[wizziwig]

So what is their business model in a market filled with no-name Chinese alternatives using the same Rockchip SoC at much lower prices? Unless they keep the source code closed and offer exclusive software features, I don't see how they could survive. If they open the code, the other RK3288 boxes will just rip it off and sell at lower prices since they spend $0 on software development.

[bunglebungle]

From the post quoted earlier:

- How will this be better than the plethora of Android boxes available these days?
Our main difference is the ability to boot directly from SD card and passive cooling aluminium casing.

- Will it display proper 23.976 and 24fps for film content?
Yes

[User 231261]

So what is their business model in a market filled with no-name Chinese alternatives using the same Rockchip SoC at much lower prices? Unless they keep the source code closed and offer exclusive software features, I don't see how they could survive. If they open the code, the other RK3288 boxes will just rip it off and sell at lower prices since they spend $0 on software development.

better build quality of mainboard and components, heatsink case, loyal customer base demanding xbmc, good user forum.
Lower price ain't that important for experienced media player users....
and maybe they are just bridging the market gap until Sigma comes out with the 8700 series SoC's and learning the ropes on android, openelec, xbmc and all the other nice stuff that will run on that.
Who knows but I'm fine with the notion that they see a viable business case

[nickr]

piece of selective copying... here is the complete quote:

- Native Kodi or Cloud Media's own fork?
Currently H.265 hardware support is fork from XBMC. Eventually the RK3288 native playback might merge into Kodi main branch but for faster support, we might release a fork version for users when it is ready.

Question is where is the H.265 hardware support development from xbmc for RK3288 SoC?
If nowhere then a fork from Rockchip and a few xbmc developers is a good thing..
And why assume the code won't be made available, anybody say it would not?

I think the term fork is a development version control classification and not some commercial attempt to exclude competition.
A Chip manufacturer would have no benefit from that as all systems with their SoC could do hardware decoding... what is there to exclude?
You think their customers like openhour, tronsmart or any of the others would go for that?

But the simple fact is that if Rockchip, or Rockchip plus a couple of XBMC devs, or someone who buys chips from Rockchip distributes a modified version of XBMC then they must distribute the source code. This is so whether or not they subsequently merge their modifications back into the XBMC git tree or not.

---

So what is their business model in a market filled with no-name Chinese alternatives using the same Rockchip SoC at much lower prices? Unless they keep the source code closed and offer exclusive software features, I don't see how they could survive. If they open the code, the other RK3288 boxes will just rip it off and sell at lower prices since they spend $0 on software development.

I guess if they want to keep their source private, they won't be modifying XBMC, because the GPL2 does not allow that. They have the option of course of developing their own media centre software and keeping it proprietary, but good luck on that succeeding.

But there is another way. They can develop a closed source video driver and use an open API to access it, like nVidia and AMD use vdpau. In fact if they did that, there shouldn't be any modifications needed to XBMC at all.

But if they modify XBMC itself, and distribute it, they must release source.

[User 231261]

third time you mention the need to release the source code.... do you have any indication that they won't?

I did read that they plan to merge it into Kodi, but might release a fork version to speed up support for their users.... that is RK3288 users. As a user I'm happy with that.
Merging back into xbmc without source code is that even technically possible?

[nickr]

The proof will be when they DO as they have promised. On this, many manufacturers do not have a good record.

[User 231261]

and until then it's a red herring.

[Roby77]

do you registered and you are so defeating Rk cause it's the chip of CM ?

You are a moderator of nmt forum, or not ?

[User 231261]

are you getting personal?

[Roby77]

No i don't.....parola d'onore

but you didn't reply

(you are not obliged)

[BORIStheBLADE]

are you getting personal?

Well its seems you are actually. You join the same week or so a thread about Cloud Media starts and right away you go into defense mode about Sigma hardware. All your posts are in the Cloud Media thread or the thread that talks about the same SoC in the Cloud Media box.
Soooo what would you say you do here??

And yes he is a Mod on http://www.networkedmediatank.com/ which is the forum for all Popcornhour products.

[Milhouse]

It may have been worthy of some "disclosure" but I don't think it's a problem for Willem to be a moderator on the NMT forum while also posting here discussing the OpenHour product. If/when it launches, it might even be useful for Willem to keep everyone appraised of new firmware releases etc.

So far all I see is a great deal of confusion and uncertainty, mainly due to the vague way in which OpenHour have announced this product. Perhaps they're trying to keep their options open, but any product announcement that includes the words "eventually" and "we might" - from a company that has a history of promising far more than it could ever deliver - is probably not worth investing too much time in, and certainly not cash, until it is proven what they can/will deliver.

[BORIStheBLADE]

It may have been worthy of some "disclosure" but I don't think it's a problem for Willem to be a moderator on the NMT forum while also posting here discussing the OpenHour product. If/when it launches, it might even be useful for Willem to keep everyone appraised of new firmware releases etc.

So far all I see is a great deal of confusion and uncertainty, mainly due to the vague way in which OpenHour have announced this product. Perhaps they're trying to keep their options open, but any product announcement that includes the words "eventually" and "we might" - from a company that has a history of promising far more than it could ever deliver - is probably not worth investing too much time in, and certainly not cash, until it is proven what they can/will deliver.

Nothing wrong with it at all, but when some on here bring up the same concern you did which have owned their stuff and to have a new member try to convince you otherwise you start to question their intention..

[User 231261]

OK this is getting personal... always interesting to see when arguments fail the person becomes the target.

I have no need to hide who I am hence the same name. unlike others I know from other forums
I am however not employed or in any form payed by Syabas/Cloudmedia/PCH or openhour.
I am a user of their product and know how to run them successfully.

As for defending.. why not... allegations were made truth was discovered and I'm fine with that.
As for the words like "eventually" and "we might" only proves nobody is making promises they might not be able to keep eventually... again truth..

This thread's topic is about Rockchip RK3288 SoC based Android media players and XBMC experience, Openhour is just one of the competitors on that market and have a box I will use and test to it's limits.
What surprises me is that other companies have already shipped and no posts about them have been made here by users.
Openhour has not even released their box and already has many posts here...
but then again:

[Milhouse]

As for the words like "eventually" and "we might" only proves nobody is making promises they might not be able to keep eventually... again truth..

Sure, not making promises - just dangling that carrot.

I honestly think it's a bit of a shambles, that Syabas don't know (or are unable to say) what they'll be delivering at this stage of the game, considering they're expecting to ship product next month (October).

What surprises me is that other companies have already shipped and no posts about them have been made here by users.

Yes, surprising. Maybe because Syabas are one of the better known vendors. Or because none of the other vendors have track records - good or bad - that can be commented on, or made specific (and somewhat fanciful) claims with regard to XBMC/Kodi?

Oh and for the record, I don't hate Syabas - I'm just highly sceptical of their ability to deliver, born out of first-hand experience, and I have no problem with sharing! I'd be happy to be proven wrong though!