[mythtv-users] Market for mythtv boxes?

[Ben Nolan]

DECSS isn't a problem here downunder. The mpeg la is a problem though.
Is there a way around this? Or is distributing divx decoders
dead-to-rights illegal? What about purchasing a license for a windows
codec and bundling it with mplayer - or am I missing the illegality?

As for market - I'm thinking of high end (pro looking, quiet, simple,
effective) pricing on commodity gear (to reduce construction costs).
There are a lot of problems with long term support of xmltv etc - but
there are ways and there are ways.

Wrt networking - just require home Ethernet. You're in truth - not going
to deter too many punters from the system by forcing them to plug a 30m
cross-over cable between their tv box and their win xp dial-up machine
(worst case scenario).

As for x breaking - mythtv problems etc etc - I think people are missing
the point. A mythtv box would be rock-solid. It would have a readonly
system partition - a secret root password and an md5sum that checks for
validity every boot. If xyz user hacks the box or tries to update it or
whatever - and software guarantees are null and void.

We're talking consumer technology here. And there are a lot of consumers
who would have high end home theatre - but still have to configure a
video recorder and use tapes to record their tv. The US is a half the
world market. The other half is untapped.

Regards,
Ben


-----Original Message-----


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!
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