The following is taken from idtv.co.uk


Top Up TV reveals box upgrade plans - 10/02/04

Top Up TV, the DTT-based pay-TV 'lite' offer due to launch alongside the Freeview platform in March, plans to get round the piracy issue faced by the collapsed ITV Digital venture by upgrading the conditional access system in old ITV Digital boxes. This will take the form of an over-the-air upgrade, combined with mailing out a new smartcard to subscribers willing to pay the £7.99 a month fee. It would appear that these smartcards would contain a newer version of the 'MediaGuard' system, similar to the new technology rolled out across several pay-TV systems in Europe last year in a bid to foil hackers.

Top Up TV says its service will work with all models of ex-ITV Digital or ON Digital set top boxes made by Pace, Nokia, Philips and Pioneer. This is equivalent to around 95% of the old boxes, which are estimated to number up to 800,000 in total.