Windows Media for Embedded Linux Systems

ntmonkey writes "According to this article, Microsoft has authorized InterVideo to port Windows Media Player to Linux. However, WMP will not be available to normal folks...Microsoft will only allow it to be distributed via set top boxes and the like."

How long ...

[B3ryllium]

... until it gets ripped off a box and distributed for general use?

WMP will not be ported..

[Anonymous Coward]

The deal includes Windows Media codecs, file formats, streaming protocol and DRM -- everything that is needed to access Windows Media. However, the Windows Media Player itself will not be ported.

AC

Will Mictosoft have to distribute source?

[John_Sauter]

If Microsoft distributes a set-top box that includes the Linux kernel, then the product as a whole is derived from the Linux kernel. To get permission to distribute the Linux kernel, they must agree to the GNU General Public License, which requires them to distribute the source of all the software they add to the Linux kernel in order to make their product. This doesn't sound like something Microsoft would be willing to do. Am I missing something?
John Sauter ([e-mail])

Re:Break

[SoftCoreHonesty]

You may or may not be right but I know that I still use Windows on my desktop (for the most part) but I went to Linux on my server for affordability, stability, and flexibility. I don't typically make decisions based on dislike for a company. I go for whatever product best serves my purpose. I also don't hate Microsoft anymore than I hate Walmart, Disney, AOLTW, Oracle, Sun, Apple, Vivendi, and all of the other companies that are evil as Microsoft but just not as good at it.

TiVo

[jargoone]

This is potentially big news for TiVo. With the recent release of Home Media Option, there have been some complaints about the software not supporting WMA. My music is in mp3 format, so I don't really care, but if it can help increase interest and development in Home Media Option, I'm all for it.

Re:Par for the course...

[WasteOfAmmo]

Actually I have to agree with you. It is only recently (few weeks) that I have added Google News to my default tabs that I open in the morning. Virtually every time I see something interesting in the Sci/Tech section I find it on /. within a few hours.

Of course when I see it on Google I can still get to the sites linked in the headline to read the story :-) and later when /. catches up I can read all the comments to see what 'real' people think of the story. So in a nutshell it is the best of both worlds: quick media propaganda later reviewed/rated/commented-on by peers some of who even know what they are talking about and many that know more about the subject than I do.

So far as the dupes go, it is easy to skip them or read the comments and laugh at the humor found in the comments of people whining about it.

/., although it has its problems, still provides a relatively concise set of information related to my field without all the repetative fluff encountered while trying to glean the same information spread accross a multitude of more general sites.

Merlin.

End-user port for Mac exists, so why not Linux?

[mstockman]

Wouldn't Microsoft want to release an end-user version for Linux for the exact same reason they ported it to Mac OS (and then again to OS X)?

And, um, by the way, does anyone know what that reason would that be?

XP Media Center

[realfake]

I wonder if move indicates that Microsoft doesn't expect either XP Media Center Edition (or WebTV) to monopolize set top boxes.

Re:Not for Linux desktops

[TheRaven64]

Choose MPEG, OGG, Real, etc. streams when you can find them -- b**ch and moan to webmasters when you can't find them.

Why? MPEG is licenced by the MPEG-LA, who are being a little unfriendly about licensing MPEG-4. Realplayer is a horrible piece of software, with an applaing UI, sneaky terms and conditions and worst of all poor quality playback. I choose the highest quality stream I can. This means I listen to Ogg Vorbis audio where availible, and watch QuickTime 6 or WMV (both of which are MPEG-4 or MPEG-4 derived) where availible.

Sure, it would be nice if all video were distributed in Ogg Tarkin with an Ogg Vorbis soundtrack, but in the Real World(tm) it takes money to develop this kind of technology, so you can either get it from academia or a company like Microsoft. If you get if from academia, then you are likely to have to write your own implementation based on a number of research papers, maybe with some example code for doing part of it. If you're really that troubled by a potential MS monopoly in this area, then contribute to Ogg Tarkin, and provide companies with a Free alternative to use. At the moment Ogg is a strong contendor to AAC, since it is of similar quality, but with no patent royalties to worry about. There is no real free alternative to MPEG-4.

###End Of Rant

WMP for Linux downloadable from Microsoft

[Anonymous Coward]

No, this isn't a troll, nor a fake. Follow this link [microsoft.com] to download NetShow (a precursor to the net-aware media player) for Linux. Yes, it's a beta, and yes, it's a long-ago aborted project, but as you can see, it's still there. And if lots of you download it, M$ will probably realise they haven't deleted it and remove it ;-).

Re:Par for the course...

[Lairdsville]

Actually, this is probably one of the only stories on slashdot that I have found by following a link from a different site. Usually I go directly to the Slashdot site and read the last day's stories. And where did I find the link to Slashdot? Google!