[KQ9]

as usual back to square one, wait for this darn SDK. At least we know its a possibility that doesnt involve a super coding junkie to rewrite the core

[ReccaKun]

soooo since devcon has released a bunch of sdk, will VLC come to fruitation now??

[elchepe]

I would easily pay up to $10.00 for this app depending on fluidity and general quality of the UI.

[taylortbb]

soooo since devcon has released a bunch of sdk, will VLC come to fruitation now??

It would be a mistake to count on VLC being here any time soon. The biggest issue with VLC is that although it will run on QNX, it has no support the PlayBook's hardware accelerated decoding. While the PlayBook is powerful enough to play SD videos in software, HD videos will require that support. Even then, SD videos won't be kind to your battery life. This isn't to say that VLC couldn't be released in this state, the iOS version is like this, but I think most PB devs are interested in doing it the right way.

[willtothewong]

It would be a mistake to count on VLC being here any time soon. The biggest issue with VLC is that although it will run on QNX, it has no support the PlayBook's hardware accelerated decoding. While the PlayBook is powerful enough to play SD videos in software, HD videos will require that support. Even then, SD videos won't be kind to your battery life. This isn't to say that VLC couldn't be released in this state, the iOS version is like this, but I think most PB devs are interested in doing it the right way.

good point. if the PB could natively support mkv in OS2, that'd be sweet too.

[samab]

soooo since devcon has released a bunch of sdk, will VLC come to fruitation now??

VLC will NEVER show up on the Playbook app store --- for the same reason why Apple banned the VLC app on the ios app store --- VLC's open source licensing terms conflict with RIM's app store licensing terms.

[taylortbb]

good point. if the PB could natively support mkv in OS2, that'd be sweet too.

OS2 does have native MKV support, that's been covered elsewhere. It still lacks AC-3 and DTS codec support however, so many MKV files don't play.

VLC will NEVER show up on the Playbook app store --- for the same reason why Apple banned the VLC app on the ios app store --- VLC's open source licensing terms conflict with RIM's app store licensing terms.

Do you know what provisions of the AppWorld agreement prohibit this? I'm well aware of the incompatibility between GPL and the App Store, but I don't believe RIM imposes the same restrictions on AppWorld.

If it does conflict I don't believe it's intentional, as some of RIM's public Github repositories are GPL licensed.

[samab]

If it does conflict I don't believe it's intentional, as some of RIM's public Github repositories are GPL licensed.

That's like saying that Apple also forked the whole webkit thing with GPL --- and used it on the iphone/ipad... But it has NOTHING to do with whether the app store is compatible to these license.

[taylortbb]

That's like saying that Apple also forked the whole webkit thing with GPL --- and used it on the iphone/ipad... But it has NOTHING to do with whether the app store is compatible to these license.

RIM's Github repositories host apps, not parts of the system. Even WebWorks is implemented as an app. I was specifically thinking of OpenTTD, which is obviously not a part of the system.

[samab]

(1) RIM itself doesn't have to follow their app store's rules.
(2) RIM isn't trying to make money out of these things
(3) RIM is hosting a bunch of stuff for developers to learn how to port stuff.

What RIM does --- have nothing to do with you as a third party developer subject to RIM's app store license.

[taylortbb]

(1) RIM itself doesn't have to follow their app store's rules.

But they do have to follow the GPL, and that's the issue here. App World does not prohibit open source. The question is if RIM's license conflicts with the GPL, if it does it will conflict just as much with their own apps as with others' apps. Could they waive the EULA for derivatives of their open source apps? Possibly, but I have seen no indication they have done so.

(2) RIM isn't trying to make money out of these things

Irrelevant. The GPL doesn't prohibit charging for software.

(3) RIM is hosting a bunch of stuff for developers to learn how to port stuff.

What RIM does --- have nothing to do with you as a third party developer subject to RIM's app store license.

It doesn't automatically make able to do whatever they can do. But unless they waive the EULA (see point 1) then they're just as much bound by the GPL as I am, so it's useful to understand if they believe there are restrictions. Additionally, I was merely using it as guidance to suggest that any GPL conflicts are not intentional. Why would they release software that's an example if they would deny that example? Not a very good example if it's an invalid one. This suggests conflicts are unintentional (not non-existant).

[samab]

Like in Apple's case, there are also a bunch of people (some inside VLC's dev community) that thinks Apple's app store license doesn't conflict with VLC's open source license. But ultimately it is Apple's internal lawyers' call.

It has nothing to do with "intentional" or not. It's a business and legal matter --- especially RIM is trying to make white label app store available for car makers.

[taylortbb]

It has nothing to do with "intentional" or not. It's a business and legal matter --- especially RIM is trying to make white label app store available for car makers.

It has everything to do with intentional as I believe that if RIM found their own demos to be in conflict with the EULA they would change the EULA. RIM is in no position right now to alienate developers, and for the first time ever I believe they know that.

In any case, my original question was, what section of the App World EULA or Vendor Agreement do you believe conflicts with the GPL? Because you're the first person I've heard make this claim and in my reading of the Vendor Agreement I didn't find anything that appeared to conflict.

[samab]

As I said it before, other people have also claimed that Apple's app store is compatible to these licenses as well. But it is Apple's internal counsel that is killing these apps.

How is it that RIM is alienating developers? It is often the case like the VLC app ban in Apple's store --- that some guy who has no connection to the VLC project compiled it and tried to make some money. The guy has no connection to the open source community --- he was just trying to make a quick buck. That guy alienates the open source community, not Apple.

There are reasons why Apple and Google cull about 25-30% of their apps every year --- somebody complained.

[taylortbb]

As I said it before, other people have also claimed that Apple's app store is compatible to these licenses as well. But it is Apple's internal counsel that is killing these apps.

What does that have to do with anything? Are you saying you think RIM's lawyers would kill the apps too? If so then say it. Apple's internal legal opinion on their App Store has nothing to do with App World which has a completely separate set of policies. Nothing about App World inherently violates the GPL, if RIM's lawyers did have a problem with it they could change whatever it is that causes the conflict (i.e. EULA).

How is it that RIM is alienating developers? It is often the case like the VLC app ban in Apple's store --- that some guy who has no connection to the VLC project compiled it and tried to make some money. The guy has no connection to the open source community --- he was just trying to make a quick buck. That guy alienates the open source community, not Apple.

RIM has been talking about open source, they've promoted open source at Devcon, and they promote open source through Github. If they were to turn around and say "all those apps we put on Github were just to tease you, we would never actually approve them for App World" I'd say that alienates developers. I don't think RIM would do all that work of porting apps if they believed releasing those apps would violate the license.

I don't even know what point you're trying to make. "That some guy who has no connection to the VLC project compiled it and tried to make some money" is obviously false, the app was free.

There are reasons why Apple and Google cull about 25-30% of their apps every year --- somebody complained.

Again, what does that have to do with App World? They're independent stores with different policies. Just because Apple and Google legal believes their polices violate the GPL doesn't mean RIM legal believes that about App World.

In the specific case of Android Market the FSF's legal opinion is that the Market is compatible with the GPL. So I don't see how removing apps from the Android Market for reasons unrelated to the GPL has any bearing on App World.

You still haven't given any specific reason why you think App World is incompatible with the GPL. All you've said is that the App Store isn't compatible in the opinion of Apple's legal department. What Apple does has no bearing on what RIM does.

[renownedanonymous]

(Straying back on to the topic of this thread..)

As it's been about two months, does anyone have an update for a VLC player on the Playbook? I noticed some talk of Qt in the discussion above but I am not technical enough to know how short/long or easy/hard such work would be.

OR with the recent Handster app releases has anyone seen anything close to VLC in App World? I searched Handster's website and only found a VLC controller app but did run across some other "media player" apps.

[taylortbb]

As it's been about two months, does anyone have an update for a VLC player on the Playbook? I noticed some talk of Qt in the discussion above but I am not technical enough to know how short/long or easy/hard such work would be.

It's possible someone somewhere is working on it, but I've heard nothing about it in the PlayBook dev community. Nothing has changed with regards to the fact that there's still no deep integration into the hardware video acceleration on the PB. Devs can write apps that use it, but they end up with the same codec support as the native video player. There's no ability to just use part of it. Until that changes any VLC port would be awful for battery life and only capable of playing SD video, so I doubt a VLC port would do anything of things people want it to do.

[ghostworld]

I have VLC on my iPad and iPhone, but I don't think I'd need it on the playbook. I can already add all my video files and play them just fine.

[primusd]

Just a quick bump on this thread to see if anyone had heard any whisperings about VLC for PB -- seeing as VLC 2.0 just came out and PB 2.0 is about to come out... surely there must be some connection... right? right?

[jrmtz85]

Yes please! I want some VLC too!
Isn't eh NDK supposed to be out now, and that would allow VLC to access all hardware capabilities?

[greatwiseone]

Qt support is also being added into Tablet OS....and I understand VLC player's UI is written in Qt...

[xindy]

I think vlc would be great on playbook. And not only for video flac support would not be a bad thing either. Not to mention streaming , if not vlc I would be very happy with a program similar to vlc streamer that streams just over my network , not the internet. Orb works but definitely not well. I cannot do anything about my internet speed I have the fastest available in my area . Local streaming is the only answer.

[SCrid2000]

Wondering why this hasn't happened yet

[beman39]

Oh man that would be orgasmic (yup I said it and meant it) if VLC Player were to come to the PB!! And I Would totally pay to have that ability to play whatever I wanted on the PB....cmooooon VLC Player *fingers and toes crossed*

[Anonymous9286410]

... I Would totally pay to have that ability to play whatever I wanted on the PB

just for the sake of maybe 3gp, flv or mkv and avi or whatever?

doesn't make sense to me -
watching low res vids on a brilliant 7" PB screen is just weird and for the full high
res stuff your 32GB or even 64GB simply lacks space.
so, either re-sampling and downsizing or converting them into the PB format -
always external progs needed - no advantage gained whatsoever.

Damian