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

[Tom Cubie]

On Tue, Jun 26, 2012 at 2:32 AM, lkcl luke <luke.leighton at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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).

Sigh, this becomes an advantage.

> 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.
>
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-- 
Keep simple, stay foolish.
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