HarryPlopper 1,019 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I may get wooshed as not read anything on here since before the match started - indeed this may be a known thing anyway. If it is, please accept my apologies. Has anyone else seen a set of numbers/letters darting around the screen on the odd occasion? Something i've noticed whilst watching the game, ifollow has occasionally a watermark on my screen darting around like a screensaver - after considering what it is - a series of numbers and letters, it struck me that it's a unique code described to find anyone who may be illegally re-streaming it and personally identify them. Don't do it! 4 Link to post Share on other sites
dr. benway 1,643 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 It happens all the time. Looks like a MAC address. Almost certainly not an identification as it’s encoded into the stream, which would be technically, er, “difficult” to do on an individual basis. Fascinating idea though! Link to post Share on other sites
HarryPlopper 1,019 Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 I've got two accounts in the house - two adult season tickets and on occasion we figured we'd gift one to my father - definitely different codes! (I should be following the game I know, but it just caught my imagination so I got it on a second laptop!) Link to post Share on other sites
dr. benway 1,643 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Could be different MAC addresses. My theory is that the graphics compositing (adding the score, minutes elapsed etc) is done through a separate set of computers, which occasionally start adding a “screensaver” of sorts. I think this causes them to sometimes composite that screensaver on top of the broadcast. I’m happy to be proven wrong though and would actually be genuinely impressed if they were doing this to watermark the broadcast! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Grez Bez Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Its because you downloaded TikTok Link to post Share on other sites
crookesowl 3,163 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Is it not the MAC address of the PC so they can evidence who is broadcasting it illegally? Like Sky Sports puts the viewing card or account number or something. I’m gonna check next time. Link to post Share on other sites
theowlsman 40,566 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 3 minutes ago, crookesowl said: Is it not the MAC address of the PC so they can evidence who is broadcasting it illegally? Like Sky Sports puts the viewing card or account number or something. I’m gonna check next time. Anyone not using a VPN is taking a risk. If you have a VPN, and its enabled to disguise your IP address, you should be ok 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alanharper 32,958 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I assumed it was a glitch in the matrix. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Dronfield Blue 11,957 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Nowt to worry about. Especially split tunnelling with a VPN and Tor. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
crookesowl 3,163 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 12 minutes ago, theowlsman said: Anyone not using a VPN is taking a risk. If you have a VPN, and its enabled to disguise your IP address, you should be ok I’m legit. So I don’t really care! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
bobness 11,343 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 17 minutes ago, crookesowl said: Is it not the MAC address of the PC so they can evidence who is broadcasting it illegally? Like Sky Sports puts the viewing card or account number or something. I’m gonna check next time. The MAC address is used to communicate within your network, the IP address is what's used to communicate on the internet. So your MAC doesn't escape your network. Within the data packet sent from your device, the MAC address is replaced by each network the data traverses, but the destination IP remains the same. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
oldishowl 5,191 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 What am I doing in this thread. 8 Link to post Share on other sites
S36 OWL 54,387 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 1 hour ago, HarryPlopper said: I may get wooshed as not read anything on here since before the match started - indeed this may be a known thing anyway. If it is, please accept my apologies. Has anyone else seen a set of numbers/letters darting around the screen on the odd occasion? Something i've noticed whilst watching the game, ifollow has occasionally a watermark on my screen darting around like a screensaver - after considering what it is - a series of numbers and letters, it struck me that it's a unique code described to find anyone who may be illegally re-streaming it and personally identify them. Don't do it! Link to post Share on other sites
bobness 11,343 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 17 minutes ago, theowlsman said: Anyone not using a VPN is taking a risk. If you have a VPN, and its enabled to disguise your IP address, you should be ok How does using a VPN help if you're using an identifiable login? Additionally, a VPN provides little "protection" anyway, as your IP is only one identifier of many. Google the term "browser fingerpinting" or "device fingeprinting". Link to post Share on other sites
Chilli 1,583 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 Just out of interest, what language is being used in this thread? 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Otley Owl 691 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 It happened on my I player and I paid £10 quid for it. So I have absolutely no idea what to do with this. I've screamed and smashed my laptop and run into the woods to start an off the grid life just in case. Now I'm worrying those numbers were the OS grid reference of my current location in the woods. Oh poo. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
dr. benway 1,643 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 (edited) (Duplicate) Edited July 1, 2020 by dr. benway Link to post Share on other sites
dr. benway 1,643 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 We’re speaking arsehole 1 Link to post Share on other sites
theowlsman 40,566 Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 1 minute ago, Chilli said: Just out of interest, what language is being used in this thread? Just wait until they start talking about packet switching and 7 layer OSI model and x25 protocol. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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