VideoCipher II (VCII RS), is a brand name renewable security scrambling system that the majority of the analog C-Band satellite television channels used. The original VideoCipher , invented in 1983 by Linkabit Corporation, is currently owned and patented as a video-cipher technology that is now owned by the Motorola Corporation. Lasting well over 20 years, the video-cipher technology eventually began to fade from the mainstream as the shift to digital satellite television took hold and was officially retired on December 31st 2008.
VideoCipher II, being a child of the original VideoCipher, was the first ever consumer scrambling system. HBO satellite transponders including the Satcom 3R as well as the Galaxy 1, were the first to test out the what was then, new technology in 1985 and finally entered full use in January of 1986 by HBO. Within two years after being fully introduced into the mainstream satellite systems, a majority of cable television providers also adopted this new video-cipher. Offering providers what seemed to be an unprecedented level of security.
Security however, was something the cable pirates of the age were quite curious about. After a very short time of going live and being used by the majority of providers as well as households, the cable pirates were able to modify the descrambler and receive free programming. By early 1991, programmers began to phase out the VideoCipher II system and began to transfer to a newer video-cipher technology. This new security scrambling system was named VideoCipher II Plus, and had completely replaced the older technology in all cable and satellite boxes by 1993.
The way both VideoCipher technology’s worked was at the time, actually quite remarkable. In cryptology, you have something that you want secured, and then sent, received, and finally decrypted. They already had a means to do the first 3, the problem always arose in decrypting. At the time, satellite and cable technology was not as advanced as it is today, which forced providers to use the same “key”. This key is a string of numbers, letters, and symbols, and is used to encrypt or secure all the data. The problem is that whatever key was being used to encrypt, was also needed to decrypt. Meaning everyone’s descrambler boxes had the exact same decryption keys, making it extremely easy for satellite and cable pirates to hijack the signal and receive free television.
Eventually as time continued, the technology advanced to the point to where the providers were changing and updating keys every couple of days to keep all the pirates guessing, and the pirates, in their search of free entertainment, kept right on along with them. Right up until the technology’s full retirement only a year ago, providers using the VideoCipher II technology were changing keys sometimes hourly and were updating subscriber’s boxes with the new information. This being infinitely more expensive, because of bandwidth, was not the solution they were looking for since the cable pirates were still able to hack the signal almost immediately. This ultimately led to the full retirement of the VideoCipher II system late last year as a more impressive video-cipher technology had been discovered and was being phased into use.
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Thanks for the explanation. I saw a Videocipher II Plus at a thrift store and was wondering what use it might still have.
Considering what’s said here, little to none?
Exactly. There is little if any modern practical use for it. Would definitely make a good demo to give a youngster interested in learning about electronics though.