[MPlayer-dev-eng] 2006 OSDL desktop linux report

[Rich Felker]

On Sun, Jan 28, 2007 at 11:37:07PM +0000, Compn wrote:
> OSDL has come out with a nice 2006 year-end report on the state of desktop 
> Linux.
> 
> http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT3453502692.html
> 
> In its report it mentions how using binary video card drivers is a bad idea.
> But later on the page it says how Fluendo will be making binary video codecs
> for linux users. 
> 
> "Fluendo recently announced that they are making available plug-ins to handle 
> Windows Media Audio, Video, and MMS streaming protocol, MPEG-2 video decoding, 
> MPEG-4 Part 2 video decoding, ASF container format demuxing, MPEG-2 Program and 
> Transport Stream container format demuxing, MPEG-4 ISO container format demuxing 
> and MP3 audio. Further CODECs are planned for release by Fluendo over the course 
> of 2007."
> 
> The report ignores the hard work of open source projects like FFmpeg and 
> MPlayer.
> Both of which have had free open source support for those formats and codecs
> for years. It also fails to mention why using binary codecs is not a problem
> where using binary drivers is.

Isn't it obvious by now that these 'zines are just corporate
mouthpieces for advertising? Windows-centric proprietary hardware
manufacturers, who aren't part of the advertising revenue of "Linux"
mags, get flamed, while "Linux-oriented" proprietary software
companies get praised in hopes that they'll buy ads. I think it's time
to give these bastards some public flaming!

BTW, any word yet on how many LOC Fluendo stole from GPL projects in
writing "their" codecs?

Rich