[mythtv-users] Data Direct Subscription Expires?

[Richard Mixon (qwest)]

mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org wrote:
> ...
>
> And that shouldn't surprise us.  They are doing it free, and that
> means they can stop at any time they view it to be a problem.  So
> can any open source developer stop coding (though the FOSS licences
> stop them from revoking code from the FOSS arena for others to take
> on the load.)

Brad,

In a way Data Direct is not much different than a stock quote service or
other informations service.
You used to just get a roll on the financial news channel (yes you were
paying for it that channel - maybe).

Then there were available for free on the Internet - with some
limitations, such as time delay. You could pay a little and get better
quality of information or less delay.

If the market size for hobbyist DVR gets big enough, I would not be
surprised to see DataDirect start charging for it somehow. Maybe it will
be $2 a month, instead of $10 a year - who knows. I just feel pretty
sure that if they overprice it, someone else will step in and provide it
at a lower cost.

"Some" of us would be doing Tivo or similar commercial product, but for
their pricing. They feel their user interface and schedules are worth
$13 a month. A lot of people agree, some don't (me for one).

But so far, the commercial systems, though easier to setup, are not
nearly as flexible as Myth - multiple backends/frontends, web browsing,
games, etc. So lots of us will do it for the flexibility or because its
fun, i.e. its a hobby.

I agree with your points on FUD. But you do seem to be worrying a lot,
IMHO.

- Richard

PS: If you need a laugh. I've only about $100 and spare parts invested
in my MythTV box so far. $50 Avermedia M179, $25 for IR Blaster parts
(long cable needed), $30 for a MX 440 video card. Just happened to have
a spare 1.2Ghz Athlon/MB, case and 200GB drive. Still after six months
its not really completely usable (no good tv-out, see my other post).
For Christmas, wife decided I had fooled around enough (she estimated
100 hours at $5/hour was easily $500) and plopped a $400 DVR with DVD
burner under the tree (Replay TV style). My pride got the best of me and
I had her take it back. I'm "this" close two weeks later. Oh well.