[mythtv-users] Zap2it Labs Shutting Down?

[Jay R. Ashworth]

On Wed, Jun 20, 2007 at 01:18:41PM -0700, Fedor Pikus wrote:
> > Since Z2L's motivation for giving it away for free (aside from the
> > screen scraping problem) was that it provided them useful penetration
> > numbers and research, which this practice interfered with -- and since
> > they *charge* commercial PVR software makers for that privilege -- they
> > were annoyed.
> 
> So basically, if I buy a PC and install MythTV on it myself, it's ok,
> but if I buy a PC with MythTV pre-installed, it's a problem? What if I
> buy it, but then update it with new MythTv myself? What if I bought a
> Dell and paid someone to install MythTv on it?

I *believe* that the answer to that *used to be*: if you signed up for
DD *yourself*, then you were ok, no matter who built the machine.

The issue was that they lost track of the number of subs, because
multiple boxes were somehow merged... 

though on reflection, I'm not sure that could in fact have been the
problem... because how do you deal with the lineup selection issue.

Hmmm... that was the only problem I could see that was rational... and
that can't happen.  I'm as lost as everyone else now.

> Z2L indeed charge commercial PVR makers, but commercial PVR makers
> download the data themselves and resell it to PVR owners, so there is
> a difference. Commercial PVRs are forever tied to the PVR vendor, PVR
> vendors make money from service. If I buy a prebuilt MythTv box, I
> don't have to talk to the builder ever again, so the builder makes
> money only from the box, just like Dell does.

Sure; but I heard no noise suggesting that people were hubbing the DD
data -- again, lineup issues.

So this sounds like it must have specifically been "you paid someone to
build it for you; we don't want you; nyaah."

Not real impressed with that.  Sorry, DD.

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                   Baylink                      jra at baylink.com
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