Are There Linux DVD Players on the Market? 82
Oops! I posted this story late on the 28th (with it scheduled to show up today) and had missed the LinDVD announcement. However, contrary to some of the comments that mention this point, this player is not yet on the market. It will be released "soon", but until it appears, it is still vapourware. It would be very cool if InterVideo would release a beta versions of their players so that we can see for ourselves how far along they are and how far they have to go. However this remains their decision. I wish them luck in their work, and am glad to see at least one company step up to the plate like this (even if it is only a binary player).
veldrane wanted to know if there was an actual player that he could go out and buy now, and according to Mark Litvak's comment in the original article, there should be one available.
I'm still wondering why he didn't mention any names if such an animal did exist.
Re:DVD Players for Linux Announced (Score:1)
Oh yeah, that's right. They don't communicate with each other.
DVD on Linux... (Score:1)
authorized, gpl'd player for creative dxr2 decoder (Score:1)
Re:Linux is not the point (Score:1)
Now, the DVD CCA can throw the law around to protect it's cartel...
Data? Or Video? (Score:1)
The former may be a mite more supported than the latter...
Re:Yes, but (Score:1)
Unless there's some kind of monopoly (ie patents), or the developers of DeCSS et al signed contracts agreeing that they would not do anything (ie trade secrets), it's quite legal to RE.
You're telling me that just 'cos Dell makes computers that I can't make my own? Stupid argument. Even the judges involved in this case aren't that dumb.
Re:There was, once upon a time. (Score:1)
Re:Sigma Designs (Score:1)
Re:Daylight Savings Time (Score:1)
They say it is to help farmers, however, every farmer I've asked (I live in Nebraska, so there are a lot of them) says it's the dang-most infernal dumbness they ever heard of. We all know that farmers wake up when the rooster crows, and that rooster sure ain't dumb enough to believe in a stupid concept like "Daylight Savings Time".
More power to the only two intelligent states in the union - Indiana and Arizona - neither of them force such a display of advanced moronics on their people!
We geeks should be against DST as a rule - it is nonsensical and kludgy.
Linux DVD? Its in the software. (Score:1)
Re:IDEA: Release cheap DVD player that CAN'T do CS (Score:1)
Hawaii (Score:1)
Re:Creative Labs do linux (Score:1)
Re:Linux made illegal under the DeCSS (Score:1)
The reasoning is the same. Only the scale is different. (Of course, DOS has a copy command, so I suppose that DOS
Player Availability / DeCSS issue (Score:1)
It is important to note that this in no way affects the credibility of DeCSS as a tool for the playback of DVDs on systems that do not yet have a software DVD player. Those systems may no longer include Linux, but they DO still include AmigaOS, BeOS, several commercial Unixes, OS/2, and BSD, among others. (Please correct me if I have overlooked a player available for one of these operating systems!) And since DeCSS is open source and available for porting to these OSes, users stuck without commercial DVD support will be able to view DVDs on their own.
Good point! (Score:1)
Which only makes the point further-- despite the availability of a DVD player for x86 Linux, DeCSS's credibility as a way to play DVDs on platforms (*including* Linux this time!) with no support is in no way harmed.
Re:Linux is not the point (Score:1)
Re:Daylight Savings Time (Score:1)
See... being up an hour early even makes me spell worse than usual.
--
Re:Yes (Score:1)
I already did
Cheers,
Jonathan.
Sigma Designs (Score:1)
i found this after seeing a posting from Jack Valenti at TheStandard.com [thestandard.com] in which he said:
Linux users are not being barred from playing DVD movies on their systems. The professor obviously is not aware that all Linux users have available to them a licensed application to do precisely that.
hope this helps.
----------------
"All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal, or fattening."
Re:Creative Labs do linux ( Yes it's good.) (Score:1)
I would recommend a dxr2 card to any linux weenie who wants a cheap but high quality DVD solution, the howto's are a cinch to follow and the player is very simple to use (there are also a few GUI interfaces for the play, but I didn't like them).
BTW, one of the howto's descibes how to use an ATI card with video in in conjuction with the DXR2 to give VGA overlay.
Re: Creative Labs DOES SO do linux (Score:1)
I refer you to http://opensource.creativelabs.com/
It is true the dxr2 has been replace by the dxr3, but I think that in time support for the dxr3 will be added. One of the pages linked to from creative labs web site suggests that users simply obtain a dxr2 card from ebay, which is not a bad idea. Many computing outlets still have dxr2 for sale.
On a further note:
"There is no currently available DVD for Linux...." This is also untrue. The software is readily avalible and not illegal to use, despite what the MPAA wan't you to think (although in the USA, distrobution of such code is currently prohibited I believe...)
Re:Yes (Score:1)
mpeg2dec MMX code was checked into CVS last night. Go to www.linuxvideo.org [linuxvideo.org] to try it out. SSE/3dnow version isn't checked in but is mostly done. If someone knows how to schedule or otherwise optimize MMX instructions please take a look at the code.
Re:GPL MPEG-2 (and DVD) player : some pictures (Score:1)
http://www.via.ecp.fr/assoce/linuxexpo-20000202/
GPL MPEG-2 (and DVD) player to be released here (Score:1)
It'll be available here soon:
http://videolan.via.ecp.fr
I remember it compiles on x86, PPC and was playing at 30 fps on a Celeron 400 from a DVD.
Re:Sigma Designs (Score:1)
"The professor" Valenti spoke of was I. As I said in response, I was 'not aware' because there was no such application. There are hardware devices, but no code. Valenti was simply wrong about the facts, but no doubt angry because I called him the ken starr of cyberspace.
see the Cyberspace Prosecutor [slashdot.org]
Re:According to the Article (Score:1)
However you want to read that, to me that suggests that I can get one now. Not some time soon (And that's 'soon' in software release dates, which we all know never slip).
In other words, I reckon he was talking flying monkeys.
--
It depends what you mean by "available" ... (Score:1)
Periscope wrote:
"Yes, in fact there are DVD players available for Linux. I contacted
I wouldn't call it available if it won't be out for months. =) Promising, exciting, hope-inspiring, maybe -- but available is when someone can download (or walk into CompUSA or wherever), install, and play.
timothy
Re:Daylight Savings Time (Score:1)
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? How could it make more hours of daylight? All we did was change the cute lil' numbers on the clock! If the rooter isn't fooled, do you really think we'll slip one by THE SUN?!?
dvd4free (Score:1)
I have not seen any players around
I thought that the DVD makers didnt want linuxusers to be able to watch dvd's
but im uniformed..
www.burgatronics.net [burgatronics.net]
Burgatronics [burgatronics.net]
Re:dvd4free (Score:1)
but thanks i will read it now
see what happens when you go offline and miss a few days reading of
your whole online knowledge is really behind
Burgatronics [burgatronics.net]
Re:DVD on Linux... (Score:1)
Re:Sigma Designs is doing something... (Score:1)
homophobia (Score:1)
Re:Well, there's _allegedly_ one... (Score:1)
So far as I am concerned, binary-only doesn't count. However, this is bad news, since the courts cannot be counted on to understand that.
Re:Q: How many Slashdot authors... (Score:1)
How many slashdot readers does it take to screw "First Lightbulb"?
Re: (Score:1)
Re:DVD on Linux... (Score:1)
Re:Linux made illegal under the DeCSS (Score:1)
Right now the whereabouts of Mr. Torvalds is unknown. Internet rumours state that he was taken to a hidden "hacker compound" somewhere in california, but there is no evidence to back this up.
Rob Malda, and Jeff Bates have been in police custody for the good of a week. These two, also known by the hacker psudonyms "cmdrtaco" and "hemos" run an underground linux hacker webpage known as slashdot. On this site, illegal activities are openly discussed and a large amount of anti-government propaganda is spewed from the hacker community.
KDE DVD (Score:1)
Where have you guys been? (Score:1)
ATI drivers (Score:1)
It wasn't clear (to me) from their announcement if their API would be all that's needed to do the decoding or if you would still need to posess a key at the software level. It'd be interesting to hear from anyone that actually tinkered with it.
Re:dvd4free (Score:1)
So you're uninformed and you can't spell? Are you sure you're not the person who posted this article to begin with?
Re:dvd4free (Score:1)
kwsNI
/. Article (Score:1)
Re:Linux is not the point (Score:1)
And this is a good point. Why shouldn't there be one? And why can't there be one?
ISTR that the main complaint from the MPAA was that a movie could be copied directly from one machine to another. So surely all we need to do is create a version that doesn't copy to disk.
Re:According to Recent Polls... (Score:1)
Re:DVD Players for Linux Announced (Score:1)
It doesn't exist yet. Vaporware doesn't count.
Re:Sigma Designs is doing something... (Score:1)
I'm not a crypto expert but as I understand it the css key is only 40bit. Then there should be only 2^40 or about 1.1 trillion keys. There are 500 difrent keys on each disk. Any one will decrypt the disk. (a difrent one is given to each player vendor) Thus there is a 1:2.2 billion chance that a given key will be valid. With moderen computers one could have a good chance of being able to guess a key within a few months. Once a key is known to the community there would be nothing anyone could do to prevent currently existing players and dvd's from using that key.
Re:DVD Players for Linux Announced (Score:1)
Their not communicating with each other would not be so bad if they actually read /. themselves.
Re:impressive (Score:1)
As a "grits poster" I have impressive footsteps to follow and pledge to keep the faith.
I once read this somewhere.... (Score:1)
I read about this DVD issue in a tech rag called "Video Information Technology". It is on page 72, written by Dr. Douglas Hapheur.
A good read, this guy is definetely an insider. I appears that his finger is right on the pulse of the engineering/software comunity in the Linux/DVD area.
Here is a quote:
"The tray that holds the shiny DVD moves in and out of the unit. It makes a quiet wirring sound that is quite pleasing. I also observed that the tray is solid, without a pass-through, which enables the user to load it full of grits."
DVD 4 Linux (Score:1)
Re:Creative Labs do linux (Score:2)
But perhaps more importantly, the Dxr2 has been out of production for over a year, making getting one very difficult
And note that the Dxr3 (and Sigma Hollywood+) are *not* supported as the chipset they use does CSS in software
Doesn't matter, you can't get a drive. (Score:2)
A friend of mine just opened a comptuer store. A month ago he could buy dvd drives to sell for $70 (I think his retail would ahve been 70, but I'm not sure). Now he has trouble even getting them, and has to pay $150. (I think that is wholesale prices, even if his retail you get the idea)
In other words, you can't buy them anymore so it doesn't matter.
There was, once upon a time. (Score:2)
Re:Linux is not the point (Score:2)
I'm wearing my "free software advocate" hat, or maybe even my "open file formats" hat.
If the MPAA convince courts that distributing software to decode CSS is illegal, that means that Free software to view DVDs can never be distributed. I believe that everyone should have the right to write and distribute whatever software they like, under whatever terms they like.
--
Re:dvd4free (Score:2)
I love a man in uniform. Come over and sit by me sailor boy.
NO - Creative Labs does NOT do linux (Score:2)
THUS, not only is the DMCA preventing the distribution of DeCss, but they also KILLED Creatives plans for bringing out DVD for Linux.
There is no currently available DVD for Linux....if that was the only point.
They also killed off much of Broadcast2000, a great video editing package for Linux. So the issue is not just to have Software of a DVD player, but that it be open sourced
Ruben I Safir
Response from M. Litvack (Score:2)
Oh well. At least he was willing to tell me where to look.
DIY (Score:2)
Tasty little boxes, with S-Video, AV and VGA out, plus 4 channel stereo. I'm definatly considering one of these.
--
Re:Creative Labs do linux (Score:2)
...but SigDes isn't doing enough (Score:2)
Not only is it not completely open source (just the "unclassified" parts, which they expect the Linux community in general to write for them), you'll have to buy a whole new card (which, due to being aimed primarily at the server/kiosk market rather than the home video market, is currently MSRP at $200 ) to use it! They're not going to release Linux drivers for their Hollywood Plus, for no really good reason that they'll explain (something about being afraid it could be cracked and/or would violate their DVDCCA agreement or something).
Not only that, but they estimate it to be several months until it's ready.
The fact that it's not 100% open source I can deal with...but wanting me to buy a whole new $200 card just goes right out the window. (Or should that be the (MS) Windows? :) That it's being used in the fight against DeCSS is just the icing on an already bad-tasting cake.
Someone has announced they'll be trying to reverse-engineer the H+ drivers...I wish them all the best of luck and hope, if they're successful, that people mirror what they come out with before the company gets it shut down.
Re:Daylight Savings Time (Score:2)
Of course they think we're idiots. We wouldn't have voted them into office otherwise, would we?
Re DST - join the movement. Don't set your clocks back. Get up an hour early and make your appointmenta, but when people notice that your clock is on normal time, take the opportunity to explain that
--
Re:Q: How many Slashdot authors... (Score:2)
---
According to Hacker News Network (Score:2)
"contributed by Brad
It was only a matter of time. After all the bruhaha over DeCSS someone has finally created a legal DVD player for the Linux platform. LinDVD has been created and will be marketed by Intervideo for $29.95 and will be available this spring."Related links: Wired [wired.com] and Intervideo [intervideo.com]
Its great to have a submitted article but... (Score:2)
And not just for me.
I had this submitted last Wednesday or Thursday. The aforementioned article pretty much answered my question.
Idea for the next version of
-Vel
Does CNN have any credibility? (Score:2)
CNN is owned by Time Warner, which is a member of the MPAA. Is it possible, then, that CNN is deliberately biased in order to promote Time Warner's interests? or is this too far-fetched?
At the very least, when CNN reports on matters involving Time Warner, the RIAA or the MPAA, they should post a disclaimer stating that there is a conflict of interest involved.
I know it sounds dumb, but these huge conglomerates kind of scare me.
Take care,
Steve
========
Stephen C. VanDahm
Not the point of DC protest (Score:2)
Re:been watching dvds in linux for a while (Score:2)
This isn't a linux-dvd player. It's a hardware player that works with linux. A true linux dvd player would be a solution that works no matter what model dvd player you use. Also, the new models in this line do CSS in software- which means to get the dx2, you have to find one... And they probably won't be around for too much longer...
Josh Sisk
Biased (Score:3)
Also, check out the links. Link to MPAA website, but no link to an pro-DeCSS website, only a link to tux.org that was thrown in there halfheartedly.
I have to say, though, that the part where they say there are no authorized Linux players was only citing what their interviewee said, so I wouldn't call that a scandal like the Slashdot headline said... it was just unbalanced reporting.
~Chris
Well, there's _allegedly_ one... (Score:3)
- -Josh Turiel
Yes (Score:3)
Yes, in fact there are DVD players available for Linux. I contacted
Anyway, the LinDVD software player was demonstrated at CEBIT several months ago and people reprted that it was very good. So this is not "vaporware" but rather "betaware" in that it exists and has been demonstrated but will not be released for a couple of months. I first spoke to Intervideo about LinDVD over a month ago and they said that they would announce LinDVD soon - they did. I have no reason to assume that there won't be a release by the summer.
There are also other players being developed that I have heard of, but I am not prepared to discuss the details of these just yet - suffice it to say that there are others.
On the non-commercial front, I can get about 15-20fps using the LiViD software and have just finished using the new rage 128 stuff to watch the Matrix fullscreen on my PII. I think anyone with around a PIII-500+ should be able to watch DVDs reasonably. I have also tried the Heroine XMovie stuff, which was very very nice but not that optimised (yet) although I think it's only time before that is very good also. Futhermore, Creative labs have done a reasonalbe job with their Linux DVD stuff also.
Those of you wishing to use WINE - you're out of luck since WINE presently doesn't handle the IO calls needed to handle DVD drives, although the Xing player will load, as will the version 1.0 beta of PowerDVD. I think it's only time before you'll be able to watch DVDs using PowerDVD 1.0 under WINE (later versions do not work properly and require M$ DirectCrap anyway).
So we have:
1). LinDVD is coming out in the next couple of months - I have no pricing details yet although I am being kept informed of the details as they emerge and will tell
2). DeCSS is still very much relevent as we want an open source player - LinDVD is based on WinDVD, which has it's faults.
3). Other players are being released later in the year - I will not provide details.
4). WINE won't help you yet, but will very soon I think.
5). LiViD is getting there - THEY REALLY NEED MMX OPTIMISERS - if you are a super genius mmx coder I'm sure they'd really want your help.
6). See below for some mails which are relevent.
Cheers,
Jonathan.
--
slashdot-comment-contact@easypenguin.co.uk
=== FROM Intervideo ===
Subject:
RE: LinDVD
Date:
Mon, 28 Feb 2000 15:56:23 -0800
From:
"Scott Marvin"
To:
"'Jon Masters'"
Hello Jon,
We are still approximately 3-4 weeks from releasing any information
regarding LinDVD.
Regards,
Scott
Scott Marvin
Sales Manager
InterVideo Inc.
mailto:scottm@intervideo.com
Office (510) 651-0888x305
Fax (510) 651-8808
Mobile (408) 781-2943
=== END ===
=== FROM Intervideo ===
Subject:
RE: Hi
Date:
Fri, 24 Mar 2000 19:51:01 -0800
From:
"kelly"
To:
"'Jon Masters'"
Dear Jonathan
Thank you for your e-mail. LinDVD is under consideration here, but at
present time, we offer no further information, other than the fact its going
to be released sometime later this year.
Regards,
Kelly Hsiao
Technical Support
InterVideo Inc.
=== END ===
=== FROM Slashdot ===
Subject:
Re: Linux DVD
Date:
Fri, 3 Mar 2000 03:16:31 -0500 (EST)
From:
hemos
To:
Jon Masters
We've been waiting on the official release - we don't have enough to link
to right now.
=== END ===
=== FROM Me To Slashdot ===
Subject:
Linux DVD
Date:
Thu, 02 Mar 2000 15:07:10 +0000
From:
Jon Masters
To:
hemos
Hi,
I'm not being a whinner and I wouldn't normally complain that my story
submission didn't get in, but this story should get on slashdot:
Intervideo, the guys who brought WinDVD are about to release a software
only DVD player for Linux called LinDVD. They'll be officially making an
announcement in 3-4 weeks time and the player will have similar system
requirements as the windows counterpart. Now if this story isn't
directly relevent to the current DVD Linux situation, I don't know what
is - please tell me why it's been rejected twice? Is it becasue the DVD
CCA and Forum have got to you guys and silenced you from publishing
anything relating to Linux and DVD? I've run a
isn't mentioned anywhere on the site so unless I'm missing something
this story is new.
Jonathan.
=== END ===
=== FROM Me To Slashdot ===
Subject:
LinDVD
Date:
Sat, 25 Mar 2000 22:02:31 +0000
From:
Jon Masters
To:
malda
CC:
hemos
Hi,
I notice there's still no word about LinDVD on
that it exists and that it is definatey being released later this year.
Can you tell me what further information you want before you can
announce this to the world? I think it's good not to announce this until
the right moment, after all, we don't want the DVD Forum and co. to use
this against the community however, I believe
evils in that you'll proably phase the announcemnt tactfully so that
this doesn't become negative.
If you want further info, I can try digging for you.
Cheers,
Jonathan.
=== END ===
=== FROM Me to Slashdot ===
Subject:
Re: LinDVD
Date:
Sat, 01 Apr 2000 00:00:20 +0100
From:
Jon Masters
To:
hemos
Hi,
Thanks for finally mentioning LinDVD.
Jonathan.
=== END ===
Hope this helps to clarify everything and I'd love to know why
Jonathan
Sigma Designs is doing something... (Score:3)
http://www.sigmadesigns.com/press/000201.htm
Have a looksee
LiViD - The Open Source DVD Player (Score:3)
DVD Players for Linux Announced (Score:4)
Creative Labs do linux (Score:4)
I play directly via the AC3 output to my widescreen TV. Not sure if graphics overlay works yet, though I don't like that mode. The software as is suits my needs perfectly. (Though I have been good and not bought any new DVDs).
Though the linux cache is quite amusing at times, with up to 15 minutes of my DVD in the cache...!
Re:Player Availability / DeCSS issue (Score:4)
It is important to note that this in no way affects the credibility of DeCSS as a tool for the playback of DVDs on systems that do not yet have a software DVD player. Those systems may no longer include Linux, but they DO still include AmigaOS, BeOS, several commercial Unixes, OS/2, and BSD, among others.
Linux is far more than just x86 platforms. When I see source code (preferably clearly legally available) for a Linux DVD player, then we can say that there truely is a Linux DVD player. Until that time we can all suffer with kernel incompatabilities (especially once 2.4 comes out) caused by a binary-only release, along with a complete absence of support for platforms like Alpha, StrongARM, PPC, etc.
Cheers,
Toby Haynes
Linux is not the point (Score:5)
Bringing out a closed-source, X86 binary only player for Linux does *not* get the MPAA off the hook as far as CSS is concerned. Simply substitute NetBSD, LinuxPPC, QNX, whatever, for "Linux", and make the same argument all over again.
--
Commercial DVD? I hope not (Score:5)
They can't Open Source it. That would be violating their own collusion--err--consortium's charter. When such a player does show up, it will be closed source, so as to protect the already widely known trade secrets the lawsuits are trying to make us unknow. It won't be an effort to embrace another user community; it will be an effort to control yet another market segment.
--
Q: How many Slashdot authors... (Score:5)
A: Only one... per section
A2: Six
One to report the news "Lightbulb broken", One to post "Ask Slashdot: best way to screw a lightbulb", One to discuss patents about lightbulbs, One to report about the "Open Source Lightbulb Exchange Project" and finally JonKatz to write a meg about how the lightbulb soon will be obsolete in the digital age.
Six? yeah they count like they spell...
Linux made illegal under the DeCSS (Score:5)
In court today, Microsoft succesfully managed to gain an injunction against the Linux Operating system on the basis that it is a tool for piracy.
This was demonstrated by the Microsoft representatives using cat </dev/hda1 >/nfs/dev/hda1 to copy Windows98(tm) from one computer to another. They also claimed that Linux reverse engineered some of Microsoft's intellectual property including SMB.
Linux users claimed that Linux is useful as an OS for the PPC and Alpha platforms that MS wasn't supporting. MS pointed out that there were legal operating systems for these platforms and said words to the effect of "What are they cmplaining about.
In related news, programmer Linus Torvalds was arrested for his role in writing Linux, as well as a number of other international programmers.