[MPlayer-users] Hiro Codec

[Da Rock]

On Wed, 2008-10-15 at 11:24 +0200, Oliver Seitz wrote:
> >> Hiro is not a codec, it's DRM software. I presume it wont be video codec
> >> programming but hacking what helps here.
> 
> > Ok, so how do we go about that? I'm not savvy with media formats, so I'm
> > not even sure where to begin even.
> 
> Unfortunately I cant really help you as I'm no hacker and nearly
> C-illiterate, but I can tell you my opinion about DRM. Sorry for it being
> a lot of text...
> 
> 
> 
> Best things in life are free, like Wikipedia and MPlayer.
> 
> Some things are worth paying for, like a big-mac, a flight ticket or a
> night at the pictures.
> 
> You can argue if a good quality radio programme is worth paying for, or
> renting a DVD from a video store.
> 
> I myself are prepared to pay for renting a DVD. I know clearly what I get
> there: I can watch a movie for a limited amount of time (until I give back
> the DVD) on any player that bears the DVD-mark.
> 
> I am NOT prepared to use DRM, as I dont know what I get. I get a file
> which will be playable on a specified player. Perhaps only a few times.
> Maybe until next month. Probably not on an other player. Picture quality
> may be intentionally reduced if my display (or even its cable) is not
> certified. The value I got can be adjusted at the rights-holders will,
> even after purchase. I do NOT know what I've got.
> 
> That point, in my opinion, justifies an boycott on any media employing
> DRM, even those you mentioned that seem to be at no cost.
> 
> On the other hand, I dont approve of hacking DRM media as this is quite
> certainly unlawful. I dont approve of getting a value without paying the
> required price. If something is offered to me, I have to decide if I am
> willing to pay the price. I won't take it without paying. I will leave it
> on the shelf and go looking for something that's worth its price.
> 
> Even though that hiro-thing seems to be quite cheap, I will not use it on
> any basis as it employs a kind of DRM. A cooperation between MPlayer and
> hiro is quite improbable as MPlayer is open-source-software and
> DRM-software can hardly be open-source as it will be hacked before the
> first release (certainly with MPlayers releases... :-D sorry). The other
> way 'round, fitting a closed-source binary module in MPlayer... cant
> imagine that.
> 
> I dont mind if anyone hacks DRM systems as there is only little damage
> done by that. But I wouldnt use it.

Yeah, I agree with most of your sentiments here (mostly that you should
pay for what you like or want). However, this particular DRM issue is
quite useful and yet very painful at the same time. Let me explain...

I don't run shit software on my systems, and I don't support monopolies.
Therefore, I run only OSS on my systems.

I'm trying to setup a media server so that I can watch what I want to
watch where and when I want to.

The Channel Nine Network in australia as well as the ABC are trail
blazing technology that allows their viewers to watch tv on the computer
(besides htpc's). I applaud this move, and hey (as far as Nine is
concerned) I would watch the ads to support this.

Where all this comes unstuck is that only M$'s shit is supported with
this codec, although now MAC has been opened up as well- neither which
help me play this video on OSS. It could be the OSS philosophy and
character that prevent it from ever happening. So what do I do? This is
by no means a hacking question, as I mentioned at the outset I would
watch the ads if necessary (it'd be a simple matter of fast forwarding
ads anyway)- it just would be a helpful feature if I didn't have to.