Ubuntu TV Finally Gets a Close-Up

Barence writes "Canonical has unveiled the first screenshots and details of Ubuntu TV. Plans for versions of the Linux distro for tablets, smartphones and TVs were unveiled last year, and now the television is — perhaps surprisingly — the first of those to arrive. 'It's a simple viewing experience for online video, both your own and routed over the internet,' Jane Silber, Canonical's CEO told PC Pro. Movie streaming services will be supported as well as live television broadcasts. Ubuntu TV will be integrated into television sets, but Canonical was unable to confirm any manufacturers. It will be released later this year."

Comments

But WHO will manufacture them?

[msobkow]

I can't imagine anyone going to an electronics store and saying "I want to buy an Ubuntu TV." No, they're going to ask for features or for a name-brand.

Who is going to be shipping them? The author of the software behind a smart/internet-enabled TV is way down my priority list when considering the purchase of a TV.

From what I've read, none of the so-called "Smart TV" products works with ALL content. They're all broken for one media site or another, a far from perfect solution for anyone.

How about listing the streaming protocols and formats Ubuntu supports? Are there any it doesn't support? Why?

I guess we'll just have to hope for more info when CES rolls around. But for now, I'd appreciate it if the Slashbot editors would stop posting pre-announcements for products as if they're telling us anything useful in them. All you're doing is providing free advertising for products that haven't been shown yet and about which we know nothing.

I'd much rather see some articles during and after CES that actually have some information about the products, not just the names of the vendors involved.

Re:But WHO will manufacture them?

[Gordonjcp]

I think you're kind of missing the point. It's up to manufacturers to pick what OS their TV runs (and yes, it feels seriously odd saying that). All digital TVs and PVRs run Linux, almost without exception - there are some weird outliers like cable boxes that run VxWorks, but they're going away.

If I can get my hands on a feature-complete environment with a pretty solid company behind it to install onto my TV, I'd be mad not to use it in favour of some half-assed homegrown thing.

Can't wait to try:

[Anonymous Coward]

sudo apt-get remove realitytv
sudo apt-get install somethinginteresting

More useful links

[Ramsed]

More info at Canocial blog and Ubuntu website (including a video).

Re:Mythbuntu

[91degrees]

This is well within the rules of free software though, so it doesn't really matter what they think.

Does Mythbuntu have a mechanism for renting/buying movies though?

Re:Mythbuntu

[LordKronos]

Looking at the screenshots, it looks like it's running MythTV with a custom theme

I wonder how the Mythbuntu folks feel about this.
Seeing as this Ubuntu respin has never been officially endorsed by Canonical (to my knowledge), may be seen as a bit of a hijacking of the project...

Uh, what screenshots are you looking at? The ones in the linked article? It looks nothing like MythTV, other than in the generic way in which you could say any media app (Windows Media Center, Sage TV, XBMC, etc) looks like MythTV (you know, it's got a program guide, and a list of videos with coverart). If there's one thing in there that makes it painfully obvious that it ISN'T mythtv, it's got to be the screenshot that shows you can rent/buy movies...myth doesn't have anything at all like that.

Re:Oh dear

[elrous0]

When asked who would actually be manufacturing it, a Canonical spokesperson responded "Hey, look over there!" and ran out a nearby exit.