[linux-audio-user] DVD audio authoring

[Daniel James]

> It says it "employs a Linux-based operating system", I
> wonder if that means the code itself will be made available
> somewhere.

It's probably an embedded variant with a lot of non-GPL'd software. 
But you'd expect that they must have made some changes to GPL'd code, 
in which case they should offer source code to anyone who buys the 
unit - since no-one else will have the binaries. I often get the 
impression that some embedded system vendors are testing the limits 
of the GPL though... 

> The $4K pricetag is a bit high

I think that depends on the quality of the unit; I expect pro quality 
video equipment usually costs that much. Of course because we know 
it's really a Linux box, it looks expensive to us - but then Pioneer 
have done all the R&D and put together a complete system which they 
will support. On that basis, it could be a bargain for a busy video 
production firm. 

> In the studio I work in, we do DVD-A authoring under another OS
> with a standard $300 4x Pioneer DVD-R/RW and have done up to 8
> channels of 24/96 using something called Meridian Lossless Packing
> (http://www.ambisonic.net/mlp.html).  

As much as I respect Meridian for their audio work, MLP is a real 
problem for free software. It's totally proprietary and it needs 
support in hardware players. So if it becomes the standard for 
digital audio, you might not be able to make finished musical 
projects on a free software system.

Cheers

Daniel