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

[Ben Bucksch]

Joseph A. Caputo wrote:

>Of course you can decline support.
>
Not sure about Germany/Europe. If a product has a problem and you reject 
support, they get their money back, I think.

>>You can remote-administrate the boxes (if you told your customers!)
>>    
>>
>they may just not want to grant you access to their box
>
Thus "if you told your customers!" (assuming they didn't decline).

>Takes time (and time == money) to get a system like this running smoothly.
>
Well, yes. If you want to do it professionally (smooth operation for 
your customers), you'll have to invest at least a month of work, if not 
several. You'd also have to make MythTV much more stable (quirky, bugs, 
crashes).

>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).
>
You cannot create consumer-grade products from 0 to launch within 5 
hours in your garage, yes. That's true for pretty much any product.

>If I want to sell a few pre-configured boxes to some of my friends..., that's fine.
>
>Establishing myself as a _business_ with a _product_ is a completely different matter.
>
Of course. But you were talking about reliable sources etc., that's why 
I assumed you spoke about consumer-grade products (just as I did in my 
mail weeks ago).

I think both approaches are viable, the friends one of course on a much 
smaller scale and probably with less profit.