1. A method to identify a control word stream, said method comprising the steps of: capturing at least one data stream at a reception device; analyzing and filtering the data stream at the reception device by: isolating at least one test control word stream of the data stream; disabling other sub-streams; synchronizing the at least one test control word stream with a scrambled reference audio/video content to create a modified data stream including both the scrambled reference audio/video content and the test control word data stream, and applying the modified data stream to an application on a test device so as to produce a descrambled audio/video content output; and applying the descrambled audio/video content output to a comparator, said comparator receiving a descrambled reference audio/video content and determining whether the descrambled audio/video content output is the same as the descrambled reference audio/video content; wherein: when the descrambled audio/video content output is the same as the descrambled reference audio/video content, declaring the test control word stream identified; and when the descrambled audio/video content output is not the same as the descrambled reference audio/video content, repeating the isolating, disabling, synchronizing and applying steps for a different test control word stream from the data stream not already applied to the application.