Xtraview was a British pay-per-view television channel run by Top Up TV . It replaced Top Up TV Sampler , a promotional channel showing Top Up TV's latest offers presented by Alice Beer . Xtraview showed a selection of programs from the Top Up TV package, at a cost of one pound per day. It ceased broadcasting on 31 August 2005 at 11.00pm due to lack of space on the DTT platform after Top Up TV's short-term lease with Channel 4 on multiplex 2 expired in September 2005, and has since been replaced with More 4 . The official reason stated on the channel is that it is being "modified", however no developments were made and this screen was shown from its demise to March 2006.
6-942: The channel used the Xtraview Encryption System , making the channel vulnerable to hacking. Another downfall was that if the digital terrestrial receiver was switched off, the box lost access to the channel. For a short time Top Up TV Pay As You Go [1] offered a replacement for Xtraview. However, Top Up TV Pay as You Go also closed on 31 May 2006. Monday to Friday 06:00-09:00 Boomerang 09:00-12:00 Discovery Real Time 12:00-14:00 Cartoon Network 14:00-16:00 UKTV Food 16:00-18:00 Cartoon Network 18:00-19:00 UKTV Style 19:00-21:00 UKTV Gold 21:00-23:00 Discovery Channel Saturday-Sunday 06:00-09:00 Boomerang 09:00-12:00 Discovery Real Time 12:00-18:00 Cartoon Network 18:00-19:00 UKTV Style 19:00-21:00 Turner Classic Movies 21:00-23:00 Discovery Channel The video encryption system used on Xtraview
12-525: A number of other Top Up TV services, including Setanta Sports , Television X , Babestation and Red Hot TV . Unlike the other encryption system used by Top Up TV, Mediaguard , the Xtraview Video Encryption System was not a true encryption system. Instead, an MHEG application directed the user's set-top box to a hidden videostream when a correct PIN is entered. Unlike traditional channel encryption methods, Xtraview did not require
18-496: A viewing card. This is an advantage over digital terrestrial television in the UK, where the vast majority of set-top boxes have no ability to decrypt pay channels. Access to a channel protected using the Xtraview technology was granted by calling a premium rate telephone number. During the call, users were asked to give a number displayed on screen. In response, they were given a PIN to unlock
24-447: The PIN algorithm itself was cracked, allowing others to access the service. Another downfall is that because the application is MHEG generated, if the set-top box was switched off, access to these channels was lost. It is also stated on-screen before purchase that not all boxes are compatible. Another factor is that a few cheaper boxes do not have MHEG support at all, and therefore cannot access
30-414: The service. As of 2011 a similar system is in use by Babestation Xtreme , Red Hot TV, Television X and briefly by the now defunct TView on digital terrestrial television. The PIN system has been subject to widespread hacking . Without encryption, the system was easily circumvented by set-top boxes that are able to access individual videostreams when individual stream PIDs are entered. More recently,
36-435: Was not true encryption. Rather, Xtraview hid an additional video feed within the stream from the provider. The set top box was directed to display the hidden feed when the owner paid for the content. This led to problems with some users hacking the boxes to display the hidden feed. Xtraview Encryption System Xtraview Video Encryption System refers to the now-defunct patented "encryption" system used on Xtraview and
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