What Encryption Methods are used with BUDs?
The type of encryption depends on whether the transmission is analog or digital. In North America, there are still encrypted analog channels, although more and more channels are switching to digital compression and the encryption methods used with digital channels. The only important remaining analog encryption method is VideoCipher II+ Renewable Security, or VC-II RS for short. VC-II RS was developed by General Instruments. The original VideoCipher I was developed in the mid-1980’s by M/A-Com (who was later bought out by GI) when satellite encryption was just beginning. VideoCipher I was short-lived and was replaced by VideoCipher II, and later VideoCipher II+. VC-II RS is the last version of this encryption scheme that will probably ever be developed as more and more channels use digital encryption methods. All modern IRDs have VC-II RS decoding capability. Besides VC-II RS, the other common form of analog encryption still used is Leitch. This is used primarily by networks such as AB
