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The Irony and The Software

"Does anyone else find great irony in this?

I mean, in order for most Linux users to watch these films they have to break some draconian laws when playing DVD's.

Yet, the very thing they use to create these films on is Linux.

Well, if not irony.. some kind of word ending with ony."

- http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=157194&cid=13179196

from: Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar Go Linux | July 27 2005

- http://www.linux.slashdot.org/story/05/07/27/1551250/Disney-DreamWorks-Pixar-Go-Linux

And that was in 2005!

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Whatever happened to CyberLink's PowerDVD for Linux? Here's a PR:

CyberLink PowerDVD Linux and PowerCinema Linux Designed for Netbooks and Nettops
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=76997

"Thursday, October 09, 2008

Taipei, Taiwan â" CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), innovative solution provider for the connected digital lifestyle, today introduces its high-definition digital media solutions on Linux for Netbooks and Nettopsâ" CyberLink PowerDVD Linux and PowerCinema Linux. With CyberLinkâ(TM)s solution offerings, consumers can now enjoy exceptional HD digital media experience on Linux PCâ(TM)s.

CyberLink PowerDVD Linux is a compact video playback software derived from CyberLinkâ(TM)s award-winning HD movie player, PowerDVD. PowerDVD Linux supports DVD-Video playback with menu navigation, subtitle, and video rewind and fast forward. To provide the best high-definition video and audio experience on Linux PCâ(TM)s, PowerDVD Linux incorporates CyberLink TrueTheaterâ Lighting for automatic video lighting enhancement, and support for CyberLink TrueTheaterâ Surround and Dolby audio technology for excellent audio quality.

CyberLink PowerCinema Linux is a feature-rich media player for Linux OS, providing a stylish animated user interface for easy navigation of features, including watching DVDâ(TM)s and video files playback, playing music from portable music players and external plug-in devices, enhancing photos and displaying photo slideshows. PowerCinema Linux supports a wide range of video formats, which include ASF, WMV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, DAT, and AVI.

âoeDerived from our innovative video and audio technology, CyberLink is offering Netbook and Nettop manufacturers more bundling options on the low-cost Linux PCâ(TM)s, from compact digital media applications, like PowerDVD Linux, to universal entertainment center solutions, like PowerCinema Linux,â said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. âoeWith our line of digital solutions on Linux, consumers can finally take full advantage of the mobility and flexibility of Netbooks and Nettops while enjoying rich yet seamless digital media entertainment.â

CyberLink PowerDVD Linux and PowerCinema Linux supporting Netbooks and Nettops are ready for OEM licensing worldwide.

For more information about CyberLinkâ(TM)s complete line-up of digital multimedia solutions, please visit our website, www.cyberlink.com."

Can anyone locate it on their site?

"oh, and my disclaimer: following my advice will hurt my long position in AMD."

Funny.

"... poor performance by the company without much of an end in sight."

It seems to me that there is an end. AMD has done what it has always done, invest for the future. Maybe a year from now everyone will be using AMD CPU-GPU chips in their low-cost laptops.

To me what is happening seems like classic market manipulation. Drive AMD stock down a little more, buy a lot, and make a huge profit as soon as the new products are released.

AMD has open-sourced its performance library.

This is not the first time people have suggested AMD can't survive.

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=26219

"Restructuring of Canon's ownership position does not resolve the pending litigation which goes to trial in a few weeks," said Tom Bijou, Chief Executive Officer of Nano-Proprietary, Inc. "We have terminated Canon's license as a result of breach of contract. Moreover, our complaint against Canon includes other counts, including fraud unrelated to the ownership of SED. We are, however, willing to enter into a new license agreement with Canon on reasonable terms."

From all I have found, the fraud appears to be related to the inclusion of Toshiba without Nano-P knowledge, now that it is a wholly owned Canon venture that has yet to deliver a product, that seems rather scurrilous. It looks like an attempt to renegotiate (extort) for more money now that Canon is getting close to a real product. SED may wither on the vine if this keeps up. With years of development, I would be certain Canon has it's own IP portfolio that would pretty much eliminate anyone else going forward. This is already going to be in a niche product over the price point of most. Don't hold your breath on these. I am thinking Toshiba was happy to get out.

"There could be no uncontested facts due to the presence of only 1 litigant."

"Ms. Bock was represented by Jan Atlas of Adorno and Yoss until June 2006 when Mr. Atlas withdrew as counsel, shortly after Ms. Bock was deposed and revealed the only reason she defamed and nearly destroyed Sue Scheff and her organization was simply because she didn't like her. After Jan Atlas withdrew from the case, the Judge postponed the trial to give Ms. Bock ample time to find new counsel or represent herself." via WebWire

Fixed the link. The slash at the end was killing it.

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?SESSIONID= &aId=21910/

Gives a bit more detail. I suggest everyone read it before flying off the handle.

...and tell her what you think?

"Contact: 954.349.7260 www.helpyourteens.com

Weston, Fla. - Parent Universal Resource Experts (PURE) today announced the launch of their re-designed website, [web address here] to provide an easier way for parents and advocates of troubled teens to get the company's newest offerings, says Sue Scheff, owner of PURE."

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?SESSIONID= &aId=15110

-S

Or, should I say blu-Elephant. Blu-ray is the next generation format for watch-at-home movies. So is HD-DVD, as some would argue. There's only one catch-- MILLIONS of blu-ray readers will already be in the clutches of PS3 owners. They'll get a next generation HD format with the bonus of a next-generation game machine. Stand alone players will cost $600 to $800 at the time the PS3 launches but you won't get a game machine with those. And because this all comes standard on BOTH the low and high end PS3, it's a winner.

I wouldn't count the low end as a blu-ray player, since the lack of HDMI will be a deal breaker for some. Couple this with the fact that most people can't tell the difference between standard defintion and high definition:

* Close to one in four (28%) of HDTV owners reported that they did not get any special equipment from their service provider to watch HDTV channels because the picture quality was already improved with the purchase of an HDTV.

* 23% of HDTV owners did not invest in special equipment to watch HDTV channels because a message at the beginning of the programs they watch tells them that those programs are being broadcast in HD.

You start to realize that a majority of people do not care about Blu-ray or HD DVD, and they'll both probably fail.

There is also the problem of plugging the equipment into your TV. I only have component video connectors on my HDTV, and am already out of inputs even though my JVC Receiver will switch inputs. I've got a DVD player, HD Cable Box, and a XBox using my three available inputs. To use my PS2 or Gamecube with component video, I have to start unplugging things. And those are problems with last generation equipment, which most people don't have the HD cables for. The current generation will just exasperate the problem. What happened to using something like Firewire to send audio/video/control signals through your AV equipment?

Blu-ray will not save the PS3. In fact, I feel that Sony will pull a Microsoft, and artificially restrict the supply so the PS3 is guaranteed to sell out this fall. They do not want to face what happened with the PSP launch and not sell out.

I was curious as to whether or not there were any resources for finding out which stations do what - like your example of WVIR vs. WSLS.

Also I heard that DirectTV, at least in some markets, has dropped some of its 1080i signals from 1920x1080i to 1280x1080i with the excuse that most HDTVs only natively support 720p (downscaling 1080i as needed) and thus 1280 horizontal is sufficient and lets them compress further, fitting more channels on to a single transponder which, from what I have read, costs satelite companies a lot more to rent than it does cable companies.

I'd be fascinated to see a table like the one at http://www.widemovies.com/dtvtransponders.html that shows how given local cable and satelite providers divide up their feeds - were such a resource to exist.

Part of this is motivated from the story on WebWire about 50% of users thinking they're getting HD because they have an HD ready set but no means of receiving a signal, aren't connecting their HD Cable box with the right cables, are watching the 480i versions of the channels also shown in 1080i further through the channel lists, etc.

Call it the obsessive nerd thing but I'd like to get a better understanding of what I'm actually viewing and also a better understanding so I can give advice to friends when they ask "So, is HD worth it? Is it better to get DirectTV or Cable? Are 720p sets that much worse than 1080i?

From seeing *most* HD channels turn out to be 1080i, a 1080i set seems to make sense as most channels would need downsampling from 1080i to 720p whereas, the other way around, relatively few channels need upsampling from 720p to 1080i. That much I gained from finding resources like CNet's. Knowing the provider/bandwidth answers would help in picking the best services (cable vs. HD vs. over the air) to avoid compression artifacts.