LinDVD

[David Curtis]

norman wrote:
>> Google is your friend:
>> http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/Product_Profile.jsp?p=LinDVD
>>     
>
> I am well aware of this reference which is not very forthcoming. For
> example, why are Dell distributing this application, who else is/has
> tested it, what do others who have tried it think about it and so on.
>
> Norman
>
>
>
>   
The proprietary software that decodes the trivial encryption on DVDs has 
to be licensed. So it's not capable of being included in an open source 
distribution. LinDVD is a proprietary application that licenses that 
software. The alternative to this proprietary software is the reverse 
engineered DeCSS which is illegal to distribute, and I assume use, in 
the U.S. (DMCA) and some other countries.  For those people living in 
other countries where it is legal to use/distibute DeCSS (or if you 
don't think the MPAA/DVD consortium will come a knocking at your door.) 
DeCSS is available from the medibuntu repository.  Dell is distributing 
LinDVD with it's Linux computers for the same reason it distributes 
WinDVD with it's window boxes. So their customers can have legal DVD 
viewing software. But don't be fooled, your not getting this for free in 
any sense of the word, one, it's closed source and, two, the cost is 
included in the price of the computer.

Some good links:

http://www.lemuria.org/DeCSS/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeCSS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content-scrambling_system

http://www.medibuntu.org/

Dave