[mythtv-users] Is the Digital Future bleak?

[Brian Wood]

Michael T. Dean wrote:
> On 06/04/2007 04:11 AM, Brian Wood wrote:
>> David Brodbeck wrote:
>>   
>>> After all these years there's still no  
>>> legal way to play DVDs on Linux.  Why should we expect any different  
>>> when it comes to HDTV?
>>>     
>> I thought LinDVD was legally licensed to play DVDs under Linux. It's not
>>  "free" software though, obviously.
> 
> And it's not available to consumers--only manufacturers who plan to use
> it on systems with embedded GNU/Linux. 
> http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/LinDVD.jsp (and the "What's next?" section
> that says, "will be shipped in 2003," seems to indicate their level of
> commitment to the product...)

Sounds like it more or less died, not surprising. I hadn't followed it
for some time, I was just aware they were trying to get a licensed Linux
player.

This might be a good time to mention that the many discussions here of
"ripping" DVDs are probably not helping the situation. Since this list
is archived the H'Wood Types can use it to prove their case that Linux
users are a "bunch of pirates".

Of course that's not really true, most "Pirates" are downloading
copyrighted material using Windows and torrents, or Limewire or the
like. Linux users are nowhere near the real problem, but the HWTs
somehow don't see that.

Anyone discussing DVD ripping who lives where it is legal should mention
that fact in any posts, thus rendering the archived message harmless to
the cause. With so many gmail accounts being used it's hard to tell
where anybody is, but this is a USA-based list after all.

The ripping prohibition is no accident. An attempt was made recently to
get an exception to the DMCA for "backup and archive" purposes, and it
was soundly defeated.

BEWW