[mythtv-users] SiliconDust to Announce CableCard Product at CES [RUMOR]

[Brian Wood]

On Thursday 07 January 2010 02:06:19 pm Rod Smith wrote:
> On Thursday 07 January 2010 01:08:57 pm Johnny wrote:
> > > If that's the case, then even if SD doesn't provide linux support,
> > > then simply discussing reverse engineering an appropriate interface
> > > package should not be disallowed by the mailing list rules.
> >
> > They weren't referring to this portion of the discussion. It was the
> > discussion encryption and how to circumvent it that was not allowed.
> > Getting Linux access to the non-DRM streams/files is fine. But there
> > will be some some (maybe most) files that are flagged and encrypted
> > with DRM so there is simply no legal way to get around that and
> > discussions of that would be against list policy.
> 
> There's another approach that's been bouncing around in my head, although I
> have no idea how practical it would be: Use WINE and whatever Windows
> software is required to play those files. Presumably you'd set this up as a
> player in MythVideo, and I have no idea if you'd need to use Windows
>  software (presumably also under WINE) to record them or if you could use
>  MythTV's scheduler for that part, with MythTV recording a show that it
>  couldn't play back directly because of the DRM. My suspicion is that this
>  would be a very awkward solution, but AFAIK it'd be legal, since you'd be
>  using whatever licensed Windows software is required for the job, just
>  with MythTV and Linux as a wrapper. Depending on the details of the
>  hardware and official supported software, it might be workable. OTOH,
>  maybe there's something basic I just don't understand (maybe the Windows
>  software doesn't work under WINE or is too bloated for this sort of use,
>  for instance). Still, I thought it was worth tossing out as a
>  pie-in-the-sky sort of option....
> 

Depending on Wine to run non-trivial Windows software is a gamble, some fairly 
complex Windows programs will run under Wine, but far from all.

Another possibility, mentioned here earlier, is running XP in a VM. I run XP 
in a VM under VirtualBox in order to be able to run the Playon server, though 
it goes against the grain to run XP at all. My problem is Playon is just so 
useful, and I can't find any non-Windows solution to get the same results.

I am using a paid-for full version (not the upgrade) of XP in the VM, so I 
believe I am legal. It's hard to know for certain, given the way those 
licenses are written.

I'm not sure of the status of Windows7 and a VM, I know that with Vista you 
had to buy the most expensive version of Vista to run it in an emulated 
environment and not violate the license terms, but AFAIK there is no similar 
restriction on XP.  I mention this because some of the new media-centric apps 
may require W7.