Slashdot Mirror
Windows Media Format Could Hit Linux-Based Devices
An anonymous reader writes "LinuxDevices.com reports that Microsoft has licensed InterVideo Inc. to supply Windows Media Technology to makers of Linux-based consumer devices. Under the agreement, InterVideo is licensed to take the components of the Windows Media Format, port them to Linux, and provide them to manufacturers who are interested in running Windows Media Technology on Linux-based consumer devices such as set-top boxes, personal video recorders, and other hybrid multimedia devices."
We don't want it. Continue sticking to something that isn't DRM-tastic and doesn't suck, device manufacturers.
I think that getting a (hopefully) well made and complete version of Windows Media working on Linux devices could be a good thing, but if it is not open-sourced (and it likely would not be) it will have few benefits on other open OSes. It is all in the implementation.
More software with real-world uses is a good thing, when it is good. More crapware floating around makes the world that much worse.
Damn, almost fristed.
Pro: Linux gets Windoze proprietary formats.
Con: Probably NOT going to be open-source.
I'm torn.
-uso.
Dreams, dreams, don't doubt dreams, dreaming children's dreaming dreams. Sailor Moon SS
Boy this is puzzling. Is everybody going to be happy that the Windows Media stuff will make it's way to Linux, or will they complain that MS is trying to extend it's monopoly? So far it's for Linux based devices, as opposed to the desktop machines. Ah nice ugly mix.
I, for one, think ya'll should be happy about it. It means:
a.) Linux will probably one day support WM formats. Thus no more bitching that you don't have the right OS to watch the cool vids that fly around here sometimes.
b.) MS recognizes that they just can't get everybody to use CE for embedded stuff. Might as well join the crowd, right?
Either way, Linux users win. Put your pitchforks down.
You can rightly accuse Microsoft of many things but being dumb isn't one of them. Due to their lack of headway in the embedded systems market and the extreme popularity of Linux in this same market Microsoft is smart enough not to mortgage the Windows Media farm on the success of their embedded OSes.
The cynical among us might think that by porting Windows Media to Linux and then "enhancing" the Windows versions faster than the Linux version you could lure Linux-committed companies to make an "easy port" to CE. Personally I think it should be watched-for but unlikely as embedded-Windows is decent, companies are abandoning it not for functionality issues, but cost and choice -- things much more important in the embedded space.
Did Microsoft just blink?
Wasn't that the company which never sold LinDVD to end users. Thank god xine now runs circles around every windows DVD player.
1. First they ignore you.
2. Then they laugh at you.
3. Then they fight you.
4. Then you win!
-- Ghandi
In the consumer devices that this is meant for, Linux isn't really a visible part. It'll just be regular people who want to play their Windows Media formatted stuff on their DVD player.
I am reminded of an Arab proverb about not letting the camel's nose into the tent, as soon the rest of the camel will follow.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
I think it's pretty safe to say that anything involving a currently proprietary technology from MS will not be released as open source. Given the current battle (and one they're losing, according to many) Microsoft is engaged in with OSS, they're in no position to help Linux users out and give more people a reason to ditch their money-making OS.
I don't see how this could possibly hurt Linux or the OSS wordl; this will help Linux. One of the major problems with Linux is it's inability to work 100% properly with some proprietary technologies. This brings us one step closer.
Won't work quite right, people complain, MS says "Thats open source for you."
Linux Fans say "Its not linux, its the app"
Company says" You're right, but what choice do we have? our contract says to use the windows format, so will have to switch are machines to windows"
Bada-boom, bada bing.
Sure, you think I paranoid, or some conspiracy fanatic, but I am not. This is how MS has moved into most of its dominate fields.
in short:
1.extend
2.embrace
3.profit
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
The only really good thing I can see coming from this might be apple reliquishing and allowing someone to port the quicktime libraries to linux. While the windows codecs play great on linux, the hacked up quicktime dll's are pretty hit or miss.
I do security
The big question is "Why would M$ do anything to support Linux?" The answer is that it allows them to sell wmf as a cross platform format. This is probably a hurdle that they need to overcome to con the content world (or legislators) into embracing their evil plan. Don't worry they can alway screw the Linux community over in the future when their goals have been met.
Show me an affordable method for supporting xvid, divx, or ogg in the hardware I use every day (rca lyra, mitsubishi dvd player, sony cd player in the car), and we can talk about it not being hit-or-miss. Right now, ogg support is scarce, and getting the right video codec installed and configured for divx is a pain in the ass.
And you refuse to use products just because they include drm features? I guess you don't use quicktime, dvd/dvd-r, or encrypting filesystems then?
using namespace slashdot;
troll::post();
I downloaded and compiled MPlayer last week and discovred that is plays Windows Media formats better than Windows Media player. For instance streaming video scaled to full screen with no noticable slow-down in frame-rate on mplayer. Do the same thing, on the same machine with XP and Window Media Player, and it's a filmstrip 1 to 2 frames a second. Also noticed that MPlayer doesn't drop connections like WMP does.
I would urge developers and systems builders and all people to avoide the Windows Media format like the plague. M$ are only licencing it to Linux developers to gain market penetration. When they get enough penetration, it will be every man for themselves. The licences will not be renewed, and we will have mandatory DRM following shortly after.
We need to promote open standards and boycott Windows Media format.
beware of microsurfs bearing gifts.
why help MS establish anymore "defacto" standards.
defacto standards suck.
we need real, open standards by choice not resignation.
Why would a content provider choose to use Microsoft's implementation of MPEG4, when there are freely available royalty-free open-source implementations?
Scenario: I make a web site, I want to distribute media. Why not use DIVX? Or XVid? Those codecs are as easily available as any others, and I don't have to pay a fee to encode using them. Further, I make a movie I want to show in one of these new "digital" theaters -- same question. Why? OR screw that and use MPEG2. Is the performance difference worth the cost?