Then there's the noise factor. Tivos are whisper quiet... To make a PC that quiet wou can easily add another $100 onto the base price.
I use a Zalman cooler, even satisfied the girlfriend.
Your joking, right? With the right hardware I could set you up in about a half hour, that includes installing the OS. Second thing I'd point out is the PC is upgradable and infinitely more flexable. The trade off is you have to know more about it, but this is a Slashdot forum..right?
I'd support an open project that left most of the control in my hands, but I understand Tivo nixed the commercial skip. Does Tivo have user developed plugins or any additional features being added by the community?
no trouble in North America with MythTV (xmltv). I did have to upgrade it a couple of times..
urpmi xmltv
Not much trouble and the flipside is I've got a full featured PC plugged into my HDTV (sure was nice watching those Quicktime Matrix previews on a big screen).
But what open-source anything ever is truly complete, tested, and waranteed seems a little trollish. Not that I out right disagree with you, but its not anymore accurate then 'What Microsoft software product is ever is truly complete, tested, and waranteed'. I've been using MythTV for over a year and your right, sometimes it does flake out. I'd bet Tivo does too though, but at least they get to dictate what hardware their software is run on.
A MythTV box is much more flexable and with the MythVideo plugin intalled you can view all your Mplayer compatable video (pretty much everything under the sun) or with the MythDVD plugin you can view and rip your DVD's (or compress and archive them). Its also themeable and a couple of the user (?) submitted themes are sweet (and easy to use). Oh, of course it handles CD's/Mp3/Oggs and can rip and eject your music collection. Did I mention that that MythMusic plugin also does visual plugins do you can watch your screen while you listen to all your music? It seems almost not worth mentioning that Myth can also chech your weather forcast and pull in the Slashdot headlines.
Oh, and if you get bored with all that you've got a fully functioning PC sitting plugged into your HDTV. Its not for everybody, but as a serious computer user it sure hits the spot.
Gentoo seems to get it, but I'd expect to see a more aggressive commercial distribution seriously pimping this and I believe in we really need some good exposure like this.
since I'm sure you know this (initial plans..) but for those who missed it they cover this in their FAQ. Basically if there is enough interest (read $$) to support it they will do it, but they are just testing the waters and would be smart not to invest too many resources until they know we'll pony up (they'll get my $60).
I'm just kidding. I'm not a huge Linux zealot myself. Windows has got some things right and its more about building a good free (as in mind) OS then proving Microsoft sucks.
And of course we can still learn a lot about GUI consistency and user configuration from both Apple and Microsoft.
What are they selling? From everything I've read the Java Desktop is basically Linux with Gnome and a Java RE. That's neat, but I don't see how its not going to suffer from all the regular problems Linux distro's have penetrating this neophyte market. With the driver issues and the usability issues (and the software availability issues) I don't really even see this as a good thing. If people buy these all they are going to see is a second rate operating system. Wal-Mart customers don't use VI. Linux isn't ready for the masses and in its current state they'll just think there's something wrong with it.
With electronic its always been a huge crapshot. I believe you have a better chance of getting something of higher quality if you pay top dollar, but I'd be a fool believe that was always true. I've got cheap CD-roms, burners and DVD players (one DVD burner) all around and they haven't given me any trouble (or blanks).. Well, actually one didn't survive the dust with the San Diego fires, but the cheap DVD burn filled its spot nicely.
Somehow, you get what you pay for doesn't perfectly apply to electronics. You get what their engineers designed with or without help from parts manufacturers and the fabrication plant, sometimes.
"Get your ass to mars."
"If it bleeds we can kill it."
"Dilan you son of a bitch whats the matter, the CIA got you pushing too many pencils?"
"The best activities for your health are pumping and humping."
"I have inhaled, exhaled everything."
"I'm not into politics, I'm into survival"
"If I am not me, who da hell am I?"
P2P has socialized downloads like never before. Information need to be as fluid as conversation, technology has a (gasp, healthy!) social element that has been ignored for way too long.
Don't throw every application into it. As a counter-part to the "gui everything" I think its important that we at some point have a distribution that's is fully and transparently integrated. No more merely cobbling great products together. Success will mean true consistency, maybe then the rest of us will see that its not all that bad.
Slashdot Mirror
I didn't even see that one.
With urpmi and Easy Urpmi and Thac's configured properly (follow instructions). You can install it in a few minute, with no compiling.
urpmi mythtv
Thats xmltv and everything.
Then there's the noise factor. Tivos are whisper quiet... To make a PC that quiet wou can easily add another $100 onto the base price. I use a Zalman cooler, even satisfied the girlfriend.
+ about a month configuring it to work as a PVR
Your joking, right? With the right hardware I could set you up in about a half hour, that includes installing the OS. Second thing I'd point out is the PC is upgradable and infinitely more flexable. The trade off is you have to know more about it, but this is a Slashdot forum..right?
I'd support an open project that left most of the control in my hands, but I understand Tivo nixed the commercial skip. Does Tivo have user developed plugins or any additional features being added by the community?
no trouble in North America with MythTV (xmltv). I did have to upgrade it a couple of times..
urpmi xmltv
Not much trouble and the flipside is I've got a full featured PC plugged into my HDTV (sure was nice watching those Quicktime Matrix previews on a big screen).
Then you'll need to find some way to get program listings if you want to schedule recordings based on something besides just channel & date & time.
MythTV does this with XMLTV. It works great and you can search using the built-in scheduler and search time/date or..name.
Not that any software PVR is perfect, but don't write them off out of ignorance.
But what open-source anything ever is truly complete, tested, and waranteed seems a little trollish. Not that I out right disagree with you, but its not anymore accurate then 'What Microsoft software product is ever is truly complete, tested, and waranteed'. I've been using MythTV for over a year and your right, sometimes it does flake out. I'd bet Tivo does too though, but at least they get to dictate what hardware their software is run on.
Just a minor point, but its a small peeve.
Why not make it $400 in tv cards and record both those shows simultaneously? Myth supports multiple video cards and PIP. Drool..
A MythTV box is much more flexable and with the MythVideo plugin intalled you can view all your Mplayer compatable video (pretty much everything under the sun) or with the MythDVD plugin you can view and rip your DVD's (or compress and archive them). Its also themeable and a couple of the user (?) submitted themes are sweet (and easy to use). Oh, of course it handles CD's/Mp3/Oggs and can rip and eject your music collection. Did I mention that that MythMusic plugin also does visual plugins do you can watch your screen while you listen to all your music? It seems almost not worth mentioning that Myth can also chech your weather forcast and pull in the Slashdot headlines.
Oh, and if you get bored with all that you've got a fully functioning PC sitting plugged into your HDTV. Its not for everybody, but as a serious computer user it sure hits the spot.
More aggressively with game developers. I mean its sort of sad that even though there are a handful of active commercial (and non-commercial albeit high quality as in my sig) game developers who are supporting Linux there is still the perception that Linux doesn't have games.
Gentoo seems to get it, but I'd expect to see a more aggressive commercial distribution seriously pimping this and I believe in we really need some good exposure like this.
since I'm sure you know this (initial plans..) but for those who missed it they cover this in their FAQ. Basically if there is enough interest (read $$) to support it they will do it, but they are just testing the waters and would be smart not to invest too many resources until they know we'll pony up (they'll get my $60).
I'm just kidding. I'm not a huge Linux zealot myself. Windows has got some things right and its more about building a good free (as in mind) OS then proving Microsoft sucks.
And of course we can still learn a lot about GUI consistency and user configuration from both Apple and Microsoft.
a confession or a plea for help. ;-)
If your looking at getting the best price possible you'd do well to wait until the end of the busiest buying season of the year.
someone will use one or accidentally leak one at some point.
What are they selling? From everything I've read the Java Desktop is basically Linux with Gnome and a Java RE. That's neat, but I don't see how its not going to suffer from all the regular problems Linux distro's have penetrating this neophyte market. With the driver issues and the usability issues (and the software availability issues) I don't really even see this as a good thing. If people buy these all they are going to see is a second rate operating system. Wal-Mart customers don't use VI. Linux isn't ready for the masses and in its current state they'll just think there's something wrong with it.
Wouldn't it be more productive to concentrate on finding a solution everyone can accept?
With electronic its always been a huge crapshot. I believe you have a better chance of getting something of higher quality if you pay top dollar, but I'd be a fool believe that was always true. I've got cheap CD-roms, burners and DVD players (one DVD burner) all around and they haven't given me any trouble (or blanks).. Well, actually one didn't survive the dust with the San Diego fires, but the cheap DVD burn filled its spot nicely.
Somehow, you get what you pay for doesn't perfectly apply to electronics. You get what their engineers designed with or without help from parts manufacturers and the fabrication plant, sometimes.
Canadians are just nicer!
Arnold says:
Kind of sucks that you can be modded down (or up) by someone, but they can't comment on your thread to tell you why.
P2P has socialized downloads like never before. Information need to be as fluid as conversation, technology has a (gasp, healthy!) social element that has been ignored for way too long.
to protect copyrighted material.
Don't throw every application into it. As a counter-part to the "gui everything" I think its important that we at some point have a distribution that's is fully and transparently integrated. No more merely cobbling great products together. Success will mean true consistency, maybe then the rest of us will see that its not all that bad.