[mythtv-users] Zap2it Labs Shutting Down?

Ryan Pisani mythtv at frouse3.homelinux.com
Wed Jun 20 19:58:49 UTC 2007


> Ok, to clarify some information and hopefully calm down some of the
> frantic chatter, here's an overview of what is going on:
>
> The MythTV developers are currently working with TMS to see if there is
> a way we can purchase/resell listings data to MythTV users.  We are
> awaiting numbers both for cost and for the number of people actively
> using DD data (to give us an estimate of what the per-user cost might
> end up being).  It's still completely undecided whether this would
> happen as a function of MythTV or if a new org would be created to deal
> with it.  Don't ask, we don't know yet.  If something comes of this, I'm
> sure that there will be an announcement.
>
> We are also looking at other providers, as well as the option of working
> with other projects (both open and closed source) to band together on a
> similar service.
>
> As Daniel said, we are also considering the idea of contacting
> individual stations directly and working out deals to build our own
> service, like the group in Sweden did.  I assume that if we did this,
> we'd end up working with the xmltv folks, too.
>
> ---
>
> Now...  there are also some problems with many of the ideas that have
> come up.  Here are a few:
>
> Charging for data will leave a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of
> MythTV users, which means we could lose a sizeable chunk of the user base.
>
> Not charging for data, but hosting it ourselves, means that we'd run
> into the same problem as zap2it with commercial groups abusing the
> system.  Using hashing algorithms/etc to track "legit" MythTV
> installations is impossible due to the whole "open source" thing.

If one of the main concerns of tracking legit users is in question here.
Maybe some sort of p2p solution can be devised to help lower bandwidth
costs, and to try to keep content to mythtv users specifically.

If labs.zap2it began giving the data freely to keep from xmltv users from
scrapping, then I assume web performance and user access was a big concern
for them. So changing web pages was not only to keep us guessing, but to
help with performance/bandwidth issues.

Maybe a centralized solution with some p2p extensions dumping right to
mythtv would be a good compromise.

Ryan


> Ad-supported models are great except for the fact that MythTV is an open
> source project.  It would be *very* easy for someone to maintain an
> "ad-free" patch set, and people could get the listings without seeing
> any ads.
>
> Someone owns the rights to program titles/etc.  xmltv can give users
> access to this info because the user downloads the info directly.  If we
> want to host this in a central repository somewhere, we will likely need
> permission to do so.
>
> ---
>
> Once we figure something out, I'm sure there will be an official working
> group put together, but I would strongly encourage individuals not
> directly related to development to avoid contacting anyone on behalf of
> the MythTV community.  It creates confusion and will only slow down the
> progress by people officially involved.
>
> -Chris
>
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>



More information about the mythtv-users mailing list