[mythtv-users] Watching web streams?

[Brian Wood]

On Wednesday 24 June 2009 05:49:01 Jim Morton wrote:
> Jim Morton wrote:
> > How can I watch shows that www.TNT.tv broadcasts on the Web? I used to
> > do it on my Windows pc attached to the tv but I converted that to a
> > Mythbuntu box (and I love it). Now if I exit the f/e and start Firefox
> > then goto TNT and try to watch something it just says there was an
> > error streaming. The commercials play just fine but when it gets to
> > the show it pops up the error. I suspect it is a DRM issue and since
> > I'm not on Windows anymore it doesn't work. Assuming I'm right is
> > there a DRM package I can install (or is that a Windows exclusive?)
> > that will satisfy TNT? Or should I dual boot? Any other suggestions?
>
> Just for closure - This was TNT's response:
> <quote>
>
> Typically, when all you can see are the commercials then there is a
> licensing issue. You will need to have Windows Media Player installed
> for the video to show. This isn't due to codecs or file format, but more
> specifically due the DRM licensing setup that we have with Windows Media
> Player and the studios.
>
> I don't think Windows has a Linux supported version of Windows Media
> Player so you may be stuck in the same boat as our Mac users when it
> comes to accessing our licensed footage. There may be some sort of work
> around for Linux users but I don't have enough familiarity in that area
> to really help out.
>
> </quote>

The phrase "I don't think Windows has a Linux supported version of WMP..." 
shows the responder from TNT had no idea what Linux really is.

I also have problems with content that is "protected" by some sort of 
Windows-based DRM. Netflix Watch Instantly comes to mind.

The only solution I have found is to actually run a Windows machine, or 
actually a virtual Windows machine, running under VirtualBox. Obviously a 
real XP machine, or a VMware or Xen solution should work as well. Whether 
PlayON would run under Wine, I have no idea.

I run PlayOn on the virtual XP machine, and I can then view the media using 
the UPnP server built-in to PlayON.

PlayOn is commercial ($40), I'm not sure if free solutions like Tversity can 
handle the DRM or not.

It's a lousy solution for many reasons, but it's the only one I have come up 
with yet. As long as the content providers continue to buy into the MS DRM 
paradigm, I doubt we will see a (legal) Linux solution in my lifetime.

I have paid for the Netflix content, so I am not "stealing" anything as far as 
I'm concerned. Since I am using a commercial product to do what I'm doing, I 
figure the content providers can go after the makers thereof if they are 
really bored.

But I really hate products that require you to send money to MS in order to 
use them. This sort of thing should be illegal IMHO.

-- 
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org