LinuxQuestions.org
Download your favorite Linux distribution at LQ ISO.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Software
User Name
Password
Linux - Software This forum is for Software issues.
Having a problem installing a new program? Want to know which application is best for the job? Post your question in this forum.

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 03-23-2005, 04:33 AM   #1
piggysmile
Member
 
Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Philippines
Posts: 175

Rep: Reputation: 30
Free Legal Movie Player


Is there a free Linux movie player that doesn't violate patent laws? MTV is shareware. At least something that can play VCDs (.dat files).
 
Old 03-23-2005, 04:37 AM   #2
Bruce Hill
HCL Maintainer
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: McCalla, AL, USA
Distribution: Arch, Gentoo
Posts: 6,940

Rep: Reputation: 129Reputation: 129
Xine plays VCDs
 
Old 03-23-2005, 05:44 PM   #3
piggysmile
Member
 
Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Philippines
Posts: 175

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
but Xine and MPlayer violate patent laws. In MPlayer I shouldn't just install the Win32 codec pack yet it plays some proprietary formats even without it.
 
Old 03-23-2005, 06:30 PM   #4
ultramancool
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Location: Hell
Distribution: Gentoo 2005.1 r1
Posts: 92

Rep: Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally posted by piggysmile
but Xine and MPlayer violate patent laws. In MPlayer I shouldn't just install the Win32 codec pack yet it plays some proprietary formats even without it.
why does this matter? violating patents is part of open source sport (and it makes big company's hate you!) I would go on a whole bunch about how i don't care that it's illegal i just wanna play the movie but i would end up in a time consuming flame war

Last edited by ultramancool; 03-23-2005 at 06:40 PM.
 
Old 03-23-2005, 07:17 PM   #5
{BBI}Nexus{BBI}
Senior Member
 
Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Nottingham, UK
Distribution: Mageia 6, KDE Neon
Posts: 4,313

Rep: Reputation: 212Reputation: 212Reputation: 212
Re: Free Legal Movie Player

Quote:
Originally posted by piggysmile
Is there a free Linux movie player that doesn't violate patent laws? MTV is shareware. At least something that can play VCDs (.dat files).
None of the players violate patent laws, some of the codecs used however might.

Xine (and others) will play VCD's by default the problem comes in when you want to watch DVD's.
 
Old 03-23-2005, 10:32 PM   #6
Bruce Hill
HCL Maintainer
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: McCalla, AL, USA
Distribution: Arch, Gentoo
Posts: 6,940

Rep: Reputation: 129Reputation: 129
could you validate your statement

Quote:
Originally posted by piggysmile
but Xine and MPlayer violate patent laws. In MPlayer I shouldn't just install the Win32 codec pack yet it plays some proprietary formats even without it.
Could you please explain to me how Xine violates patent laws?

One of the main reasons I quit using Mirco$loth Windoze is because
their business practices are immoral, unethical, and IMO illegal. They
were found guilty in the anti-trust lawsuits, but their enormous
amount of money and ability to buy people and pay fines has really
obscured their guilt. Just for a system running well and being able
to get the job done; I did more, easier, with less trouble in W2K
than ever in the three Linux distros I've used. However, it has
been my belief that Slackware Linux in free and legal! And I am
committed to Slackware.

I download Slackware Linux over the internet from Slackware's
official mirrors. It is included in the distribution, and I don't know,
but I would assume Patrick Volkerding wouldn't put illegal software
in Slackware.

As for Mplayer, the only times I tried to set it up it was more
trouble than it could possibly be worth -- so I don't use it.

We live in China. We have VCDs and DVDs which were bought here,
and some bought in Thailand, some from Hong Kong, and some
from America. They all play in Xine just fine. I've read something
about different regions that don't play or whatever, but have no
idea what this means.
we have VCD
 
Old 03-24-2005, 12:45 AM   #7
piggysmile
Member
 
Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Philippines
Posts: 175

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ticle&artid=28
 
Old 03-24-2005, 12:51 AM   #8
Bruce Hill
HCL Maintainer
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: McCalla, AL, USA
Distribution: Arch, Gentoo
Posts: 6,940

Rep: Reputation: 129Reputation: 129
Though that article was by Mike Hearn, and nothing official to say anyone has broken any laws, I still fail to see why you say "Xine violates patent laws"
 
Old 03-24-2005, 01:17 AM   #9
Mega Man X
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Apr 2003
Location: ~
Distribution: Ubuntu, FreeBSD, Solaris, DSL
Posts: 5,339

Rep: Reputation: 65
Everything is forbidden when it comes down to DVD's. Never say DVD out loud. If you can, not even think about DVD's... Same goes to music, you can listen to any music you like, but if you sing it, you might be infringing some patent laws... Down with the stupidity of those laws for crying out loud...
 
Old 03-24-2005, 01:22 AM   #10
Bruce Hill
HCL Maintainer
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: McCalla, AL, USA
Distribution: Arch, Gentoo
Posts: 6,940

Rep: Reputation: 129Reputation: 129
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but all this sounds like a bunch of cloak and dagger FUD to me. I don't own a single CD, DVD, or VCD that was copied. My Slackware distribution came from Slackware. So where does this illegal talk come from? You guys must be sniffing some M$ glue or something...

Megaman X, I saw the Posting swf last week - too cool that Little Billy ! ! !
 
Old 03-24-2005, 01:28 AM   #11
Mega Man X
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Apr 2003
Location: ~
Distribution: Ubuntu, FreeBSD, Solaris, DSL
Posts: 5,339

Rep: Reputation: 65
LOL Chinaman!. yup, Billy is my favorite character today, followed closely by Mega Man X . Billy is the newbie we all were once
 
Old 03-24-2005, 01:34 AM   #12
Bruce Hill
HCL Maintainer
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: McCalla, AL, USA
Distribution: Arch, Gentoo
Posts: 6,940

Rep: Reputation: 129Reputation: 129
I still am that newbie...

One day I looked back at some of my first posts in LQ, and I was so embarrassed that I considered editing the content -- actually a whole lot of my posts. Seems as if my emotions get the best of me a lot of times, and since week 1 using Linux I was here in LQ. Desperate, as I am today, to be able to issue

root@james:/mingdao/life# rm -rf /Micro$loth



Edit: Piggysmile, sorry for hijacking your thread. Even though I live in a country where "copyright means the right to copy" and is fully permitted by the government, I don't do it, condon it, support it, or participate in it. I've lost a number of potential customers for building new computers because I wouldn't install copy CDs. And I don't think anything I'm doing is violating any laws, which is what I meant by previous posts. If you want a distro that is totally FREE software, check out Debian.

Last edited by Bruce Hill; 03-24-2005 at 01:38 AM.
 
Old 03-26-2005, 04:18 AM   #13
piggysmile
Member
 
Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Philippines
Posts: 175

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
well, my most hated audio format is mp3 next is wma. i have converted my whole digital music library to ogg.
 
Old 03-26-2005, 05:02 AM   #14
ultramancool
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Location: Hell
Distribution: Gentoo 2005.1 r1
Posts: 92

Rep: Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally posted by Chinaman
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but all this sounds like a bunch of cloak and dagger FUD to me. I don't own a single CD, DVD, or VCD that was copied. My Slackware distribution came from Slackware. So where does this illegal talk come from? You guys must be sniffing some M$ glue or something...

Megaman X, I saw the Posting swf last week - too cool that Little Billy ! ! !
that's the smell of freedom (and filesharing) and i'm sure M$ doesn't like it!

Quote:
Originally posted by piggysmile
well, my most hated audio format is mp3 next is wma. i have converted my whole digital music library to ogg.
yeah join the club just my top is wma :-) it really sucks! what did you use to convert it?

Last edited by ultramancool; 03-26-2005 at 05:04 AM.
 
Old 03-26-2005, 08:02 AM   #15
Bruce Hill
HCL Maintainer
 
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: McCalla, AL, USA
Distribution: Arch, Gentoo
Posts: 6,940

Rep: Reputation: 129Reputation: 129
All this software patent breaking talk is just FUD
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Movie Player Free and Full Version reply2vinay Linux - Hardware 4 07-21-2005 11:43 PM
Movie player NoS Sr50 Linux - Software 3 09-06-2004 09:07 PM
Legal DVD player Joe47 Linux - Software 5 08-28-2004 04:54 PM
Movie Player Half_Elf Linux - General 15 05-23-2002 09:53 PM
Movie Player ryanstrayer Linux - General 9 01-29-2002 10:18 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Software

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:57 AM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration