Ubuntu TV Is A Popular Topic This Week

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Ubuntu TV Is A Popular Topic This Week

Last year plans began to surface for Ubuntu TV -- a version of the popular Linux distribution intended to be deployed by television manufacturers -- and during the Ubuntu Developer Summit this week there was much talk about the Ubuntu TV plans...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTEwMDU

[d2kx]

"They're still trying to define the target screen resolution of Ubuntu TVs."

1080p?

[Vadi]

I'm not excited over Ubuntu 2D going away.

I'm not using it on my high-end gtx 560 monster because my video card can't take 3D. I'm using it because it kills gaming performance like nothing, and I'm dubious about who in Canonical still knows how Compiz really works - when it's having performance issues, crashes, and well - a main dev admitting a public failure on their part on the project.

[Kayden]

OpenELEC. If you haven't used it, it's amazing. XBMC provides a beautiful, polished, and easy to use interface which I find far more professional than any integrated TV software I've seen. OpenELEC makes it insanely easy to set up. VDPAU, remote controls, and surround sound basically all come pre-configured and work out of the box...

The only thing I really find lacking is Bluray and Netflix support, neither of which they can really do anything about.

With XBMC and OpenELEC already around, my initial impression of Ubuntu TV is: meh :)

[Kano]

Well you dont need a special distro. You can compile xbmc opdenkamp (pure pvr) or FernetMenta (pvr with xvba support) and combine that with vdr or something else. for vdr you would disable all preinstalled pvr addons and build xvdr for vdr and xbmc. Definitely not impossible to do...

[uid313]

Yes, why would I need another distro for this?

Why cant I just use Ubuntu with a media center software?

Also, why they try to define a screen resolution to target?
There are TV from 14-100", so do interface with scaleable vector graphics instead.

[uid313]

Do not target a specific screen resolution.

Some years ago 32" TV where was it was, then it was 42", and now its like 46" and 52".
In some years, most TV sold will probably be 60" or larger as prices come down.

Some years ago, 720p was the shit, now its kinda 1080p, but around the corner is 4K (2160p) and next up is 8K.

Scaleable vector graphics FTW!

[JanC]

I suppose what they mean is what minimal resolution to support. Even though in theory vector graphics scale to any resolution, there is a point when certain things become unreadable or unrecognizable when you scale down, and that's where you cut off a minimal resolution during design.

[Spectre]

In the relative short term the only product I'm going to purchase is their smartphone. Our computers and TV still have some years of service left. There's not as much 'buzz' about the phone though so I wonder when that's coming out?