14 DAY TRIAL // Started as a Kickstarter project promising an alternative to Google’s Chromecast, the Firefox OS-powered Matchstick wanted to be an open source alternative to the Mountain View tech giant’s domination of TV streaming devices.
After a limited support was shown on the crowdfunding platform, the Matchstick was sent out first in small numbers as development kits for developers and the first working prototypes were shown in public earlier this year.
However, the team didn't meet the February 2015 shipping date, and in order to avoid a massive backlash from backers, the guys behind the TV streaming stick decided to refund supporters of the campaign.
According to Liliputing, the Matchstick developers ran into serious DRM issues, as the device was supposed to transmit DRM-free videos from your phone to your TV over a local network. Unfortunately, content that comes from TV sites like Netflix does require DRM, so the Matchstick developers decided to postpone the launch to earlier this year.
A delay turned into a cancelled project
Using this delay, the developers also promised to create an even more powerful model, with more powerful hardware and improved software, without charging the original Kickstarter backers a dime. After the delay went on for another half a year, the DRM issue still remained, so the developers finally gave in and decided to refund the backers their money instead of postponing the product’s launch indefinitely.
The team behind this project and people who actually got the device as developer kits probably won't be getting their money back.
This way, another project gets cancelled after getting stuck in the quagmire of early development cycle, since early pre-launch issues are not limited to only technological ones, but all sorts of rights must be secured to provide entirely legal services and entertainment.
Although it was launched as an extremely promising device, guaranteeing less cost in production, smaller installs, more personalized apps that did not need app approval or oversight, together with an open app ecosystem where app developers drive the economy, it's the very restrictive nature of corporate digital rights management that blocks any sort of "illegal" media streaming.