linuxaudio.org

> It says it "employs a Linux-based operating system", I

quoted text
> wonder if that means the code itself will be made available

> somewhere.

It's probably an embedded variant with a lot of non-GPL'd software.

But you'd expect that they must have made some changes to GPL'd code,

in which case they should offer source code to anyone who buys the

unit - since no-one else will have the binaries. I often get the

impression that some embedded system vendors are testing the limits

of the GPL though... 
> The $4K pricetag is a bit high
I think that depends on the quality of the unit; I expect pro quality

video equipment usually costs that much. Of course because we know

it's really a Linux box, it looks expensive to us - but then Pioneer

have done all the R&D and put together a complete system which they

will support. On that basis, it could be a bargain for a busy video

production firm. 
> In the studio I work in, we do DVD-A authoring under another OS

quoted text
> with a standard 0 4x Pioneer DVD-R/RW and have done up to 8

> channels of 24/96 using something called Meridian Lossless Packing

> (http://www.ambisonic.net/mlp.html).  

As much as I respect Meridian for their audio work, MLP is a real

problem for free software. It's totally proprietary and it needs

support in hardware players. So if it becomes the standard for

digital audio, you might not be able to make finished musical

projects on a free software system.
Cheers
Daniel