Linux question-Media Players/HTPC

[lonestarmedic]

Ok- I have been a dabbler with Linux for many years. With the advent of Windows 8 I am much closer to dumping Microsoft in favor of a Linux box for our HTPC. However, I have not been able to find a Blu-Ray software program that will run under Linux in a SIMPLE way. I am talking load disc, click on an icon and enjoy movie. Anyone know of such a critter? It can be free or paid.

 

JB

[Guest tx2sturgis]

One of the reasons that Macs dont come with built-in Blu-Ray....its a PAIN.

 

I did find this write-up:

 

https://www.ebower.com/docs/ubuntu-bluray/

 

I dont rent, or own, any Blu-Ray discs, but I know others do.

 

 

 

http://xbmc.org/natethomas/2012/03/24/xbmc-11-0-eden/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XBMC#Audio.2C_video.2C_and_pictures_playback_and_handling

Edited November 20, 2012 by tx2sturgis

[GAWildKat]

let me check, I've installed a new to me flavor of linux called xbmcbuntu, I don't know if it has bluray support. I don't own any.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

let me check, I've installed a new to me flavor of linux called xbmcbuntu, I don't know if it has bluray support. I don't own any.

 

It does, but out of the box, only non-encrypted discs.

 

 

[GAWildKat]

yeah, saw that, hubby looked and says impossible to play store bought movies....this is why we never got into bluray.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

yeah, saw that, hubby looked and says impossible to play store bought movies....this is why we never got into bluray.

 

 

Yeah, with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and dish or cable, who needs them? A Roku Box or smart TV and the internet is your video source.

 

I can see the appeal for a HTPC...I just dont buy or rent discs...havent in many years.

 

And Blu-Ray players are reasonable now as far as price.

 

[Bummer]

Commercial video of any flavor is a problem for Linux. Since Linux is free (as in both speech and beer), there's nobody to pay the licensing fee for the proprietary encryption used to keep people from viewing the videos they thought they bought (but really didn't). Ultimately it comes down to greed. I'd pay a small price to, for example, the MPAA - give them something not totally shameful to do -, to watch the movies, but they don't want to do it that way. Couple that with the corporate desire to milk me over and over for the same movies by changing formats for no particularly good reason and we have a situation that I no longer care to support. I do not have a Blue Ray player and have no plans to buy one then spend all that money to get movies I should have been able to archive and watch pretty much forever.

 

No, that doesn't answer the question, but it does work toward an explanation of the problem.

 

By the way, decss is worked on continually to resolve the encryption issue, but it's often not included in the standard repositories. For example I use Fedora. I have to use a "non-free" repository to get "encumbered" stuff to work. Not a problem from my end, but that doesn't make it easy for folks who don't like to "nerd out". lxBDPlayer is said to work and be reasonably easy to use, but I can't really say much about it since as mentioned, I won't Blue Ray anything.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

'Closed source' (meaning it is copyrighted) material sometimes does not play nice with 'Open source' material, such as Linux.

 

The owners of the media KNOW that in the open source world, there are many ways to copy, 'bit for bit', the media that they own the rights to.

 

So releasing the codecs into the linux community is not good for your profit margin. They assume we are criminals and will steal the music, videos, and movies.

 

Some people do EXACTLY that. Go look around on PirateBay sometime.

 

Using Linux means that you might have to change your favorite ways of receiving content. But in most cases, the change is worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnT]

'Closed source' (meaning it is copyrighted) material sometimes does not play nice with 'Open source' material, such as Linux.

 

The owners of the media KNOW that in the open source world, there are many ways to copy, 'bit for bit', the media that they own the rights to.

 

So releasing the codecs into the linux community is not good for your profit margin. They assume we are criminals and will steal the music, videos, and movies.

 

Some people do EXACTLY that. Go look around on PirateBay sometime.

 

Using Linux means that you might have to change your favorite ways of receiving content. But in most cases, the change is worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The funny thing is that there is no shortage of programs available for breaking copy protection in the Windows environment. Stable, reliable, and simple to use.

I am in no way recommending copyright infringement.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

The funny thing is that there is no shortage of programs available for breaking copy protection in the Windows environment. Stable, reliable, and simple to use.

I am in no way recommending copyright infringement.

 

Very true, but the media copyright holders dont have a big target with deep pockets to go after if Microsoft itself co-operates as far as respecting the copyrights. So they get some media codecs and hollyweird is happy.

 

 

 

[Gojira]

Been dabbling with linux too. Win 8 is just horrid. Looks like a dang cell phone.