The wording of the answer implies that you can only use wmv for streaming purpose. This is clearly an answer to a different question. Support for other platform is possible using a more open streaming solution. This is not only desirable but clearly in the democratic interest.
Goverments should avoid forcing their citizens to purchase any private OS / Software ans should instead create a move to provide their media more accessible in an open source/fee format.
"We cannot support Linux in a legal way." Please explain why this is not possible. Be more verbose in your FAQ. The people will not accept a simple no. We are not small children, and we don't want to be treated this way. So please explain, why it is not legally possible to support Linux.
EU why is Windows N being released for you?
You don't trust it, you dont want your council meetings to be sent to Microsoft?
It's really the same thing, it's same very WMP after you download it ...
This is not ironic, this is absurd.
Its totally idiotic to only support a closed format. Its also agains all fair trading rules. I am really angry about this...
A gouvermenthas to be open for every single member - not only those that can pay a expensive software licence!!!
Linux is a fast becoming widely used as a desktop o/s. Yet you want to broadcast meetings in possibly one of the most incompatible of the closed source formats.
What a ridiculous cop-out, I absolutely refuse to believe that you are legally obligated to use a proprietary codec for your video stream.
If it is true then you should not even be allowed to manage your own IT licensing, never mind even a tiny part of Europe.
Microsoft has a long history of not living up to it's legal obligations. Can you trust them to support these file formats in the future? Too many WMV files do not play anymore because of the latest "necessary" update from MS. Open standards are necessary to prevent the few from controlling the many.
In what way is supporting Linux illegal? The Council's statement makes no sense. There are many streaming video solutions supported on Linux: one need not restrict oneself to the WMV format.
giving up free software is just another step into slavery. software used to be free but has lost that valuable property over the years, thanks to big companies likes microsoft. probably the larger part of our politicans is controlled by those companies, and so it comes naturally that they do not care about people.
I thought the european union was much more liberal and more open minded than the united states' mentality. Do not make me think differently, since little details can make big differences!
Do not dissapoint us, please.
How ironic. The EU has demanded that Microsoft made a Windows version which leave out windows mediaplayer, and yet to view the streaming service, you need it.
If the council cannot legally support an open, unencumbered product like Linux, there is something seriously wrong either in the council, or in the law. Fix this, please.
I do hope they reconsider using theora/vorbis in the video capture/streaming hardware, along with encoding other media formats with software because theora/vorbis does merit attention.
The tools relevant to theora are "annodex", "dvdrip", "transcode" and "ffmpeg2theora" and "encoder_example".
dvdrip to xvid with keyframe interval 25 and use PSU core. Then for high quality high-bandwidth streams ffmpeg2theora -p pro -v 6.0 -a 6.0 rippedxvid.avi euStream.ogg. For small bandwidth low-quality streams
ffmpeg2theora -p preview -v 3.0 -a 3.0 rippedxvid.avi euStream.ogg.
From what I understand, given sufficient CPU computing speed you might be able to ffmpeg2theora currentEu.wmv currentEu.theora.
The ffmpeg2theora also give clear examples for streaming the ogg file to the net once encoded. There also exists documentation for capture live video and encoding on the fly and streaming on the fly. The only uncertainty is subtitling because there are so many choices available out there. .srt is a good choice considering it is non-intrusive to the original stream. annodex and .mkv embed the subtitles into the video format. I am not expert enough to say which is better, but I am versed enough to say the OSS alternatives away from .wmv exist and provide respectable performance.
I don't know what legal/political obstacles are, but technically there are no obstacles to using theora/vorbis streams instead of wmv. It just works on Linux x86 and Windows x86 computers using vlc(OSS media player), xine and mplayer.
IMHO the EU could customize the Neuros device that captures everything in MP4 format. Instead this device could be customized to capture everything in theora/vorbis format.
Keeping the EU streams OSS results in
under-the-hood transparency for easier public scrutiny.
Most importantly it also results in vendor-lock-in-prevention .
Besides it is TAX-PAYER
i'm dumb as hell, so i'll quote this other guy...
By denying political access to those who supportthe open source movement, not only are youencouraging proprietary, closed standards, but youare also discouraging innovation and casting shameupon the very ideal of democracy that yousupposedly stand for.
By denying political access to those who support the open source movement, not only are you encouraging proprietary, closed standards, but you are also discouraging innovation and casting shame upon the very ideal of democracy that you supposedly stand for.
Open document formats should be supported by government agencies for exactly this reason. It doesn't matter if it's Linux or FooOS... You don't have to "support" Linux... just stop restricting your users to the other platforms. Use Open Standards.
It is tragic when an officiating body allows themselves, their work, their record, and their legacy to be in the hands of one corporation at the expense of the constituents who pay for the service, and for whom these services are provided. On the whim of a corporation an ocean away, the entire video record could be rendered unviewable forever more. What a shoddy choice to make.
The file format has nothing to do with and does not require the EU Council support a specific Operating System, instead there is no reason that I see to only offer streams in the WMV format when there are many other options.
Mr EU,some of us like freedom,we DO NOT sacrifice it so easily ,we WILL determine what we have,so you keep your winblows and viruses,and we'll teach are kids to use pc's.
there are much better formats than wmv such as Theora or XviD which can be used to bring better quality to the stream and to allow Linux users to view the videos.
It is obvious for any professional in the field, the technical reasons listed in the FAQ are simply not true. If the IT staff of the EU Council believes in their own FAQ, then they should be sent to some entry level system administration course. Alternatively, the real reason is not technical but political.
Though not living in the EU, it is important that the EU endorses choice in its IT dealings. Every day that Microsoft products are allowed to continue to dominate the EU in terms of what citizens of the EU can and can not use, continues to limit choice, and is only bad for the wider community.
To use a closed source format is wrong, because it gives one company the right to do as it pleases, without the drive or competition to provide a good solution to all possible users. By opening the formats anyone can try to improve the work in progress, without this the whole society will begome stagnant. Patents, just as copyrights, are for a limited period valid, or they should be.
We are now giants, because we can stand on the shoulders of our parents, we can enhance, do things better, faster, more reliable then 100 years ago.
A stagnant, complacent society will crumble down, as we have seen inn the history of mankind.
There is no plausible valid argument against supporting an open standard. It is particularly reprehensible and hypocritical for the EU to further entrench Windows as a de facto standard by monopoly.
Today the World needs more open standards. Disallowing access to video streams for those of us that prefer not to participate in proprietary standards and those that can not afford to pay for software is an injustice and in direct conflict with EU standards.
Democratic forms of government should be platform - neutral. Support transparent, open standards, and openly available source-code software products and services.
WMV is not even supported for Macintosh out-of-the-box, requiring the installation of a separate codec from a third party. Open standards would be far better for the viewing community, including Windows users, many of whom are trapped in an inferior enviroment subject to many hazzards.
