3 ms·

Hadn’t seen this before.. and this license key operates at the hardware level, not the OS level? One can’t expect mpeg hw decide to function with arch or nix i

Hadn’t seen this before.. and this license key operates at the hardware level, not the OS level? One can’t expect mpeg hw decide to function with arch or nix installed on a raspberry pi instead?

pjc50 5y ago
Hardware level. It's a compromise imposed on the chip builders because the MPEG decoder or part thereof that they're using is subject to patent licensing. So in order to not pay the patent license, it's shipped locked-out. When you pay them a chunk goes back to the licensor (presumably MPEG-LA).
- colejohnson66 5y ago
  Although the later models have fast enough CPUs to not need the hardware decoding
- ksec 5y ago
  >(presumably MPEG-LA). MPEG 2 has been patent free since 2018 in US and 2020 worldwide. Along with AAC-LC. They are charging for license key for the usage of that specific decoder block only. i.e The IP of the actual HW decoder, not the codec itself. MPEG 2 and VC1 is so low in complexity you are software decode it with minimal CPU resource on RPi 4.
  - duskwuff 5y ago
    > MPEG 2 has been patent free since 2018 in US and 2020 worldwide. The patents were still active, and the technology was still useful, when the Pi Foundation started selling the license keys in 2012. Nowadays... yeah, they're irrelevant.
- userbinator 5y ago
  ...and it's already been cracked.