From holzt@multimediahaus.de Wed, 21 Jul 1999 12:25:29 +0200 Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 12:25:29 +0200 From: Michael Holzt holzt@multimediahaus.de Subject: [Livid-dev] Why two DVD mailing lists? Can't we merge this two mailinglists? I assume we are working on the same things, and in fact many recent postings where crosscopied to both lists. -- mit freundlichen Grüßen, Michael Holzt Multimediahaus GmbH Technik D-58540 Meinerzhagen holzt@multimediahaus.de +49 2354 9296-0
From mpav@purdue.edu Thu, 29 Jul 1999 23:39:09 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 23:39:09 -0500 (EST) From: Matthew R. Pavlovich mpav@purdue.edu Subject: [Livid-dev] I am back, really... Sorry about the short absense, work has been pounding me.. anyway.. I have added new CVS modules, ifo, cdrom-patch and ac3dec. I will be updating the magvideo code, and we will be merging projects with the mgavideo guys, and btw "They have video!" The new CVS modules mostly just have README files in them. I will be contacting the ac3dec author about putting ac3dec in CVS. As far as merging the lists, I think we definitely need to do it, anyone know if it is possible to merge archives? One thought I had was to move the Linux-dvd list and create a few new lists, livid-dev for general stuff: api's, etc. Change linuxdvd to livid-dvd and run with that. Add livid-mga for the video, livid-mpg for software playback (I am going to be in contact with ppl at Loki about bringing SMPEG to the CVS tree). I am not trying to step on any people's toes, these are just ideas. Feedback.. feedback.. Matthew R. Pavlovich
From mpav@purdue.edu Thu, 29 Jul 1999 23:41:57 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 23:41:57 -0500 (EST) From: Matthew R. Pavlovich mpav@purdue.edu Subject: [Livid-dev] DVD Decoder I have started looking at what it will take to start talking to the DVD upgrade module on the G200 cards over the media bus. There will be a new module called zoran-dvd for code related to this. I am on a semi-rant, but while I am motoring... I plan on re-organizing the web site, I don't think people understand what the Zoran docs are for. I have not recieved any interest in starting a code base for it, so I definitely want to get that going. Matthew R. Pavlovich
From pvolcko@concentric.net Fri, 30 Jul 1999 08:46:51 -0400 Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 08:46:51 -0400 From: Paul Volcko pvolcko@concentric.net Subject: [Livid-dev] I am back, really... > As far as merging the lists, I think we definitely need to do it, anyone > know if it is possible to merge archives? One thought I had was to move > the Linux-dvd list and create a few new lists, livid-dev for general > stuff: api's, etc. Change linuxdvd to livid-dvd and run with that. Add > livid-mga for the video, livid-mpg for software playback (I am going to be > in contact with ppl at Loki about bringing SMPEG to the CVS tree). I don't know if it makes sense to attach the general list to the Livid product. It seems that your project is expanding significantly from it's first inception, to now include software mpeg and ac-3 playback, the mga decoder playback (the original intent), and to handle css software decoding development as well. I think this is good. It will take quite a bit more work from a design and integration standpoint, but it can be well worth it in the end. But with this expansion it seems a lot of smaller subprojects are being put under the umbrella of livid. As such I think it make sense to keep the general list "non- affiliated" so to speak. For instance, the project I'm in will not be going open source before the first version is ready to go (it's possible it won't at that point either, but that remains to be seen). We will be maintaining it seperately and it goes under the name of LSDVD. It would be good if we could post our general information in a neutral hosted list dedicated to linux dvd development issues, as LinuxDVD is now. While I don't know if an change over from linuxdvd to livid-dev would actually stop us from posting (we are not really concerned about any implied affiliations, thats a little to "corporate" in my view), it may stop other projects or even companies from contributing. Sigma Designs and Creative Labs especially seem relevant, particularly with their new cards and chipsets in development and linux support most likely to come. It may seem like political bullshit... and it mostly is. But that is the way that things are with this section of the entertainment/computer industry. We can push for a non-affiliated general list (with project specific lists hosted by those projects as is the norm) and be able to more easily solicit widespread involvement... or we can go with a livid based general list which may turn off some potential contributors from participating. I think it is worth playing the political game in this instance and go with the project neutral general list. Paul Volcko LSDVD Project
From pvolcko@concentric.net Fri, 30 Jul 1999 09:07:00 -0400 Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 09:07:00 -0400 From: Paul Volcko pvolcko@concentric.net Subject: [Livid-dev] DVD Decoder > I plan on re-organizing the web site, I don't think people understand what > the Zoran docs are for. I have not recieved any interest in starting a > code base for it, so I definitely want to get that going. Good call on reorganizing. Probably be best to have a seperate page for each of the modules you are supporting under CVS and grant the module maintainers control of those pages. Of course the obligatory main page with livid development news and whatnot. :) I'm seeing something in this development effort (in general not with livid specifically). There doesn't seem to be really wide interest in it. Of all the people on this list and linuxdvd, I'd say 10-12 are actively involved in the codebase development of any given project. This isn't a criticism of the list readers, by any means. It is understandable that not everyone can contribute. It is in fact very good that so many have signed on to recieve the two lists, if only to keep up on development and offer "moral support" . :) But it would seem that there is a lot of work to be done with not enough people to do it all at once. Just within the context of livid, the project seems to have become much wider in scope. When this kind of thing happens the goals of the original project become blured as people start to work on the sub-projects, especially when those sub-projects fit more into their goalset (as opposed to the original project's). Perhaps it would be good to restate the livid projects intial goal set. I know that I've become confused, and I would gather that is the case for some others out there as well. Livid started out as a hardware based (Matrox daughter board) development effort. Now several software decoding oriented modules have been added to the project. As has been seen on the lists, software support seems to be of more concern to people in the near term than hardware (although many would go with a hardware solution if it was available, I'm sure). With the addition of the software based CVS modules into the livid tree, has the development goals shifted from hardware to software decoding? Then wouldn't it make sense that the zoran and MGA portions would probably get left to the wayside as the software decoding is worked on? What is your intital goalset for livid? Or are you looking at having the software modules in the livid cvs server as more of a public service function and not necessarily part of the livid project in any direct way? If not you should probably make it clear that they are there to support the community, but that they won't necessarily be contributing to the Livid project by electing to work on those modules. Sorry for the long post. Paul Volcko LSDVD Project