[mythtv-users] Market for mythtv boxes?

John Morris jmorris at beau.org
Tue Sep 16 00:15:15 EDT 2003


On Mon, 15 Sep 2003, Ben Nolan wrote:

> Is there a market for prebuilt mythtv boxes? Hi-fi component-style
> systems with a remote control and mythtv preinstalled etc. etc.
>  
> Surely there is - why isn't anyone doing it?

I have also given the idea thought, but decided against it after running
one for a bit.  It just isn't ready to be productized yet.  Example from
this weekend.  I ran apt-get and updated, only to have X go dead.  A few
edits to XF86Config-4 and recopy the gatos drivers back into place and I
was golden again, but if I had sold a few dozen I'd be in a world of pain
dealing with end users.

Unless you can get a heavy markup over the base hardware it only takes one
or two support incidents to erase your profit.  Back when the Freestyle
cards were available I had the bill of materials down to about $400 for a
nice quiet box.  So selling them myself I could try for $500 or $600 if
cutting a dealer in.  That is a lot of money compared to Tivo or Replay,
especially since end users aren't likely to see a benefit from the
openness that makes Myth great for us netgeeks.

And you MUST have them auto upgrade because xmltv keeps breaking.  The
only solution would be a nailed down hardware and software config set to
update from a repository totally controlled by the seller, containing only
packages hand tested to work on that one platform.

And then there is the problem that you really can't have just ONE
configuration.  If nothing else you have to cope with over the air,
however many cable systems are in your selling area, DirecTV and Dish.  
That means an assortment of IR Blasters, serial cables, etc.  And then
there is the split between those with ethernet available behind their TV
and those who will want to use dialup. You would either need to only sell
where you can get an onsite install fee or add functionality to Myth to
configure those options in a point n shoot way.  And then there are the 
issues when someone wants a more complex setup with multiple tuners, split 
front/backend, etc.

The only market segment where these problems are managable would be 
selling to the upper crust of the home theater/video nut crowd, where they 
are willing to pay big for custom work.  If you are in a major metro area 
it might be viable.  I'm not.  :(

And of course if you start selling these puppies you are likely to be in 
for all sort of legal problems unless you keep it to friends and family 
and stay off the radar.  The DVD CCA will get you for MythDVD, the MPAA 
will flame away over MythMovie, MPEG LA will get you for Divx/MPEG4 
licensing, the TV industry for commercial skipping and the RIAA will be 
hungry to find a way to get a piece of you over MythMusic.  The DVD CCA 
and MPEG LA would have you dead to rights but any one of the others could 
exhaust your ability to defend yourself long before you ever made it to a 
courtroom.

-- 
John M.      http://www.beau.org/~jmorris        This post is 100% M$ Free!
Geekcode 3.1:GCS C+++ UL++++$ P++ L+++ W++ w--- Y++ b++ 5+++ R tv- e* r
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