Cards - How many types are they?

[vokos]

Hi everyone. Please help me to undesrtand, how many different types of cards exist. I have been reading various categorizations and I am totally confused. I have seen cards categorized as follows:

- by letter: kappa, gamma, zeta, etc
- by color: blue, white, etc
- by type: irdeto, viaccess, etc
- by version: V2, V4, V5, etc
- by some other code: 0602, 0604, etc

So, how many card types do they exist? What do these categories meen? How can I identify what a card type is? Are there specific readers for each type/category?

Thanks

[firestorm]

as you say there are many different cards
gamma, zeta ect are smart card that open packages and you have to update them now and again with a programer
The color of the card i assume you have been reading sky threads the old sky card was blue and the new one is white
The irdeto, viaccess, etc relates to the type of encryption used
The V2 V3 stands for which version of card and speaks for its self
The 0602 0604 are packages ie sky ect

There are many card how many i have never bothered to count them

Some STB will read all card some will not then you have to put the card inside a CAM to allow the STB to read them

[vokos]

Just to make sure that I have understood correctly. Would it be correct to say for example:
"Sky has package code 0602, and can be currently opened using a gamma smartcard V4, which implements the Irdeto decryption algorithm and its color is white."

And two questions if you could please answer me:
a) Why to update now and again with a programer?
b) How can I identify what a smartcard is? i.e. if a give someone a card (hidding any logos, etc) , is it possible to identify somehow if it is gamma, zeta, etc?