[mythtv-users] Sell mythtv "set-top" boxes

Joseph A. Caputo jcaputo1 at comcast.net
Thu May 15 14:30:52 EDT 2003


> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net
> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at snowman.net]On Behalf Of Ben Bucksch
> Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2003 12:51 PM
> To: Discussion about mythtv
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Sell mythtv "set-top" boxes
>
>
> >Unless you're prepared to give *lots* of support (costing you
> *lots* of time) to your customers, it won't work.
> >
> Unless you're able to decline any support. Not sure, if that's legal or
> feasible.

Of course you can decline support.  It's just that you'd alienate the bulk
of your potential customers.

> eh, there is no need to "come". You can remote-administrate the boxes
> (if you told your customers!)

That depends on the customer's network setup.  They may not have a dedicated
internet connection, they may be behind a firewall, or they may not have a
static IP address.  Or, they may just not want to grant you access to their
box, which is one of the reasons they chose Myth over Tivo to begin with!

> or better yet auto-update the boxes with
> apt-get or whatever, with one "source" being your server. Just upload a
> new package to your server, the boxes grab it and install it
> automatically, and that's it. Unless you messed it up.

Takes time (and time == money) to get a system like this running smoothly.

> Even if MythTV is not suitable for a mass market (I think it may), it's
> still for a niche market

You don't have to sell me on the virtues of Myth; I'm sold!  It's just that
I think the level of effort required to make a Myth box into a viable,
supported consumer-grade product is well above the level of a small business
(i.e., hobby or side venture).  If I want to sell a few pre-configured boxes
to some of my friends who are not afraid of the possibility of temporary
outages due to XMLTV issues, who don't mind allowing me access to their box
to do maintenance/upgrades, that's fine.  Establishing myself as a
_business_ with a _product_ is a completely different matter.  I'm not
saying it would be completely infeasible, it would just take time &
resources that I do not have.  If someone with more time and a more
entrepreneurial spirit than I have is willing to do it & has the resources
(possibly $$ for listings data), more power to them!

-JAC



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