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Is The Public Stuck With The Broadcast Flag?

peeping_Thomist writes "The only company that sells HDTV tuner cards for Linux has run out of cards to sell, and they are now missing deadlines for new getting new cards. Linux users who want to view and record HDTV face an uphill battle. Meanwhile, the dreaded July 1, 2005 deadline for manufacturing DRM-free HDTV tuners is fast approaching. MythTV supports HDTV tuner cards, but so far no one has made a move to, as the EFF puts it, "buy, build, and sell fully-capable, non-flag-compliant HDTV receivers" prior to the July 1 deadline. The current combination of MythTV and pcHDTV (assuming pcHDTV cards become available again) may, as the EFF says, be "great for geeks," but it is a far cry from the TIVO-esque simplicity a mass market demands. Unless someone can get bring a DRM-free hdtv recorder to market before the deadline, it seems the general public will have no chance to avoid the broadcast flag."

5 of 302 comments (clear)

  1. Re:How about just not watching TV? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    So why are you reading this article dumbass? Did you click on the reply button just so you could spout your bullshit in here? Fuck off.

  2. Re:What about Europe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Who the fuck cares about Europeans and their purchasing habits? Not I. The broadcast flag will be in the US and people won't care. Europeans will continue to live as they do now and Americans will continue to be unaware of their rights...

  3. Re:PCHDTV - Come to Canada. by bmetzler · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    We have plenty of room ready, especially in preperation for the dogers after President Bush reinstates the draft to fight his war(s) (if gets back in).

    Read my journal entry on the subject of the draft. I'm sure that you will be depressed to learn that it is really Democrats who are trying to reinstate the draft. Democrats who think nothing of using your sons and daughters as pawns to try to hurt President Bush.

    -Brent
  4. Re:What about Europe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    wow. Your view of the world is quite skewed. Enjoy your 512kbps DSL for $100/mo and your fish and chips.

  5. Re:fp by MasterDater · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Ah of course, so when are you going to make a $100 million movie and offer it for free then? What's that? Never? So why do you expect other people to..? You must be very childesh to expect others to sacrifice where you won't/can't..