[linux-dvb] Re: vdr and "softcam"?

[Goofy <goofy@s.netic.de>]

> Profit incentive is only one of the reasons for innovation.
>
> The industry did not invent services like the World Wide Web or
> Napster, nor did they invent Linux - still they exist.

Exactly, not all software companies have the money to protect themselfes by 
and against patent/copyright-lawsuits. M$ tries to crack OS development 
exactly this way, and the next time their anti-thrust lawsuit will be 
decided, that is a very important thing for OS movement as well as other 
software companies.

> The major reason for innovation is the need for a solution of an
> existing problem. If the industry doesn't offer the devices and
> services their customers want to have, people will build them on their
> own.

There is one perfectly legal thing we all around the world can do about:

Don't buy any of these devices, talk to your friends neighbors and so on, 
discuss the implications, the price/service relation.

The same thing applies for _any_ piece of hardware - do not buy unless they 
support open source.

PW is almost bankrupt anyway, despite the high prices - that tells us 
something about the prices in near future...and DVD's are _way_ to expensive 
too, IMHO. Why can they do that - only because of the trick with the patents!

Why do you think the quality of free-tv has become so bad?
Because the PayTV broadcasters buy away any good movies, and in the case
it's the same company - they just try to make more money out of the same 
things to broadcast.

So hold on just a bit longer and free-tv will become better again.

The time PayTV becomes 5 to 10 times cheaper because of enough competition i 
will eventually reconsider.

Finally - maybe there will once be a FreeFilmFoundation, which will have it's 
own producers, actors, technics, ... to make good and free movies. The basics 
are already there - software for that is available under GPL.

-just my opinion-



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