Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 09:36:36 +1000 (EST) From: Q <q@fan.net.au> To: Tom Pusateri <pusateri@juniper.net> Cc: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@zippy.cdrom.com>, ulf@alameda.net, Ryan Dewalt <rdewalt@meridianksi.com>, freebsd-multimedia@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Creative Labs DVD Dxr2 Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.02.9903120840440.23442-100000@gromit.fan.net.au> In-Reply-To: <199903111503.KAA26301@extreme.jcmax.com>
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On Thu, 11 Mar 1999, Tom Pusateri wrote:
> >I have also seen a couple of reports from Linux developers that C-Cube
> >have refused to give them programming information because it is
> >"proprietry" and not for public distribution.
>
> I may be way off base here but I would rather see efforts focused
> towards products from companies that show more cooperation. If FreeBSD
> and Linux users find that certain brands are supported because
> the company was cooperative, then this is what the users will buy.
I agree with this point, but it would probably only influence a fraction
of a percent of their total sales. And while there remains no DVD support
for these platforms it doesn't effect their sales at all. I think it is
also safe to assume that there are a lot of Linux and FreeBSD users who
would prefer to buy the best item from a product line and get it supported
than an average product that has Linux/FreeBSD support but only average
performance. (I put myself in this category) I would prefer to reboot into
Windoze than endure less than perfect picture quality.
The creative DVD kit appears to have been the most popular and best
reviewed recently. Consiquently this is the one I have. There may be
others out there that are better candidates for Linux/FreeBSD support.
However, unless Jordan, or someone else interested in seeing DVD support
wants to donate a DVD kit that does everything in hardware (including CSS)
with readily available programming specs I can't really help here.
> If the company doesn't want to cooperate, boycott it and find one
> that will cooperate. I think there are enough non-windows users
> out there that we can take this attitude.
I think the best angle is to have someone (Jordan?) approach C-Cube with a
proposal for the FreeBSD team to fund and manage the development of
FreeBSD support for ZiVA based DVD products. If it costs them nothing, and
has the potential to make their products more appealing they may be more
likely to cooperate with an organisation than an individual. Unfortunately
C-Cube only make chips, it is up to the board manufactures to decide
whether or not to buy them not the end user. Most PC card manufactures
will be looking to compete in the windows market with anything else a
bonus, so it would be a tough sell. Other companies like panasonic don't
even care about windows support because they use the chips to make
standalone DVD players.
RedHat funded and developed X support for NeoMagic based notebooks with
cooperation from whoever manufacturers the chips. So it's not like this is
unexplored territory.
I have seen details of linux projects for the Creative Dxr2 board and the
Matrox G??. But if the board doesn't do CSS in hardware (the ZiVA based
boards do) DVD support for it isn't going to happen non commercially for
Linux/FreeBSD. Unless something changes you wouldn't be able to open
source a CSS implementation without getting sued.
Whatever happens, it's just a matter of time before enough people push in
the same direction and DVD support for some hardware appears.
Well... anyone still interested? :)
Seeya...Q
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
_____ / Quinton Dolan - q@fan.net.au
__ __/ / / __/ / / Systems Administrator
/ __ / _/ / / Fast Access Network
__/ __/ __/ ____/ / - / Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
_______ / Ph: +61 7 5574 1050
\_\ SAGE-AU Member
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