"No Plans" for Blackmagic Intensity Linux Drivers - **UPDATED**

**UPDATE**

Blackmagic has announced linux support starting in June 2009

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/press/detail.asp?pressID=162

**********




Well... unfortunately, it appears Linux drivers for the Blackmagic Intensity HDMI capture card are not going to happen anytime in the near future. I've attached a recent email exchange with the Director of Support from Blackmagic in which he indicates that they "have no plans" for a Linux driver until such time as a "standardized interface becomes available or there is significant market demand".

He did note that

One thing that would help this sort of development would be if the Linux community came up with a standardized interface for hardware interfacing (such as DirectShow and Quicktime ) as this is how we integrate our cards into the currently supported OS's.

Well isn't that nice. Let me get this straight... Blackmagic will support Linux if the Linux community completely changes their hardware interfaces to match Blackmagic's OS integration methods. Since when do hardware companies dictate demands to their customers? Yeesh!

I mean, fair enough... Linux hardware integration has been/is a bit of a moving target; however, there are enough Linux supported capture cards out there to question how much effort it would really take to create even a basic driver. The good news is the Linux Foundation is working in this direction.

Another peeve of mine is his response to my point about the Linux Driver Project. For those unaware, the Linux Driver Project is a bunch of kernel developers that have offered to build/maintain drivers for FREE - even under NDA - as long as they have access to the device specs and support from the manufacturers. However, Blackmagic states "we are very controlling over the perception of our product. Things are very black and white. We would rather not have support for an OS, then have partial support that relies on an outside source for development." While I obviously totally agree that Blackmagic has the right to choose whether they support an OS and how they support their products - and I agree that public perception is extremely important, I completely disagree that it is optically better to not support the Linux community at all rather than have extremely qualified third party support.

I mean, the latest OS Statistics show Linux as having a 3.4% share - just slightly less than Mac's at 4%. Why no love?

Anyway, here's the entire exchange (its been mixed up a bit in the exchange but if you follow the arrows you should be able to follow the conversation):

Todd,

Yes, we have indeed heard of this project. Unfortunately the answer
remains the same. We do not want to open the driver core at this time.
Also we are very controlling over the perception of our product.

Things are very black and white. We would rather not have support for an
OS, then have partial support that relies on an outside source for
development.

Again, if ever such a time as a standardized interface becomes available or
there is significant market demand, then we will happily embrace this
endeavor. Until then, we have no plans.

Joshua Helling
Director of Support
Blackmagic Design Inc.
www.blackmagic-design.com

On 6/14/07 2:39 PM, "Todd Zimmerman" wrote:

> > Tech Support wrote:
>> >> Todd,
>> >>
>> >> The request has been noted. However it is not on the table for development
>> >> at this time. The market is not broad enough to absorb the cost of
>> >> development. One thing that would help this sort of development would be if
>> >> the Linux community came up with a standardized interface for hardware
>> >> interfacing (such as DirectShow and Quicktime ) as this is how we
>> >> integrate our cards into the currently supported OS's.
>> >>
>> >> Joshua Helling
>> >> Director of Support
>> >> Blackmagic Design Inc.
>> >> www.blackmagic-design.com
>> >>
>> >>
> >
> > Thanks for the reply, Joshua. There is a way to get your drivers built for
> > you for free... have you
> > heard about the Linux Driver Project?
> > (http://linuxdriverproject.org/twiki/bin/view) It is a group
> > of Kernel developers that will build your driver for you (even under NDA) and
> > maintain it, as long
> > as they have the company support and access to the device specs.
> >
> > That would seem to be a no-cost way for your company to get linux support.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Todd
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On 6/13/07 11:14 AM, "toddz@sfu.ca" wrote:
>> >>
>>> >>> Name: Todd Zimmerman
>>> >>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> >>> Product: Intensity
>>> >>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> >>> Driver Version:
>>> >>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> >>> OS: Other
>>> >>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> >>> OS Version: Fedora 7
>>> >>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>> >>> Message:
>>> >>> Just wanted to put in a note requesting Linux support for this excellent
>>> >>> capture card. We are doing real time HD conferencing and require low
>>> >>> latency
>>> >>> HD capture - which your card delivers; however, we need to be able to offer
>>> >>> Linux capture also...
>>> >>>
>>> >>> I personally know of multiple research groups globally that are currently
>>> >>> working in the same domain as us and are also utilizing your card - and also
>>> >>> require Linux support for these devices.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> What is the status of Linux support for this capture card??
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Thanks,
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Todd
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
> >