[mythtv] Web streaming video player module

[Michael T. Dean]

On 01/22/2008 11:23 AM, hendrixski at storsint.com wrote:
>>>> I am well aware of how much I hate commercials so I can only imagine
>>>> that everyone in the Myth world is the same.
>>>>         
>>> Note also that Myth is designed to allow the user to skip commercials
>>> and even if you were to put in code to prevent that for your
>>> feeds/recordings from your feeds or to prevent recording from your feed
>>> (LiveTV only), any user could disable that code since it is an
>>> open-source project.
>>>       
>> I think Brian and his bosses are making the calculation that people
>> won't jump through a lot of hoops to skip a short commercial (all
>> that is needed to support short movies.) A number of people in
>> advertising have told me that people will not skip over a funny
>> or relevant commercial when placed properly in relation to the
>> content
> Daniel is absolutely correct!
> From the advertisers point of view, it's not that we consumers against
> commercials period, ...

Yeah, and we consumers are not against paying for the service we get 
from cable/satellite companies.  That being said, do you realize how 
many people out there are jumping through even more hoops (than simply 
applying a patch to and recompiling an open source project--in this 
case, potentially even breaking the law) to get cable or satellite 
service without paying for it.

I would never, and have never, used a cable or satellite service (or any 
part of it) that I am not paying to receive.  I've heard from people I 
know that my local cable company does not filter the analog basic cable 
channels from lines that are installed for Internet access only.  I've 
been asked why I paid $15/mo to a satellite company for about 4 years to 
get the local broadcast analog channels only when they--and more 
channels--were available by just splitting the line the cable company 
installed for my Internet.  The answer is because I didn't pay for 
analog cable service.  However, I am realistic about the fact that not 
every one feels the way I do about theft of service.  A lot of people I 
know, who are not bad people, have subscribed to an Internet only 
package and split the cable for TV service.  I hear a lot of discussions 
(of even users of MythTV--who, again, are not bad people) who pay for 
the analog basic cable service and then find there are unencrypted 
digital (and possibly high-definition) channels, so they get digital 
capture cards and enjoy a "free upgrade."  While I haven't read the TOS 
from their cable companies, I know that is a blatant violation of the 
TOS of my local cable company, so I have to assume that some may 
be--knowingly or not--violating the TOS of their cable companies..

I just feel that it's best for the company /and/ for "open source" in 
general (due to the PR, so to speak) if the company is aware of just how 
easy it will be to circumvent any protections they may apply on the 
client side; and with the ability to record, server-side protections can 
be defeated through a record now/play back later approach.  I'd hate for 
the company to approach the idea naively and back out later thinking 
that all open source developers/users are thieves or that only thieves 
have any interest in open source.

I'm not saying they shouldn't pursue the idea.  I'm simply trying to 
make sure they're aware of what they're getting into.

For what it's worth...

Mike