[dundee] [jtsmoore@revolution-os.com: Re: Screening of Revolution OS]

[Jonathan Riddell]

On Fri, Jul 18, 2003 at 12:33:32AM +0100, jim wrote:
> >On Thu, 2003-07-17 at 23:48, jim wrote:
> > 
> >
> >>just seen the page on mplayer, christ i only want to play dvd,s not 
> >>reinvent the wheel!!,
> >>
> >>no wonder people stick with windows, I am no mug with computers but 
> >>thats not for 99% of computer users. I hoped that Linux would be a 
> >>challange to microsoft, but I recon Microsoft are pretty safe.  
> >
> >As sure as global warming is a problem, M$'s days are numbered....
> If it was a simple matter of downloading a file and deciding which 
> player you prefered it would be fine.
> as far as I can see I need to download files, then compile them etc. I 
> just want to watch a movie!. I consider myself fairly computer savy, but 
> the average user will no want to be hassled this way, he wants to 
> download a program and have it install and then work 123 as easy as 
> that. I am sorry but microsoft are a pain in the arse, but windows 
> programs are a doddle to install, therefore windows will win. I wish it 
> were otherwise.

The problem here is with the legal problems with the DVD encryption.
The deencryption code, which is claimed to prevent copying but in
reality only prevents media changes, is illegal in the US and soon to
be in the UK without a licence from the film industry cartel.  So
distribution companies can't distribute it, not even Debian.  That's a
matter you'll have to take up with our MEPs (just now is a very good
time to write to them about the evils of software patents too to stop
more of this sort of thing happening in the future).

Jonathan Riddell