Slashdot Mirror
Are There Linux DVD Players on the Market?
Oops! I posted this story late on the 28th (with it scheduled to show up today) and had missed the LinDVD announcement. However, contrary to some of the comments that mention this point, this player is not yet on the market. It will be released "soon", but until it appears, it is still vapourware. It would be very cool if InterVideo would release a beta versions of their players so that we can see for ourselves how far along they are and how far they have to go. However this remains their decision. I wish them luck in their work, and am glad to see at least one company step up to the plate like this (even if it is only a binary player).
veldrane wanted to know if there was an actual player that he could go out and buy now, and according to Mark Litvak's comment in the original article, there should be one available.
I'm still wondering why he didn't mention any names if such an animal did exist.
What did one Slashdot author say to the oth... :)
Oh yeah, that's right. They don't communicate with each other.
Haven't heard of any native... Suppose you could do it in WINE...??? Anyone tried?
there is an authorized, gpl'd player for creative dxr2 decoder board. check opensource.creative.com for the driver.
The point is, that the use of CSS in only "approved" players, effectively eliminates Fair Use. Which until the DMCA was passed was a healthy part of copyright law.
Now, the DVD CCA can throw the law around to protect it's cartel...
The former may be a mite more supported than the latter...
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
That's entirely irrelevant.
Unless there's some kind of monopoly (ie patents), or the developers of DeCSS et al signed contracts agreeing that they would not do anything (ie trade secrets), it's quite legal to RE.
You're telling me that just 'cos Dell makes computers that I can't make my own? Stupid argument. Even the judges involved in this case aren't that dumb.
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Can you give us any details, such as what company made this viewer? While certainly several companies have announced that they are planning such products, I haven't seen any actual products shipping by anyone.
Isn't that licensed application that Valenti referred to *Windows* ???
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.
They say it is to help farmers, however, every farmer I've asked (I live in Nebraska, so there are a lot of them) says it's the dang-most infernal dumbness they ever heard of. We all know that farmers wake up when the rooster crows, and that rooster sure ain't dumb enough to believe in a stupid concept like "Daylight Savings Time".
More power to the only two intelligent states in the union - Indiana and Arizona - neither of them force such a display of advanced moronics on their people!
We geeks should be against DST as a rule - it is nonsensical and kludgy.
Obviously Linux does not need a DVD player, but drivers for them. Even if they are created by a commercial company, I'm sure the algorithms won't be open sourced. Given this, I'm sure x86 Linux will once again enjoy something that all the other flavors will miss out on.
Know what I like about atheists? I've yet to meet one that believes God is on their side.
Another option would be a free DVD player with a dummy DeCSS stub routine. Such a player would only decode CSS encoded material if the end user compiled in the much-maligned decss subroutine.
Hawaii doesn't participate in such foolishness.
signal, noise, to me it's all the same.
go to ebay, people sell them all the time. but you must get a dxr2 OVERLAY card. There are plans to possibly support the inlay version of the dxr2, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
-matt
Maybe there needs to be a new category for insiteful humor? ...)
The reasoning is the same. Only the scale is different. (Of course, DOS has a copy command, so I suppose that DOS
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
There was an article on Slashdot just a few days ago at this link that talked about Intervideo's release of the "LinDVD" player software. In all likelihood there WILL be a DVD player for Linux eventually, whether LinDVD turns out to be vaporware or not. The media companies are greedy-- not stupid, and are more than willing to allow "properly restricted" access to DVDs for Linux users with no other way to play them. After all-- it means they'll sell more crap!
It is important to note that this in no way affects the credibility of DeCSS as a tool for the playback of DVDs on systems that do not yet have a software DVD player. Those systems may no longer include Linux, but they DO still include AmigaOS, BeOS, several commercial Unixes, OS/2, and BSD, among others. (Please correct me if I have overlooked a player available for one of these operating systems!) And since DeCSS is open source and available for porting to these OSes, users stuck without commercial DVD support will be able to view DVDs on their own.
It was early in the morning, and I completely neglected to follow through on that part of things. Obviously, a binary-only release is only useful for the hardware platform it is built on, and leaves Linux users on PPC, MIPS, Alpha, or whatever out in the cold.
Which only makes the point further-- despite the availability of a DVD player for x86 Linux, DeCSS's credibility as a way to play DVDs on platforms (*including* Linux this time!) with no support is in no way harmed.
I reckon we should all be supporting the OpenDVD campaign at www.opendvd.org. Make sure that you get that logo on your websites!
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
> appointmenta
See... being up an hour early even makes me spell worse than usual.
--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
"mpeg2dec MMX code was checked into CVS last night. Go to www.linuxvideo.org to try it out. SSE/3dnow version isn't checked in but is mostly done. If someone knows how to schedule or otherwise optimize MMX instructions please take a look at the code."
:-) It was in fact that code to which I was refering. As for the other guy above who was talking about how I could achieve the framerate I was refering to, he should have read what I said: I am using the GATOS r128 overlay stuff so my card is doing some of the work.
I already did
Cheers,
Jonathan.
http://www.jonmasters.org/
Sigma Designs has plans to release a dvd player for linux. you can find info on the product here
i found this after seeing a posting from Jack Valenti at TheStandard.com in which he said:
Linux users are not being barred from playing DVD movies on their systems. The professor obviously is not aware that all Linux users have available to them a licensed application to do precisely that.
hope this helps.
----------------
"All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening."
"All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening."
- Alexandar Woolcot
This is something of a metoo but I've been using this for all my dvd's and am very happy with it.
I would recommend a dxr2 card to any linux weenie who wants a cheap but high quality DVD solution, the howto's are a cinch to follow and the player is very simple to use (there are also a few GUI interfaces for the play, but I didn't like them).
BTW, one of the howto's descibes how to use an ATI card with video in in conjuction with the DXR2 to give VGA overlay.
Ruben, you are mistaken when you say the software is no longer avalible. Itis. I know it is, as I've already stated, I use it.
I refer you to http://opensource.creativelabs.com/
It is true the dxr2 has been replace by the dxr3, but I think that in time support for the dxr3 will be added. One of the pages linked to from creative labs web site suggests that users simply obtain a dxr2 card from ebay, which is not a bad idea. Many computing outlets still have dxr2 for sale.
On a further note:
"There is no currently available DVD for Linux...." This is also untrue. The software is readily avalible and not illegal to use, despite what the MPAA wan't you to think (although in the USA, distrobution of such code is currently prohibited I believe...)
5). LiViD is getting there - THEY REALLY NEED MMX OPTIMISERS - if you are a super genius mmx coder I'm sure they'd really want your help.
mpeg2dec MMX code was checked into CVS last night. Go to www.linuxvideo.org to try it out. SSE/3dnow version isn't checked in but is mostly done. If someone knows how to schedule or otherwise optimize MMX instructions please take a look at the code.
http://www.via.ecp.fr/assoce/linuxexpo-20000202/
wolruf@gmail.com
It'll be available here soon:
http://videolan.via.ecp.fr
I remember it compiles on x86, PPC and was playing at 30 fps on a Celeron 400 from a DVD.
wolruf@gmail.com
... the man says that there are Linux DVD players "on the market".
However you want to read that, to me that suggests that I can get one now. Not some time soon (And that's 'soon' in software release dates, which we all know never slip).
In other words, I reckon he was talking flying monkeys.
--
Periscope wrote:
"Yes, in fact there are DVD players available for Linux. I contacted
I wouldn't call it available if it won't be out for months. =) Promising, exciting, hope-inspiring, maybe -- but available is when someone can download (or walk into CompUSA or wherever), install, and play.
timothy
jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? How could it make more hours of daylight? All we did was change the cute lil' numbers on the clock! If the rooter isn't fooled, do you really think we'll slip one by THE SUN?!?
I have not seen any players around
I thought that the DVD makers didnt want linuxusers to be able to watch dvd's
but im uniformed..
www.burgatronics.net
Burgatronics
Do Not Read Burgatronics... It's Evil
Sweet, thats who makes my decoder card(HW+). I was just about to head on over there to ask them about linux :) But yes, a previous poster does have a point. Standards should be open; anything else stifles competition. If someone could redo deCSS without reverse enginiering, we'd be ok. Thats why that injuction went thru...if you stumple upon cokes secret reciept, its ok...having a coke employee tell you it is not.
Whoa there! You may want to hold back a little, if you want Slashdot to retain a reputation of professionalism. The sexism/homophobia has got to go. Please keep your bigoted opinions to yourself, thank you. Can someone put a leash on this guy?
Powerbook G4/1.5GHz 12", Toshiba Satellite 1135-S1554
So far as I am concerned, binary-only doesn't count. However, this is bad news, since the courts cannot be counted on to understand that.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
Perhaps the question should be:
;-) /Guran
How many slashdot readers does it take to screw "First Lightbulb"?
All opinions are my own - until criticized
Yeah, it's possible to legally play DVDs under GNU/Linux, and using only GPLd software too. I've written a no-BS, step-by-step, easy-to-follow (well, I hope) guide telling you exactly how to get it going, from start to finish. TWO CATCHES: (A) You must have a Creative Labs DxR2 decoder board (NOT a DxR3 board or any other board) and (B) you must have a TV-- the overlay part of the driver isn't done yet. Here's the goods: http://caspian.twu.net/tutorials/dvd linux.html
With spending like this, exactly what are "conservatives" conserving?
In reaction to the arrest of Linus Torvalds, the internet community organized a protest. This protest explains the lack of many internet services, as the protestors took off of work and were unable to maintain the network. Sites such as yahoo.com, cnn.com and even hotmail.com were unreachable for the good of the week. When Torvalds was released on bail, the sites were again reachable.
Right now the whereabouts of Mr. Torvalds is unknown. Internet rumours state that he was taken to a hidden "hacker compound" somewhere in california, but there is no evidence to back this up.
Rob Malda, and Jeff Bates have been in police custody for the good of a week. These two, also known by the hacker psudonyms "cmdrtaco" and "hemos" run an underground linux hacker webpage known as slashdot. On this site, illegal activities are openly discussed and a large amount of anti-government propaganda is spewed from the hacker community.
no
I seem to recall a couple of months ago seeing a link off www.kde.org for an open source DVD player. Looked like a major hack to get it to work, and since I don't own a DVD player........
Not everyone deserves a 320i
Creative has had this going since before December on their DXR2 cards, take a look at opensource.creative.com I also think ATI announced that they were releasing the specs for their DVD stuff or something for developers. Don't hold me to this.
It wasn't clear (to me) from their announcement if their API would be all that's needed to do the decoding or if you would still need to posess a key at the software level. It'd be interesting to hear from anyone that actually tinkered with it.
Yeah, score -1 Redundant for Cliff.
Eh...
By that logic, there's no reason why a GPL'ed Windows player shouldn't exist.
And this is a good point. Why shouldn't there be one? And why can't there be one?
ISTR that the main complaint from the MPAA was that a movie could be copied directly from one machine to another. So surely all we need to do is create a version that doesn't copy to disk.
sorry guys, wrong place, wrong time
-ShelbyCobra
Living life in the right side of the s-plane
It doesn't exist yet. Vaporware doesn't count.
I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
Can some one come up with a non-reverse engineering way to create DeCSS (even if it requires tons of computing power)?
I'm not a crypto expert but as I understand it the css key is only 40bit. Then there should be only 2^40 or about 1.1 trillion keys. There are 500 difrent keys on each disk. Any one will decrypt the disk. (a difrent one is given to each player vendor) Thus there is a 1:2.2 billion chance that a given key will be valid. With moderen computers one could have a good chance of being able to guess a key within a few months. Once a key is known to the community there would be nothing anyone could do to prevent currently existing players and dvd's from using that key.
Their not communicating with each other would not be so bad if they actually read /. themselves.
I is nice to be recognized by one's peers.
As a "grits poster" I have impressive footsteps to follow and pledge to keep the faith.
I read about this DVD issue in a tech rag called "Video Information Technology". It is on page 72, written by Dr. Douglas Hapheur.
A good read, this guy is definetely an insider. I appears that his finger is right on the pulse of the engineering/software comunity in the Linux/DVD area.
Here is a quote:
"The tray that holds the shiny DVD moves in and out of the unit. It makes a quiet wirring sound that is quite pleasing. I also observed that the tray is solid, without a pass-through, which enables the user to load it full of grits."
Isn't this what the DeCSS is all about? I am not sure that there are DVD players for linux, but you can try http://www.linuxapps.com or http://www.freshmeat.net. they may not have one, but they do have announcements for commercial products. PS. THIS IS NOT A TROLL!!!!!!
Yes, the dxr2 drivers are nice. However, due to the propietary nature of the navigation files, many of the advanced features that make DVD so attractive are unavailable.
But perhaps more importantly, the Dxr2 has been out of production for over a year, making getting one very difficult
And note that the Dxr3 (and Sigma Hollywood+) are *not* supported as the chipset they use does CSS in software
A friend of mine just opened a comptuer store. A month ago he could buy dvd drives to sell for $70 (I think his retail would ahve been 70, but I'm not sure). Now he has trouble even getting them, and has to pay $150. (I think that is wholesale prices, even if his retail you get the idea)
In other words, you can't buy them anymore so it doesn't matter.
There was a DVD player in January. I watched Contact on it, but in the Linux world simply getting a solution out the door doesn't count. Only a clean, academic implementation of an MPEG2 decoder, built on dynamically linked plugins in ANSI C will suffice. It's merely a question of when the Linux DVD players will reach the standards of computer science in the Linux world.
I'll field that flamebait: whoever said I was a Linux advocate, dumb or otherwise?
I'm wearing my "free software advocate" hat, or maybe even my "open file formats" hat.
If the MPAA convince courts that distributing software to decode CSS is illegal, that means that Free software to view DVDs can never be distributed. I believe that everyone should have the right to write and distribute whatever software they like, under whatever terms they like.
--
Creative Labs Linux compatible DVD player and software is NO LONGER on the market. The Linux stuff from Creative was a joint effort with interested developers. Creative Labs told me point blank at the Linux Expo in NYC that they are holding up release of NEW DVD Software for their current offering BECAUSE of the Lawsuits brought by the Motion Picture industry.
THUS, not only is the DMCA preventing the distribution of DeCss, but they also KILLED Creatives plans for bringing out DVD for Linux.
There is no currently available DVD for Linux....if that was the only point.
They also killed off much of Broadcast2000, a great video editing package for Linux. So the issue is not just to have Software of a DVD player, but that it be open sourced
Ruben I Safir
http://www.mrbrklyn.com/amsterdam.html http://www.brooklyn-living.com
I spoke with him over the phone last week on this topic and he told me that Sigma Designs was the company he was talking about. I therefore emailed Sigma Designs, asking when their drivers will be out, yadda yadda.
Oh well. At least he was willing to tell me where to look.
-- dieman - Scott Dier
If you want to do it yourself, check out http://www.directron.com/bookpc.html.
Tasty little boxes, with S-Video, AV and VGA out, plus 4 channel stereo. I'm definatly considering one of these.
--
Why can't I moderate something "Wrong" or at least "Grossly Misinformed"?
Actually, nearly every surplus & closeout dealer on the net is selling DXR2 cards for $30.
This is just like television, only you can see much further.
Not only is it not completely open source (just the "unclassified" parts, which they expect the Linux community in general to write for them), you'll have to buy a whole new card (which, due to being aimed primarily at the server/kiosk market rather than the home video market, is currently MSRP at $200 ) to use it! They're not going to release Linux drivers for their Hollywood Plus, for no really good reason that they'll explain (something about being afraid it could be cracked and/or would violate their DVDCCA agreement or something).
Not only that, but they estimate it to be several months until it's ready.
The fact that it's not 100% open source I can deal with...but wanting me to buy a whole new $200 card just goes right out the window. (Or should that be the (MS) Windows? :) That it's being used in the fight against DeCSS is just the icing on an already bad-tasting cake.
Someone has announced they'll be trying to reverse-engineer the H+ drivers...I wish them all the best of luck and hope, if they're successful, that people mirror what they come out with before the company gets it shut down.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Of course they think we're idiots. We wouldn't have voted them into office otherwise, would we?
Re DST - join the movement. Don't set your clocks back. Get up an hour early and make your appointmenta, but when people notice that your clock is on normal time, take the opportunity to explain that
--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Well.. we forgot the obligatory First Post, Hot Grits and Petrified Portman posts.. though they are just replies..
---
-
ping -f 255.255.255.255 # if only
HNN is reporting today
"contributed by Brad
It was only a matter of time. After all the bruhaha over DeCSS someone has finally created a legal DVD player for the Linux platform. LinDVD has been created and will be marketed by Intervideo for $29.95 and will be available this spring."Related links: Wired and Intervideo
Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
...but not posting it in a timely manner *cough* last week *cough* tends to be pretty embarrassing.
/. source: a method of retracting submissions once they become too old. Believe me, I would have taken advantage of that feature last Friday.
And not just for me.
I had this submitted last Wednesday or Thursday. The aforementioned article pretty much answered my question.
Idea for the next version of
-Vel
I ask this as an honest question. Here's why:
CNN is owned by Time Warner, which is a member of the MPAA. Is it possible, then, that CNN is deliberately biased in order to promote Time Warner's interests? or is this too far-fetched?
At the very least, when CNN reports on matters involving Time Warner, the RIAA or the MPAA, they should post a disclaimer stating that there is a conflict of interest involved.
I know it sounds dumb, but these huge conglomerates kind of scare me.
Take care,
Steve
========
Stephen C. VanDahm
This was not the point of our protest in DC. The point was to talk about the DMCA as a whole, and use DVDs as an example. The fact that the article which appeared on CNN (but came from IDG?) completely missed the point is, well... besides the point. Even if such a DVD player product exist, it is not Free and even if such a product was released under the Free Software Guidelines, it still wouldn't change the law, which was what the protest was about. I realize this post itself may be off topic, but I thought it important that this clarification be made. - Serge Wroclawski
I've been watching dvds in linux with my dxr2 decoder card for a long time now.
This isn't a linux-dvd player. It's a hardware player that works with linux. A true linux dvd player would be a solution that works no matter what model dvd player you use. Also, the new models in this line do CSS in software- which means to get the dx2, you have to find one... And they probably won't be around for too much longer...
Josh Sisk
Also, check out the links. Link to MPAA website, but no link to an pro-DeCSS website, only a link to tux.org that was thrown in there halfheartedly.
I have to say, though, that the part where they say there are no authorized Linux players was only citing what their interviewee said, so I wouldn't call that a scandal like the Slashdot headline said... it was just unbalanced reporting.
~Chris
In fact, just a couple of days ago, this /. article discusses how Intervideo expects to release a binary-only DVD player, but it's been vaporware so far. I'll believe it when I see it. The hardware-based standalone players are generally based on a handful of chipsets and custom non-any kind of Unix RTOS.
- -Josh Turiel
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
Hi, /. a couple of months ago regarding the upcoming LinDVD software DVD player from Intervideo and they finally ran the story the other day :-)
/. - that is IF they actually bother to post what I tell them :-)
/. search and LinDVD
/. even though we know /. is the lesser of many
/. held out so long on that story in the first place.
Yes, in fact there are DVD players available for Linux. I contacted
Anyway, the LinDVD software player was demonstrated at CEBIT several months ago and people reprted that it was very good. So this is not "vaporware" but rather "betaware" in that it exists and has been demonstrated but will not be released for a couple of months. I first spoke to Intervideo about LinDVD over a month ago and they said that they would announce LinDVD soon - they did. I have no reason to assume that there won't be a release by the summer.
There are also other players being developed that I have heard of, but I am not prepared to discuss the details of these just yet - suffice it to say that there are others.
On the non-commercial front, I can get about 15-20fps using the LiViD software and have just finished using the new rage 128 stuff to watch the Matrix fullscreen on my PII. I think anyone with around a PIII-500+ should be able to watch DVDs reasonably. I have also tried the Heroine XMovie stuff, which was very very nice but not that optimised (yet) although I think it's only time before that is very good also. Futhermore, Creative labs have done a reasonalbe job with their Linux DVD stuff also.
Those of you wishing to use WINE - you're out of luck since WINE presently doesn't handle the IO calls needed to handle DVD drives, although the Xing player will load, as will the version 1.0 beta of PowerDVD. I think it's only time before you'll be able to watch DVDs using PowerDVD 1.0 under WINE (later versions do not work properly and require M$ DirectCrap anyway).
So we have:
1). LinDVD is coming out in the next couple of months - I have no pricing details yet although I am being kept informed of the details as they emerge and will tell
2). DeCSS is still very much relevent as we want an open source player - LinDVD is based on WinDVD, which has it's faults.
3). Other players are being released later in the year - I will not provide details.
4). WINE won't help you yet, but will very soon I think.
5). LiViD is getting there - THEY REALLY NEED MMX OPTIMISERS - if you are a super genius mmx coder I'm sure they'd really want your help.
6). See below for some mails which are relevent.
Cheers,
Jonathan.
--
slashdot-comment-contact@easypenguin.co.uk
=== FROM Intervideo ===
Subject:
RE: LinDVD
Date:
Mon, 28 Feb 2000 15:56:23 -0800
From:
"Scott Marvin"
To:
"'Jon Masters'"
Hello Jon,
We are still approximately 3-4 weeks from releasing any information
regarding LinDVD.
Regards,
Scott
Scott Marvin
Sales Manager
InterVideo Inc.
mailto:scottm@intervideo.com
Office (510) 651-0888x305
Fax (510) 651-8808
Mobile (408) 781-2943
=== END ===
=== FROM Intervideo ===
Subject:
RE: Hi
Date:
Fri, 24 Mar 2000 19:51:01 -0800
From:
"kelly"
To:
"'Jon Masters'"
Dear Jonathan
Thank you for your e-mail. LinDVD is under consideration here, but at
present time, we offer no further information, other than the fact its going
to be released sometime later this year.
Regards,
Kelly Hsiao
Technical Support
InterVideo Inc.
=== END ===
=== FROM Slashdot ===
Subject:
Re: Linux DVD
Date:
Fri, 3 Mar 2000 03:16:31 -0500 (EST)
From:
hemos
To:
Jon Masters
We've been waiting on the official release - we don't have enough to link
to right now.
=== END ===
=== FROM Me To Slashdot ===
Subject:
Linux DVD
Date:
Thu, 02 Mar 2000 15:07:10 +0000
From:
Jon Masters
To:
hemos
Hi,
I'm not being a whinner and I wouldn't normally complain that my story
submission didn't get in, but this story should get on slashdot:
Intervideo, the guys who brought WinDVD are about to release a software
only DVD player for Linux called LinDVD. They'll be officially making an
announcement in 3-4 weeks time and the player will have similar system
requirements as the windows counterpart. Now if this story isn't
directly relevent to the current DVD Linux situation, I don't know what
is - please tell me why it's been rejected twice? Is it becasue the DVD
CCA and Forum have got to you guys and silenced you from publishing
anything relating to Linux and DVD? I've run a
isn't mentioned anywhere on the site so unless I'm missing something
this story is new.
Jonathan.
=== END ===
=== FROM Me To Slashdot ===
Subject:
LinDVD
Date:
Sat, 25 Mar 2000 22:02:31 +0000
From:
Jon Masters
To:
malda
CC:
hemos
Hi,
I notice there's still no word about LinDVD on
that it exists and that it is definatey being released later this year.
Can you tell me what further information you want before you can
announce this to the world? I think it's good not to announce this until
the right moment, after all, we don't want the DVD Forum and co. to use
this against the community however, I believe
evils in that you'll proably phase the announcemnt tactfully so that
this doesn't become negative.
If you want further info, I can try digging for you.
Cheers,
Jonathan.
=== END ===
=== FROM Me to Slashdot ===
Subject:
Re: LinDVD
Date:
Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:20 +0100
From:
Jon Masters
To:
hemos
Hi,
Thanks for finally mentioning LinDVD.
Jonathan.
=== END ===
Hope this helps to clarify everything and I'd love to know why
Jonathan
http://www.jonmasters.org/
Well I know that Sigma Designs have announced their intentions regarding Linux...
http://www.sigmadesigns.com/press/000201.htm
Have a looksee
The guys at the Linux Video Project have been working on an Open Source DVD Player (among other things). Their DVD player looks like it will be great, but still needs some work in the performance area. I also suggest you check out their DVD Playing HOWTO.
On Friday March 31, /. ran this article about a Linux DVD player.
I have been playing my DVDs using my DXR2 card from Creative Labs, for months now. Though the software (The version I have is very basic, no forward and back, there may be a better version now) it works like a dream. No problems with CSS as the card handles that....
I play directly via the AC3 output to my widescreen TV. Not sure if graphics overlay works yet, though I don't like that mode. The software as is suits my needs perfectly. (Though I have been good and not bought any new DVDs).
Though the linux cache is quite amusing at times, with up to 15 minutes of my DVD in the cache...!
Bringing out a closed-source, X86 binary only player for Linux does *not* get the MPAA off the hook as far as CSS is concerned. Simply substitute NetBSD, LinuxPPC, QNX, whatever, for "Linux", and make the same argument all over again.
--
They can't Open Source it. That would be violating their own collusion--err--consortium's charter. When such a player does show up, it will be closed source, so as to protect the already widely known trade secrets the lawsuits are trying to make us unknow. It won't be an effort to embrace another user community; it will be an effort to control yet another market segment.
--
This is not my sandwich.
A: Only one... per section
A2: Six
One to report the news "Lightbulb broken", One to post "Ask Slashdot: best way to screw a lightbulb", One to discuss patents about lightbulbs, One to report about the "Open Source Lightbulb Exchange Project" and finally JonKatz to write a meg about how the lightbulb soon will be obsolete in the digital age.
Six? yeah they count like they spell...
All opinions are my own - until criticized
Here's some important news I just made up.
In court today, Microsoft succesfully managed to gain an injunction against the Linux Operating system on the basis that it is a tool for piracy.
This was demonstrated by the Microsoft representatives using cat </dev/hda1 >/nfs/dev/hda1 to copy Windows98(tm) from one computer to another. They also claimed that Linux reverse engineered some of Microsoft's intellectual property including SMB.
Linux users claimed that Linux is useful as an OS for the PPC and Alpha platforms that MS wasn't supporting. MS pointed out that there were legal operating systems for these platforms and said words to the effect of "What are they cmplaining about.
In related news, programmer Linus Torvalds was arrested for his role in writing Linux, as well as a number of other international programmers.