/srv/irclogs.ubuntu.com/2011/12/05/#ubuntu-tv.txt

tgm4883ok, who is Ian Santopietro and why am I just now seeing his Ubuntu TV mockup (via reddit btw)? I think it might be my favorite Unity mockup yet03:41
imnichollink?03:41
tgm4883https://plus.google.com/photos/107517157558649473024/albums/568129003939107209703:42
tgm4883I saw it as I was browsing reddit.com/r/ubuntu03:42
tgm4883I still hate the login screen (the whole idea), but the rest isn't bad03:43
imnicholI agree about the login screen03:43
imnicholIt looks pretty sweet, although that's probably because it's the best looking one so far03:45
tgm4883I still think it's missing some things as well, but from a basic UI standpoint it's not bad03:45
imnicholYeah03:45
imnicholI think my only issue is how the lenses would work03:45
tgm4883imnichol, I think it's the horizontal launcher bar, it just feels like it's not wasting space03:45
tgm4883as opposed to the vertial launcher bar03:46
imnicholWhich picture has the horizontal launcher?03:46
tgm4883well I guess technically it isn't the launcher03:46
imnicholThat's the thing: it doesn't have a launcher03:46
tgm4883yea03:46
tgm4883it's just the bottom of the lense?03:47
imnicholLooks that way03:47
tgm4883the bottom horizontal bar on the netflix slide03:47
tgm4883not exactly sure what to call that03:47
imnicholHe calls it a lens03:47
imnicholhttps://plus.google.com/photos/107517157558649473024/albums/5681290039391072097/568129009804816957003:47
imnicholThat's picture 4 there, the description calls it a lens03:47
imnicholCan you do anything more than just filter files with a lens?03:48
tgm4883imnichol, I hope so, otherwise we are doomed :/03:48
tgm4883what happens when you search for music?03:49
imnicholLemme check ;)03:49
imnicholIt just brings up a list of songs and then below that a list of albums03:49
tgm4883:/03:49
tgm4883I'd like to see something like this http://xbmc.org/wp-content/gallery/aeon/aeon_info.jpg03:49
imnicholIt would be really awesome if you could implement a netflix app in a lens03:49
imnicholWhat's the context of that picture?03:50
imnicholIs it just the description for a movie?03:50
tgm4883you hit info on a movie, it would bring up that screen03:50
imnicholLike, the user wanted to see what the movie was about so they clicked on the "info" button and that's what showed up?03:51
imnicholOh ok great03:51
tgm4883you can then play trailer, see actor info, etc03:51
imnicholI've always interpreted lenses more like Libraries from Vista/703:51
imnicholIf you've ever used them03:51
tgm4883I've not03:51
imnicholOk03:51
imnicholHuh, I"m gonna have to go look at lenses now03:52
imnicholSee if they might not solve a lot of our problems03:52
tgm4883so there is one thing i'm worried about in this project03:52
tgm4883well, two things03:52
tgm48831) unity03:53
imnicholI think we're familiar with each other's views on that ;)03:53
tgm48832) as an extension of unity, wanting to be too different from other media centers03:53
tgm4883eg...03:53
tgm4883lenses show a bunch of files, and nobody likes file browsers for a media center03:53
imnicholDo you know if it's possible to run XBMC in a vm?03:54
tgm4883imnichol, I don't see why not03:54
tgm4883you might run into issues with video playback performance03:54
imnicholI just want to see the UI03:54
tgm4883imnichol, regarding the file listings of lenses, I'll take this over it any time  http://xbmc.org/wp-content/gallery/aeon/aeon_multiplextv.jpg03:55
tgm4883imnichol, http://xbmc.org/skins/03:55
tgm4883look though Aeon and Backrow skins03:55
tgm4883those are two of the fancier ones I link03:55
tgm4883like*03:55
imnicholWhile lenses could be a useful way to do things like netflix(I'm using it as an example because Ian S did), I think that just making an app for it is probably the more likely way to do it03:56
tgm4883so the one thing I'd like to see from that is making the app globally searchable03:57
imnicholSo you go to the main dash and then type in a movie name and it finds it in netflix?03:58
tgm4883so if I'm on the main screen and search for "star wars" it returns netflix, my hard drive, amazon VOD, and upcoming HBO listings03:58
tgm4883yea03:58
* tgm4883 is a slow typer on his netbook :/03:58
imnicholI doubt it would be too hard to do03:58
imnicholBut who knows03:59
tgm4883right, I'm just not sure netflix would build that into their app if it wasn't a requirement03:59
imnicholMight be possible for the app to cache the list of available movies on the HDD or something04:00
imnicholBut yeah, that's something they'll be doing04:00
imnicholWe just have to give them a fertile field to sow their seeds04:01
tgm4883Well I think if there is a way to purchase things, that is incentive to build it in04:02
tgm4883not so much for netflix, but for Amazon VOD it would be04:02
tgm4883imnichol, have you used netflix on other devices (xbox/ps3/tv)?04:02
imnicholUsed it about 5 seconds ago on a Blue-Ray player04:03
tgm4883imnichol, ok, so you know how that gets set up then04:03
tgm4883how you don't have to login04:03
imnicholYeah04:03
tgm4883I think that is the way we need to connect a TV to U104:03
tgm4883rather than having a login screen04:04
imnicholCan you elaborate?  I think I understand but I want to make sure04:04
tgm4883so the TV generates a code, then you go to ubuntuone.com/activate and insert the code from the TV04:04
tgm4883it then attaches it to your account04:04
imnicholWouldn't that require buy-in from the TV manufacturers?04:05
tgm4883that way you don't  have to deal with an on screen keyboard04:05
tgm4883imnichol, no, it would be a feature of UbuntuTV (software)04:05
imnicholOhhhh ok, the UTV, not the actual tv itself?04:05
tgm4883exactly04:05
imnicholHm I think I'm with you04:06
imnicholOk04:06
imnicholMy housemate just explained it to me04:06
tgm4883I could see doing that with multiple U1 accounts as well for family's that share content04:06
imnicholThat reminds me: I have an issue with accounts where I don't necessarily want my housemate to see what kind of movies I watch04:07
tgm4883hmm04:07
imnicholOr a better example: what if I have personal data on U1 that I don't want my housemates to see, how do we prevent that from getting accessed while still making U1 useful?04:08
tgm4883That does bring up an interesting point, how to "hide" content04:08
tgm4883imnichol, that sounds like a job for ACLs :/04:08
imnicholI'm wondering about using NFC/bluetooth to pair a UPhone/UTablet to a UTV that would allow my U1 content to be accessed, and then allow me to revoke that permission when I walk away from the TV04:09
imnicholBut then that kind of creates a problem with U1 syncing files to the tv, does it just not sync until I try to access a file?04:10
tgm4883While in theory that would work, that is what LinuxMCE tried to do and after discussing it with them it didn't work too well04:10
imnicholAm I making sense?04:10
tgm4883even though bluetooth has a short range, it is still too far for that04:10
imnicholyeah04:10
tgm4883there are two sides to that04:11
tgm48831) sync always, which means your content is there when you aren't at the system/logged in04:11
tgm48832) sync when item selected, which means you are waiting for it to download a bit before you can watch04:11
imnicholExactly04:12
tgm4883#1 is already in U104:12
tgm4883#2 is how netflix does it04:12
imnichol#1 is less secure, unless we allow people to encrypt the fs04:12
tgm4883imnichol, true04:13
imnicholSince my housemates could just pull the hdd from the UTV, mount it, and then steal all the videos of me lip-synching Britney Spears ;)04:13
tgm4883imnichol, The issue is we can't complicate it too much.04:13
imnicholWe're really ending up dealing with two different issues here:04:13
imnicholA.) Authentication04:14
imnicholB.) Security04:14
tgm4883Would a PIN suffice?04:14
tgm4883or do you want full authentication?04:14
imnicholIt really depends04:14
tgm4883actually, that doesn't matter. This would work either way04:15
tgm4883what about this04:15
tgm4883In U1, you have ACL's for a folder and can set it as requiring a PIN/PASS for a specific UbuntuTV04:15
tgm4883that way, you could access it without a PIN in the TV in your room, but the TV in the family room requires a PIN for those folders04:16
tgm4883it's more setup, but only if you want to do that. There should be a default value you can set04:19
dmj726I like a lot of the mockup's style04:20
dmj726not convinced on the lack of multitasking04:20
tgm4883dmj726, is there a need for true multitasking?04:20
tgm4883dmj726, I'm assuming by multitasking, you are talking split screen stuff?04:21
dmj726In my experience, actually making multitasking integrate nicely makes things simpler.04:21
tgm4883I guess define multitasking, as it's still a computer and would have the ability to multitask04:22
dmj726tgm4883: Split screen might be nice later, but I think quick, switching and not having to restart an app all the time is a good thing04:22
tgm4883dmj726, well that goes into how much of a computer this is and how external apps are supported04:23
tgm4883at that extent, I've not heard many arguments either way04:24
imnicholFWIW, I use Unity in much the same way that I imagine people would us the UTV04:24
imnicholI have one application maximized at a time, and then use the launcher to switch between running apps04:24
dmj726I think it should have the full capabilities of a computer, though it should present them in a streamlined way04:24
imnicholSo when you say "not having to restart an app", that's not really what happens anyway04:25
tgm4883I agree with imnichol, I don't see why we would be killing an app if we switch screens04:25
tgm4883that said, these are low powered systems, so we have to do something04:26
dmj726tgm4883: My thought, make it easy to see what applications are open, and quickly stop ones you don't need anymore04:27
tgm4883dmj726, yes, but what if I don't close any apps ever?04:27
dmj726also have a nice way for apps to know if they have focus, so developers can play nice04:27
imnicholAlthough, the raspberry pi costs like $35 and I guess it can do desktop unity at 1080p, so we could probably use more ram/a bigger cpu and get rid of a lot of the issues with apps being open04:28
dmj726http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2fEATD7tHM04:28
dmj726Well, n900 can handle quite a lot and it's running a 2 year old single core chip04:29
dmj726Usually I like to keep it to 16 application windows or less to avoid clutter04:29
imnicholMaybe if the system runs out of memory it just closes the oldest app?04:30
tgm4883dmj726, it is truly multitasking? or is it pausing apps when not in focus04:30
dmj726truly multitasking04:30
dmj726some apps choose to pause out of consideration04:30
mhall119tgm4883: imnichol: regarding a Netflix lens, it would make more sense to add a Netflix scope to the Videos lens04:30
tgm4883so now we're again dealing with needing apps to be made for UbuntuTV?04:30
mhall119so that when you search for a video, it'll check your local files, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc04:31
tgm4883mhall119, I'm guessing that is just another area it can search/04:32
tgm4883?04:32
tgm4883ok04:32
mhall119yes04:32
tgm4883so we had the idea, just not the terminology04:32
mhall119but it would be better to have the lenses per-content type, not per-source04:32
tgm4883right, which is what we want04:32
dmj726tgm4883: Well we need to provide well-integrated applications for basic functions regardless of how we do it.  Making it easy for third-party applications to be run as well can only help us.04:32
mhall119the mockups you guys were talking about had it per-source04:32
dmj726Yeah, per content type makes sense04:33
dmj726though we should be able to filter it per source04:33
imnicholmhall119, I was talking per-source because that's the paradigm that Ian S was using, I'm in favor of whatever works best04:33
mhall119likewise NPR would feed the Music/Audio lense04:33
tgm4883mhall119, right, but we discussed searching for a video, and getting returns from multiple sources (and that is how my mockup is :) )04:33
mhall119tgm4883: ok, just wanted to clarify, thanks04:33
tgm4883mhall119, yep, we're on the same page04:33
imnicholI think that Netflix is going to have to be an application just because of the DRM issue04:41
tgm4883imnichol, I agree, but just because it's an app doesn't mean it can't show results in a lense right?04:42
imnicholYeah but I was just reading that Netflix only shows results that correspond to the geographic location of the user04:44
imnicholSo I think that it would require some "search time" for the UTV to contact the netflix servers and get back the data04:45
imnicholBut that's not the end of the world04:45
tgm4883imnichol, yea I don't think there is an issue with search time. It could probably list results while still returning some04:46
=== ian_ is now known as imnichol
AlanBellhttp://rewiredstate.org/events/social-tv-education08:49
mhall119repete: would you mind introducing yourself, so everybody knows you?15:15
ogra_there are people that dont know him ?15:15
ogra_:P15:15
mhall119well I didn't until recently, so probably15:17
* ogra_ wasnt serious :)15:20
dakerogra_, i don't know him ツ15:39
dakeror here15:39
tgm4883I think it's obvious. repete is the younger of the two brothers from the old show "The Adventures of Pete & Pete" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Pete_%26_Pete16:11
repetetgm4883, indeed :-)16:12
repeteIn addition, I'm a product manager in Canonical's Product Strategy group looking at (among other things) Ubuntu on the TV16:13
repeteThe level of interest in this channel is fantastic :-)16:13
repeteAn I'm excited to work on this particular category because it is something I looked at a few years ago16:14
* tgm4883 marks down the known canoncial employees as 316:14
tgm4883Actually I haven't seen WillCooke in awhile16:15
repetePlease forgive me if I lurk.  I'm currently working toward a deadline (unrelated)16:15
tgm4883no worries16:15
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tgm4883popey, can we get another etherpad?16:52
popeysure, just go to http://pad.ubuntu-uk.org/SomeName  where 'SomeName' is the page name, it will create one16:54
popey^ tgm488316:54
tgm4883sweet, thanks16:54
popeytgm4883: if you want a who's who, k aleo, kenvandine, m hall119, o gra_, myself, r epete, s laden work for canonical (split names to avoid highligting)16:55
popeysorry kenvandine ☺16:56
kenvandinepopey, :)16:56
tgm4883So this is a few things (non-UI related) we've been discussing and my ideas. I think we should probably keep a list of issues and possible ways to fix them  http://pad.ubuntu-uk.org/UbuntuTV-Issues16:58
tgm4883feel free to add/edit that list16:58
tgm4883which is why it's on etherpad ;)16:58
tgm4883imnichol, I know we were discussing a bunch of that the other night ^16:58
=== popey changed the topic of #ubuntu-tv to: Welcome to #ubuntu-tv | http://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-tv | http://pad.ubuntu-uk.org/UbuntuTV | http://pad.ubuntu-uk.org/UbuntuTV-Issues | This channel is logged to http://irclogs.ubuntu.com/
imnicholOh hey.  Yeah, we did discuss a lot of that16:59
tgm4883imnichol, yea, I figure we probably should be writing some of that down :)17:00
imnicholYeah, much better than reading the logs every time I forget something17:00
imnicholGood call17:00
mhall119http://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/12/05/1912214/tv-isnt-broken-so-why-fix-it?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%2920:25
MrChrisDruifI'm......not even gonna respond to that =P20:27
AlanBellsounds about right to me20:29
AlanBellthe main thing driving TV features is the need to sell people new TVs20:30
mhall119I think the game-changer will be when we stop thinking in terms of channels and timeslots20:34
mhall119which my kids already have20:34
mhall119on our last vacation, they thought the hotels new flatscreen TV was old because it didn't have a pause and rewind option20:35
mhall119and they have no concept of their desired show being "not on right now'20:36
MrChrisDruif=)20:38
MrChrisDruifGreat, kids these days. Same with digital camera's20:38
MrChrisDruifThey don't get it when you come with an old analog camera...they want to see the results on the screen, but are greatly surprised when there isn't one20:39
tgm4883AlanBell, +120:45
AlanBellMrChrisDruif: yeah, it is funny when they go running over to look at the picture on the back of the camera and it isn't there!20:52
MrChrisDruif='P20:52
mhall119my first digital didn't have an LCD either20:52
AlanBellI remember in an airport in America we had to phone grandad to tell him what time we were landing, I gave my daughter the payphone handset and she started talking then decided to run over to mummy with it. She was astonished and furious that some idiot had tied the phone to the wall!20:53
mhall119lol20:54
AlanBellshe had never seen a phone with a wire on it before20:54
mhall119pretty soon they won't know what to do with a non-touch UI either20:54
MrChrisDruifHaha20:55
MrChrisDruifRing-dialer anyone? =D20:55
dmj726Well, I suspect that TV will feel very broken in retrospect if major improvements are made21:26
dmj726MrChrisDruif: I think some people have made ring dialer apps for touchscreen phones21:28
mhall119dmj726: exactly, if there's one thing that Apple proved, it's that the mp3 players and smartphones people didn't think were broken, actually were21:28
dmj726Yeah21:28
MrChrisDruifHaha, but their Apple TV didn't really catch on ;-)21:29
dmj726Hehe, means we have a chance21:29
mhall119their first Apple TV was just an set-top iTunes store21:32
MrChrisDruifHaha, but indeed21:34
mhall119IMO, if you're going to spend hundreds of dollars on a new set-top box, the content better be free21:37
mhall119or at least flat-rate like Netflix21:38
mhall119I don't mind the occasional pay-per-view or on-demand purchase, but the majority of the content should be free21:38
mhall119stuff like hulu and youtube21:38
mhall119if the box came with a year's subscription to Netflix, that would rock21:39
tgm4883I don't think it's coming with a year sub to netflix21:54
mhall119I guess it depends on whether we're targeting a consumer device, or something that'll be on the boxes given out by the network operators22:04
mhall119in other words, are we going to distribute this through BestBuy, Comcast, or Cisco?22:05
mhall119repete: ^^ your thoughts on that?22:05
repetemhall119, where does this discussion begin? :-)22:06
mhall119repete: wanting to know how content could be delivered through Ubuntu TV22:07
repetenm... reading the back chat22:07
repetewell the question seems to be whether it would be free content or paid/subscription22:08
repetetbh, I'm not sure I know enough yet to say definitively but this is a complex market and the current players are threatened by anyone providing free content22:09
dmj726my suggestion: yes22:09
AlanBellrepete: what do you want to do with Ubuntu on the TV?22:09
repetealso, I think the fact that people are willing to either buy a DVD of a show or purchase a season pass on iTunes proves people don't mind paying for broadcast shows if they don't have to sit through adverts.22:10
AlanBellis this something the OEM team will be taking to TV manufacturers, or set top boxes, or is it a DIY thing that people will put on a homebrew media centre?22:11
repeteAlanBell, it is too early to tell.  There is certainly a vibrant homebrew community as proven by Boxee and MythTV22:12
repeteAlanBell, I would guess it will be a combination of both.  I don't see why not.22:12
AlanBellsure, but what is your product strategy for monetising this?22:12
repeteAlanBell, we only announced this initiative a month ago and this isn't my only product. ;-)22:13
repeteDon't mean to be rude guys, but I'm still scrambling to finish a presentation for a 9 am meeting tomorrow morning.22:14
imnicholPersonally I'm not sure that UTV will survive if it's not sold in stores22:15
imnicholWho's going to write an app for a target market of a few thousand?22:15
dmj726I would suggest that this be installed by OEMs but where someone could easily install it if they wanted22:16
repeteParting question:  How can we provide a platform to easily consume web content (i.e. videos on Vimeo) without resorting to opening a web browser and without alienating the content owner who pays for that content through display ads?22:16
repeteFree content isn't really free.  It has to be paid for somehow.22:16
imnicholPersonally, if I buy a device, I expect it to be ad-free22:16
imnicholI pay money for the ability to not have ads22:17
mhall119repete: if we are targetting Cisco, then we don't need to worry about providing content, just a platform22:17
mhall119but finish your presentation first22:17
AlanBellif the content includes ads then the ads get played22:18
AlanBellthe interesting things happen when someone wants to take action on an ad22:19
mhall119imnichol: I see UTV being like Android, in that it's the foundation for OEMs to build devices that are sold through network providers22:19
dmj726Hmm...honestly, this should be up to whoever is providing the content.22:19
AlanBellor if you want user-aware advertising22:19
imnicholmhall119, The problem with android is that IOS is killing them22:19
mhall119imnichol: no it's not22:20
AlanBellthis video is being played by Alan, he bought new shoes last week, lets play him a sock advert22:20
dmj726So we can obviously provide some content avenues ourselves, with the ability for OEMs or the user to add additional outlets22:20
imnicholBecause OEM manufacturers make Android suck22:20
AlanBelloh look some new socks, they would go well with my new shoes, <click>22:20
AlanBellsocks arrive next day, content starts playing22:21
imnicholIf UTV is going to not be the bottom-shelf option, Canonical is going to have to flex their muscle enough that OEMs leave it as stock22:21
dmj726We probably will need to impose some requirements on OEMs to brand something as an Ubuntu TV22:22
AlanBellso that kind of scenario matters a *lot* how the thing is distributed, whether it is an OEM platform or whether canonical wants a cut of advertising revenue22:22
mhall119dmj726: or at least make the branding so un-imposing and the sytling to nice that they want to leave it alone22:22
imnicholPersonally I think that Canonical should just sell them directly in stores22:22
mhall119AlanBell: IMO, Canonical trying to get a cut of advertising is a bad idea22:23
mhall119Verizon dumped a lot of money to get a piece of that pie, and when I was working there I heard that they weren't projecting to break even for 20 years22:23
dmj726So an OEM could use the code base with big changes and do all new branding unrelated to Ubuntu or keep certain key aspects stock and brand it as UTV22:23
AlanBellmhall119: I think so too22:23
imnicholdmj726, That seems like the best option22:24
mhall119dmj726: even with all the rebranding done on Android devices, they still keep a consistent set of controls and visuals22:24
dmj726The most important component to keep stock is software center22:24
dmj726after that is Unity22:24
mhall119and since most of Unity's visual identity is based on functionality, I think a lot of that would stay22:24
mhall119right, software center will be big, but that's also what the networks will not want22:25
dmj726OEMs can add third party repositories and sources of content, but they a) can't remove any and b) can't restrict the user adding any22:25
mhall119I think it'll take an Apple tv product forcing them to accept a 3rd party app store22:25
dmj726mhall119: networks won't like it, but I don't see a point to Ubuntu devices if we lose that22:26
mhall119dmj726: agreed22:26
AlanBellso it makes a huge difference if this is an integrated TV thing, or a set top box in terms of who the "customer" is22:26
dmj726They can make a debranded device if they want to restrict repos22:26
AlanBelland as always the customer is not the person watching the TV22:26
mhall119I remember the run-up to the iPhone hearing about how hard it was for Apple to get AT&T to agree to not have total control over the app store22:26
AlanBellthe customer is the OEM22:27
mhall119but with indicators and the launcher APIs, they won't be able to change much of the interface and still keep it a desirable target platform for developers22:27
imnicholWhy won't networks like 3rd party repos?22:27
mhall119hulu22:27
mhall119netflix22:28
mhall119youtube22:28
imnicholOh ok22:28
imnicholContent networks, not cable networks22:28
mhall119it's net neutrality all over again22:28
AlanBellit *could* be something disruptive like content providors bypassing the networks22:28
mhall119imnichol: cable networks get a share of advertising revenue from the content they deliver, not from Netflix, Youtube, etc22:28
mhall119AlanBell: when we get critical mass, that's what will happen22:28
imnicholSo what are they going to do, not stream their channels?22:29
AlanBellmhall119: I mean it could be a set-top-box branded hulu/netflix/youtube22:29
imnicholSeems to me that our primary concern should be Netflix/Hulu creating their applications22:29
dmj726imnichol: not streaming will only lead to them becoming irrelevant22:29
mhall119the networks will become bandwidth providers only, not content providers22:29
mhall119content providers wouldn't make deals with network providers anymore22:30
imnicholmhall119, When you say "cable networks" do you mean Comcast/AT&T/etc?  Or NBC/ABC/CBS?22:30
mhall119which means the networks won't get add revenue, so expect your internet prices to go up22:30
mhall119imnichol: Comcast, AT&T, Brighthouse22:30
imnicholOh ok22:30
imnicholISPs22:30
mhall119yeah22:30
mhall119that's all they'll become too22:31
imnicholThanks, that clarifies it22:31
mhall119which they don't want to happen22:31
mhall119they don't want to become a commodity service provider22:31
dmj726We won't be distributed as a "cable box" I don't think22:31
mhall119I think that's the easiest route, actually22:32
AlanBellhence my question22:32
dmj726We'll either be a set top box in stores or or integrated into TV sets22:32
imnicholAgreed22:32
AlanBellit *could* be something targetted at the old school networks to keep them in the game with competition from content providors22:32
mhall119AlanBell: it would, if we get enough content providers on board22:33
mhall119which brings us back to a year's subscription to Netflix if we're selling boxes in stores22:33
mhall119get Hulu pre-installed, stuff like that22:33
dmj726but those providers will want to lock it down, maybe make it *only* do cable tv22:33
AlanBellor it could be targetted at an OEM to help them sell more 50" TVs22:33
dmj726help sell 50" TVs22:34
mhall119dmj726: they'll want to, but like cell carriers, I think they will be forced to give that up22:34
dmj726Also, there are a significant number of people without cable or satellite subscriptions who don't want one22:35
mhall119dmj726: what would they have for broadband internet?22:35
dmj726they have internet, but not a TV subscription22:35
imnicholI'm one of them22:36
mhall119where do they get internet?22:36
dmj726same here22:36
dmj726usually a DSL provider22:36
mhall119are there any major DSL providers that aren't selling tv service now too?22:36
dmj726TV is either internet or over the air based22:36
AlanBellmhall119: there are here22:36
imnicholThere are plenty of cable companies that just sell internet access22:37
dmj726well, ATT doesn't provide TV everywhere they provide internet22:37
mhall119yeah, I'm not sure how tv business works in the UK, since so much of yours is publically funded22:37
dmj726and I'd be loathe to tie UTV to a specific TV subscription offering22:37
AlanBellmhall119: the BBC just do a few channels, I have a sky dish and get loads of non-bbc channels with adverts as well as the BBC channels via sky22:38
dmj726now being able to get TV signals is one thing22:38
AlanBellI have fibre to the cabinet DSL broadband, but no TV through that22:38
mhall119I still think taking the Android route is a good idea, give OEM's a good platform with lots of developer buy-in, let them make cable boxes based on that, and sell them through the TV providers22:38
AlanBellsome people have cable TV, but not masses here22:39
mhall119also we can have OEMs sell boxes directly to consumers22:39
dmj726I say, let TV providers be *one* source of UTV, but also get OEMs to put it inside TV sets and other set top boxes22:39
AlanBellcan they be subsidised down to nothing by someone?22:39
mhall119maybe get to the point where AT&T is advertising that they offer Ubuntu TV boxes to their subscribers22:39
imnicholmhall119, what type of businesses do you mean when you say OEMs?22:39
mhall119AlanBell: could be22:39
dmj726personally, I would buy one direct22:40
imnicholAre we talking like HTC/Sanyo in the same way that they make cell phones?22:40
mhall119imnichol: I have Brighthouse for cable tv, they rent me a box made by Cisco22:40
AlanBellmhall119: so that is really my product strategy question, who do you want to pay for this so that the consumer doesn't think it is them22:40
dmj726So you might buy that new Samsung TV, which has UTV built in.22:41
mhall119AlanBell: I want the network operator to pay for it, and tack it on to the customer's bill22:41
imnicholmhall119, what country do you live in?22:41
mhall119USA22:41
imnicholOk22:41
AlanBellok, so like the "free" sky box I have22:41
dmj726I don't want that at all22:42
mhall119almost every Android phone here is subsidized by a 2 year contract with your network provider, Ubuntu TV boxes can be sold the same way22:42
dmj726"free" things never are22:42
mhall119nope22:42
AlanBellbut on the plus side it can be Free22:42
dmj726that's why all the shit on android phones22:42
imnicholmhall119, the race to the bottom is never good22:42
mhall119but the cable operators might want to offer a line of different model boxes at different prices, like cell carriers do22:43
imnicholThe problem with letting OEMs do whatever they want is you get the android effect: some no-name OEM makes their own special-snowflake GUI theme and then doesn't have the resources to correctly manage their changes...22:43
dmj726then people just get the cheap one with basic access and call UTV crap22:43
imnichol...then you get cheap stuttery android phones22:43
imnicholI think dmj726 and I are arguing the same point22:44
mhall119imnichol: like I said, they'll have to leave the launcher and top-panel mostly as-is if they want application compatibility22:44
imnicholmhall119, Then what happens if the OEM decides to pull a CarrierIQ and throw a bunch of their own software on there?22:44
imnicholPeople see that, see the Ubuntu branding, and decide it's worthless and tacky22:44
dmj726Ubuntu should refuse use of their trademark unless specific conditions are met.22:44
mhall119imnichol: when I see people abandoning Android phones, then I'll worry about that22:45
imnicholLook at the overall marketshare of IOS/Android...22:45
mhall119some people are, sure, but not in mass22:45
dmj726Unity, Software Center, and complete control over application installation.22:46
imnicholI don't have a problem with OEMs using UTV as long as they aren't allowed to call it Ubuntu or anything22:46
AlanBellnot really up to you though :)22:46
dmj726AlanBell: It's up to canonical22:46
AlanBellindeed22:46
imnicholI wish we had a Canonical employee here to answer that question22:46
dmj726yeah22:47
dmj726honestly, it's likely to be our biggest differentiator over the long run22:47
mhall119imnichol: I'm not sure Canonical has settled on an answer to that question yet22:47
imnicholCan you back it up or just a gut feeling?22:47
mhall119which is why this discussion is important, it'll help in the decision making22:47
mhall119imnichol: gut feeling, I'm not involved in that part of the company22:48
imnichol"back it up" = "are you in on some info"22:48
imnicholOk22:48
AlanBell22:13 < repete> AlanBell, we only announced this initiative a month ago and this isn't my only product. ;-)22:48
mhall119but from re-pete's responses so far, that's the impression I get22:48
mhall119AlanBell: and I went through all the trouble to avoid pinging him22:48
mhall119:P22:49
mhall119imnichol: you can probably think of us as the community side of the product stategy22:50
mhall119imnichol:  "Comscore says that as of August, 43.7 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers had an Android device; 27.7 percent had an iPhone."22:52
mhall119http://news.cnet.com/8301-33200_3-57323943-290/ios-vs-android-lots-of-stats-little-clarity/22:53
imnicholThe problem is that android is a commodity market with profit that's measured in pennies22:54
mhall119yup22:54
imnicholWhereas Apple doesn't have that problem with idevices22:54
mhall119less if you calculate patent blackmail22:54
mhall119but pennies per copy is still more than we're selling Ubuntu for22:55
imnicholAnd the fact that it's a commodity market is apprent to the people buying phones, not necessarily consciously, but unconsciously22:55
imnicholSit a random consumer down and let them play with an iphone 4s and whatever the android devices of the moment is.  They'll tell you that the iphone is a better product22:56
imnicholAnd I think a lot of that has to do with OEMs who ship old versions of android22:57
mhall119possibly, and OEMs who make bad hardware too23:00
mhall119but the choice is get the most OEM buy-in, or try to muscle our way into the hardware market23:01
imnicholReminder that a Raspberry Pi costs $3523:01
mhall119there's a lot more logistics behind being a hardware company than just the cost of components23:02
imnicholI see the hardware market as something that is going to be a lot easier to enter in the next year than it has been23:02
imnicholBut I see what you're saying23:02
imnicholA good compromise between the two would be that Canonical allows OEMs to say it's a UTV if it meets minimum hardware/software requirements23:02
mhall119yeah, that might work23:03
imnicholIt has to have a certain amount of ram/proc/hdd and run the latest versions of everything and blah blah blah technicalities23:03
dmj726if hardware is solid and it has Unity and software center unmodified it's good23:04
MrChrisDruifAre we still on the balance on set-top boxes or TV integration?23:06
imnicholWe kind of drifted away from that but I feel like going back unless anyone else minds23:06
mhall119karate time, bbl23:06
mhall119MrChrisDruif: I'd say 90% set-top boxes23:07
mhall119they're easier to replace when a new model comes out23:07
MrChrisDruifNew model? Of what? UTV?23:07
mhall119the box23:07
mhall119newer/faster processor, more ram, better graphics hardware23:08
mhall119upgrade the set-top box for $300-$500, or upgrade the 50" TV for $300023:08
MrChrisDruifHaha, yeah..23:08
dmj726mhall119: I'd be fine either way23:09
dmj726To me it's more about the provider of the box than the shape of the box/TV combo23:09
MrChrisDruifIn this consummation driven community around the world, people probably will want a new TV with new technologies23:10
MrChrisDruifAnyhow, that is all in HOW the TV will be designed23:12
MrChrisDruifIf all the "working" bits are for instance in the bottom section, not hard to replace, then it can easily be integrated23:12
MrChrisDruifinto the TV23:14
dmj726or if the TV can recieve firmware updates23:14
MrChrisDruifThat can already happen ;-)23:14
dmj726so 3 year old TV can get new features by installing Ubuntu 17.1023:14
MrChrisDruifBut I thought mhall119 was talking about new hardware to speed up etc...23:15
dmj726it could be both23:17
dmj726so your existing hardware is software upgradable23:17
dmj726but if you want say a TV set that can be made faster by a swappable box in the base, that's possible too23:17
MrChrisDruifI don't know if this is a good idea, but maybe a new standard, just like computer hardware, for upgrading purposes23:20
dmj726MrChrisDruif: yes, though I doubt we'll get this in the first iteration23:23
MrChrisDruifYeah, one can dream, can't he? =)23:23
MrChrisDruifIt's still in two years time, it's time to become the new Apple in a way23:24
MrChrisDruif"Nothing's on the telly" O_O23:26
MrChrisDruifI got excited by the idea thou O_O, standardized hardware for TV's23:31

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