[Arm-netbook] Any ARM SoC has Open-Source access to hardware video decoder ?

[lkcl luke]

On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 6:27 PM, Alexey Eromenko <al4321 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi All !
>
> I have read from other thread, that Freescale iMX 6 provides better
> access to docs than Allwinner does.

 yes - but so what?  you're not comparing like with like.  imx6 has
great docs, but no silicon yet.  allwinner has an A10 CPU (Cortex A8)
that has been shipping in huuuuge volume for over a year.  freescale
are a U.S.-based corporation that anyone could sue the pants off and
impound all product _and_ get them in court; allwinner are a PRC-based
company where compliance with copyright, trademarks and patents are
pretty meaningless (*1).  allwinner are inexperienced at the software
(libre) game, but everything you *need* is actually publicly available
[just not quotes officially quotes / quotes directly quotes from
allwinner].

> Is it enough to build Open-Source drivers for it's VPU ?

 free software drivers, please.  "open source" is a loaded term that
also has a specific meaning in the intelligence community ("open" as
"a source of information that is outside of the control of the
intelligence community" as in "uncontrolled" as in "uncontrollable" as
in "complete nightmare scenario").  the term is best completely
avoided.

> If not, are there any other cheap ARM SoC vendors, that are more open ?

 define "cheap".  $11, $7, $16?  but, basically... as a general rule,
no.  as a general rule, the two are mutually exclusive.  as a general
rule, any SoC vendor that has the funds to follow the linaro route
typically also isn't "cheap".

 we are however slowly pressing allwinner to become the first SoC
vendor that has a foot in both camps.  once we have an A10 EOMA-68 CPU
Card i will be in a stronger position to press for software freedom
compliance.  but not until.

 l.

(*1) if you saw topgear series 18 last year, you will recall the
rip-off BMW cars that are endemic over there.  BMW decided to pursue a
patent infringment case *inside* china.  the PRC judge basically said
"this car does not infringe BMW patents" and that really was the end
of the matter.