Linux Media Arts Advances Video in Linux

GigsVT writes "Linux Media Arts has introduced a line of video capture and hardware MPEG encoding cards with full Linux support. The sd601 is a full featured hardware video solution including hardware dissolve, key, wipe, and split screen. At pricetags around $3000 US, they aren't cheap, but this could break Linux into the video editing market. This isn't vaporware, they are selling these right now."

Comments

Re:Is it open source or not?

[LinuxParanoid]

Hmm, they did cross-link to Heroine Warrior, whose site says:

After a long period of deliberation on the matter, Broadcast 2000 has been removed from public access due to excessive liability.

We've already seen several organizations win lawsuits against GPL/warranty free software writers because of damage that software caused to the organization. Several involved the RIAA vs mp3/p2p software writers. Several involved the MPAA vs media player authors. You might say that warranty exemption has become quite meaningless in today's economy.

While not related to either of these cases the distribution of Broadcast 2000 enhanced to unacceptable levels the risk of an individual experiencing significant financial damage due to the extremely expensive nature of high end video production and the high risk inherent in professional video business marketing.

This has forced us to reconsider our liability protection at this time. We still plan to continue offering minor works for download and in the coming years, as the liability issues surrounding open source software are resolved, we expect to issue newer major works.



Hmm.

--LP

Re:What is the quality?

[decefett]

Apart from running on Linux, how is this $3000 solution better?

The card is a professional solution for the professional broadcast market, for what it does $3000 is actually pretty resonable.

This product takes SDI (Serial Digial Interface) for video input which is the standard to broadcast video, it runs at 270Mbs and is not found on anything but professional (or at best "prosumer") gear.

This is not the first pro card that does SDI under Linux either, IIRC Optibase have a Mediapump card that does SDI under *nix.

mJPEG hardware and Linux

[tcyun]

Linux Media Labs is another group that is providing video hardware that runs under Linux. I have seen motion JPEG work very successfully in a research environment (Internet2) and I know that the test machines are being deployed. You can find out more about the test machines that I am talking about via
Google.