Interview met Aston (weg met fabels)

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Interview Satkurier

 

Luc-Emmanuel Bertolelli, Aston

 

 

We were extremely fortunate to receive an invitation from the world famous French Company, the ASTON Group, and allowed to interview their Head of Sales Executive: Mr. Luc-Emmanuel Bertolelli. It is well known that the Aston Group are famous for the invention and rights to the AstonCrypt CI module.

 

We asked: "When did the Aston Group start thinking about the SECA modules?"

 

Canal + Group launched their first digital television package using the "SECA" encryption system as long as four years ago. Already at that time, we tried to co-operate with Canal+ and we asked for the SECA licence.

 

After much deliberation, we decided to design our own product. Our engineers have been working very hard, so hard that at the end of 1999, we launched our first product for the "SECA" system. We presented it at the press conference, where the representatives of Canal+ attended. Canal+ wanted to sign with us the same sort of a contract as with the other companies, but sadly, this was not possible. We already had our own access to the system and there was no benefit for us.

 

Question: In the next few months, Canal+ Group will change all their smart cards and replace them with their new version, Seca 2, which is supposed to be better protected against piracy all over Europe. Many of our readers are worried, whether these new cards will work in the ASTONCRYPT CI modules and the receivers with SECA embedded?

 

We signed up the final agreement so our every single product will be fully compatible with SECA2

 

 

Question: "There is some unconfirmed information on Internet about a new AstonCrypt CI module version 1.07. Do you produce this module?"

 

We have never produced this type of module. The last version of our module is 1.05. I wish I could see this 1.07 version with my own eyes. I do not deny, that in the future we might produce next versions of the SECA modules: 1.06 and 1.07, but at the moment, the most recent version is the 1.05. I suppose those 1.07's were false modules recycled from the other system modules like Viaccess or Irdeto.

 

Question: "Have you offered CANAL+ Group any cooperation in the war against piracy?"

 

Many times. We do understand their difficult situation. Especially as we know, if the Canal+ package goes bust, that will also affect our sales. No one will want to buy our product, if there is nothing to watch. We have already prepared new software for all our SECA modules, which we can send via satellite. Only the original cards will work in the modules with the new software. The software can be sent to all, the old and new types of ASTONCRYPT modules. At the moment, we are in negotiations with the Canal+ management in this matter. We cannot do anything unless Canal+ asks us to do so. The software already exists, but we are waiting on the Canal+ decision in this matter. The other step in the cooperation is with our receivers. We do not intend to give the possibility of software exchange in any of our receivers. We do not want to leave this "back door open" for hackers and give them the possibility to change software in our receivers.

 

We are able to offer the modules as well as the receivers, with different software, assigned to one of the Canal+ Group packages like the French, Spanish, Polish or Italian. Then, the Canal+ subscribers will have a choice between the decoder offered by Canal+, Aston module, or a satellite CI receiver with SECA embedded.

 

Question: "What are the future plans of the ASTON Group?"

 

Now in Europe there is only one module producer: SCM GmbH. Because there is no competition, the basic product is expensive. We are going to become a module producer....

 

Please looking for this article in SAT Kurier 3/2002.

 

 

[MySat]

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