System and method for conditional access key encryption

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

using a computer to perform the steps of:

encrypting a group of multimedia channel keys using a standard encryption type to produce a first group of encrypted multimedia channel keys;

encrypting said group of multimedia channel keys using a non-standard encryption type to produce a second group of encrypted multimedia channel keys, wherein the first group of encrypted multimedia channel keys and the second group of encrypted multimedia channel keys are used to decrypt content that is concurrently transmitted; and

concurrently transmitting said first group of encrypted multimedia channel keys with said second group of multimedia channel keys to a plurality of multimedia subscribers having multimedia receivers configured to decrypt using either said first group of encrypted multimedia channel keys and/or said second group of multimedia channel keys wherein at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia subscribers cannot decrypt using both the standard encryption type and the non-standard encryption type.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said non-standard encryption is digital video broadcasting (“DVB”) encryption.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting entitlement information with said group of multimedia channel keys encrypted using said non-standard encryption, said entitlement information indicating which of said multimedia channels a user has the right to decrypt.

4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising:

decrypting said second group of encrypted multimedia channel keys at a multimedia receiver.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising:

searching said entitlement information to determine whether said user has the right to view a particular channel selected by said user; and decrypting said channel using one of said decrypted keys if said user has said right.

6. A method comprising:

using a computer to perform the steps of:

simultaneously receiving at a receiver a plurality of encrypted keys comprising encrypted keys of a standard type and encrypted keys of a non-standard type, each of said encrypted keys for decrypting a respective plurality of encrypted multimedia channels;

selecting one or more of the plurality of encrypted keys based upon capabilities of the receiver;

decrypting said selected encrypted multimedia keys;

using said selected decrypted multimedia keys to decrypt one or more of said multimedia channels;

re-encrypting said multimedia channels using an alternative encryption technique; and

storing said re-encrypted multimedia channels on a mass storage device.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein said alternative encryption technique is data encryption standard (“DES”) encryption.

8. The method as in claim 6 further comprising:

decrypting one or more of said multimedia channels using said alternative decryption technique responsive to a user request to view said one or more multimedia channels.

9. The method as in claim 6 wherein decrypting comprises:

reading entitlement information identifying multimedia channels which a user has a right to view; and

decrypting only those decryption keys for multimedia channels identified by said entitlement information.

10. The method as in claim 6 wherein decrypting comprises:

reading entitlement information identifying multimedia channels which a user has a right to view;

decrypting all keys associated with said multimedia channels; and

using only those decryption keys for multimedia channels identified by said entitlement information.

11. A system for processing multimedia channels comprising:

a headend configured to transmit decryption keys for decrypting said multimedia channels, said decryption keys encrypted in both a standard encryption format and a non-standard encryption format;

said decryption keys encrypted in said first standard encryption format being decryptable by a first type of multimedia receiver; and

said decryption keys encrypted in said second non-standard encryption format being decryptable by a second type of multimedia receiver;

wherein multimedia receivers are operable to receive decryption keys in both the first standard encryption format and the second non-standard encryption format, and to determine which format to use based upon the type of encryption format being supported by a respective multimedia receiver.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein said non-standard encryption format permits all of said decryption keys to be decrypted in real-time as they are received by said multimedia receiver.

13. The system as in claim 12 wherein said non-standard encryption format is digital video broadcast (“DVB”) encryption.

14. The system as in claim 11 wherein the headend is configured to transmit entitlement information indicating which of said multimedia channels a user has a right to view.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein said second type of multimedia receiver is configured to decrypt only those keys identified by said entitlement information.

16. The system as in claim 14 wherein said second type of multimedia receiver is configured to decrypt said decryption keys and to use said decryption keys to decrypt multimedia channels identified by said entitlement information.

17. The system as in claim 11 wherein said second type of multimedia receiver is configured to decrypt one or more of said keys and to use said one or more keys to decrypt one or more multimedia channels and wherein said second type of multimedia receiver is configured to re-encrypt said multimedia channels using an alternative encryption format.

18. The system as in claim 17 wherein said alternative encryption format is digital video broadcast (“DVB”) encryption.

19. The system as in claim 17 wherein the second multimedia receiver is configured to store said multimedia channels in said alternative encryption format on a mass storage device.

20. The system as in claim 19 wherein the second multimedia receiver is configured to decrypt and play back one or more of said multimedia channels from said mass storage device responsive to a user request to play back said one or more of said multimedia channels.