I've never been in a bar where the TVs had their audio on. The sports games are on screens but muted, and some have closed-captioning turned on. Wouldn't that defeat this? Slightly off-topic but I feel like relating it: When I was a kid, we'd watch baseball games on TV, but muted. Then we'd turn on the radio and tune in whatever station was simulcasting the game. Because the radio announcers assume you can't see the…

Sports in bars is a very different experience with sound on vs. off. Without sound, it's a background distraction that a few folks may be interested in. With sound on (even if the commentary is indecipherable), it's a collective experience that holds everyone's attention. Usually the bar will mute or put on music during commercial breaks.

I do wonder if alternative commentary would ever catch on. Imagine if instead of talking heads you had a music track that would mimic the tension of the game like a music score.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#105

Post by DEADBEEFC0FFEE »

myself248 wrote: post #93

I've never been in a bar where the TVs had their audio on. The sports games are on screens but muted, and some have closed-captioning turned on. Wouldn't that defeat this? Slightly off-topic but I feel like relating it: When I was a kid, we'd watch baseball games on TV, but muted. Then we'd turn on the radio and tune in whatever station was simulcasting the game. Because the radio announcers assume you can't see the…

Nice story, thanks for sharing.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#106

Post by Gibbon1 »

duxup wrote: post #36

I'd like to see physical switches on all electronics that CUT POWER to cameras and mics and have a clear indicator when they are active or not. I don't know that people would use them, but I'd like to have the option.

I think the law needs to recognize an intermediate expectation of privacy. Right now we have a hard level[1] or no expectation at all[2]. And that's it. And intermediate rule should make anything but incidental recording criminal[3]

[1] Film a lady in a dressing room? go to jail.

[2] Topless at the beach? Perverts can record you and upload the videos to porn sites.

[3] Camera recording people around the store, legal. Using AI to track who they are and collate that with other camera's? Felony, go to prison.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#107

Post by jdietrich »

orf wrote: post #99
jdietrich wrote: post #94

Sky Sports use a far simpler solution that doesn't violate anyone's privacy. The satellite feed that's licensed for public venues has a small beer glass logo burned in to the image. The amount of beer in the glass changes every day on a pseudorandom basis. An inspector can check whether a pub has the right license simply by looking at the screen - if the glass is missing or contains the wrong amount of beer, it's an…

But what if you are pirating a legal stream? Does the beer glass change per subscriber? And then surely they would know by just asking “does this pub, at this address, have a sky sports subscription?” Seems simpler? Also, side note, I’ve never seen the glass anything other than full.

>But what if you are pirating a legal stream?

The glass only appears on the (vastly more expensive) pub licensed feed, not on the consumer feed. The higher cost and much smaller pool of licensed customers reduces the likelihood of someone pirating the feed and vastly simplifies the process of identifying the leak. A pirate could burn in the right logo to a standard consumer feed, but they'd need daily information from someone who can view the pub licensed feed.

Given the incredibly devious history of satellite anti-piracy technology, I would fully expect Sky to have a bunch of other, subtler data hidden in the feeds and codecs.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#108

Post by Scoundreller »

will_brown wrote: post #35
daenz wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will be like red light cameras, where you just receive a ticket/bill in the mail, with a photo of proof of the date and time of the infraction.

The should be so lucky...PPV is a crazy industry in terms of structure but local ppv providers would send uncover patrons to bars to find illegal ppv streams and next thing a bar/restaurant knows they got served with a lawsuit usually for about $10,000 (for UFC events anyway).

Here's several legal decisions about that happening in several Canadian cities: https://www.canlii.org/en/#search/text=setanta%20ufc

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#109

Post by KingMachiavelli »

schnevets wrote: post #104
myself248 wrote: post #93

I've never been in a bar where the TVs had their audio on. The sports games are on screens but muted, and some have closed-captioning turned on. Wouldn't that defeat this? Slightly off-topic but I feel like relating it: When I was a kid, we'd watch baseball games on TV, but muted. Then we'd turn on the radio and tune in whatever station was simulcasting the game. Because the radio announcers assume you can't see the…

Sports in bars is a very different experience with sound on vs. off. Without sound, it's a background distraction that a few folks may be interested in. With sound on (even if the commentary is indecipherable), it's a collective experience that holds everyone's attention. Usually the bar will mute or put on music during commercial breaks. I do wonder if alternative commentary would ever catch on. Imagine if instead o…

Personally, I feel a slapstick comedy track would work best. /joke

What could work really well is some live radio, podcast, twitch of commentary to supplement the detectable pirated audio. The biggest issue would be syncing the video and audio.

Re: Shazam-like technology used to identify bars illegally streaming soccer games

#110

Post by ankalagon »

ankit219 wrote: post #28

One of those cases where both sides are in the mud. La Liga is struggling with piracy of games for long. They have been trying to make money of their product (football essentially features two of the greatest players to play the game in last 10 years, only one now) but struggle due to their whacky ideas and no care about fans. Sample this: The timings of games are as early as 12PM (spanish siesta is at 4PM) and as la…

> The timings of games are as early as 12PM (spanish siesta is at 4PM) and as late as 11 PM local time.

No adult does "siesta" in Spain. Please, let's stop spreading this stereotype.

Soccer games usually start at 22:00 or 23:00 hours.

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