[geeks] Best Vista story I've seen

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 @ 17:32 -0500, Joshua Boyd said:

> On Tue, Feb 20, 2007 at 05:34:15PM -0500, Charles Shannon Hendrix wrote:
> 
> > As far as I know, the OpenAL and OpenGL pipelines completely bypass
> > Vista DRM. I don't know that for sure, but it seems to be true.
> > 
> > If so, how long will it be before we start seeing OpenGL and OpenAL
> > video and audio players?
> 
> OpenGL video players already exist.  But video players that aren't
> effected by Windows DRM doesn't help you if they don't support the DRM
> encumbered files you want to play.

Actually, they do help.

Vista DRM is active even for unprotected content, eating CPU for no
reason.

Yeah, it's that bad.

Hopefully Service Pack 1 will address silliness like that, but in the
meantime, a non-DRM player is probably helpful.

> And be more Mac and Linux portable.  I don't know if there is any way
> that OpenGL helps with Wii or PS3 portability though.

I know the PS3 has the hardware to run OpenGL... not sure about Wii.

Then again, Apple just put OpenGL on a *phone*, so I would think Wii
could handle it.

Now... could it handle coming modern games?  Don't know...

> > I hope Apple isn't going to do any of this.
> 
> As long as MS doesn't develop an effective alternative to iTunes, then I
> don't see anyone having enough leverage against Apple to cause them to
> do it.

...and Steve Jobs is at least paying lip service to the idea of removing
DRM from iTunes.

> > > Well, if a game company chooses to use OpenAL, they can't very well
> > > complain to MS if sounds from the game are ripped via OpenAL.  
> > 
> > You appear to misunderstand me:
> > 
> > I mean that since OpenAL (and OpenGL) don't appear to be part of the DRM
> > in Vista, intellectual property companies can't protect their content
> > if people write OpenAL/OpenGL audio and video players.
> 
> You mean like the way they can't protect their content if people write
> OpenAL/OpenGL/SDL/DirectFB/Xvideo/ALSA/JACK/CoreAudio/Quartz audio and
> video players?

Yes.

They were promising content owners that Vista would prevent those kinds
of things from getting around DRM.

But from what I see in OpenAL, that isn't the case.

However, I did read an article that says that Vista 1.0 is just the
beginning, and that upgrades will slowly add to the DRM system,
eventually intercepting everything.

DRM will become a mandatory part of any data pipeline operating on
Vista.

At least, that appears to be what they've promised to Hollywood and the
RIAA.

I think it will all fall around their ankles if it ticks too many users
off.

-- 
shannon           | The object of war is not to die for your country but to 
                  | make the other bastard die for his. 
                  |         -- General George S. Patton