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The BBC's FREE ondemand service.Windows Only?
Lave
regular
regular
What what!
Listen up Yanks, this isn't for you. This is about our Auntie.
You may have read on the grown up news that the BBC wants to offer it's shows to download for free. To uk license holders.
Yeay!
But a stupid indepent "BBC Trust" that doesn't understand the internets complex tube structure have decided that the system needs more limiting DRM, and seems to believe that access is only needed for people running windows (monopoly access, what what).
But what if you want to watch Charlie Brooker on your hip MacBook, or Dr Who on your modded Tardis styled Linux Desktop?
What if you think that as your license fee paid for the fucking show so you should get unlimited access to the fucking show?
Well The BBC Trust is asking people what they think about DRM and if Linux/Mac support is nessecery in a quick 5minute survey located here:
If you want to watch shows on your Mac/Linux machine and/or don't want DRM do this offical survey!
Not a very interesting Thread I admit. But a really big deal for the few of us who don't use Windows.
Also - it's great thread to be British, What, what. Monocles, Pip Pip etc.
Listen up Yanks, this isn't for you. This is about our Auntie.
You may have read on the grown up news that the BBC wants to offer it's shows to download for free. To uk license holders.
Yeay!
But a stupid indepent "BBC Trust" that doesn't understand the internets complex tube structure have decided that the system needs more limiting DRM, and seems to believe that access is only needed for people running windows (monopoly access, what what).
But what if you want to watch Charlie Brooker on your hip MacBook, or Dr Who on your modded Tardis styled Linux Desktop?
What if you think that as your license fee paid for the fucking show so you should get unlimited access to the fucking show?
Well The BBC Trust is asking people what they think about DRM and if Linux/Mac support is nessecery in a quick 5minute survey located here:
If you want to watch shows on your Mac/Linux machine and/or don't want DRM do this offical survey!
Not a very interesting Thread I admit. But a really big deal for the few of us who don't use Windows.
Also - it's great thread to be British, What, what. Monocles, Pip Pip etc.
Lave on
0
Posts
The bbc wants to let me download the new dr who with no strings attached?
The BBC wants to let you download shows for free. The BBC Trust wants to take these free downloads and put DRM on them, with stupid restrictions (files auto-delete after 30 days, can only run on Windows, etc. etc.) for no good Goddamn reason, since the downloads are free in the first place.
Why isn't that okay? Their dvd sales would be shot to hell if you could just download programmes and keep them forever.
I call on you Penny-Arcade - you're my only hope!
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
Because I paid for the show to be made in the first place. The BBC isn't profit motivated. It's a public insitution.
Buy paying for the license fee - I paid for the shows creation. The BBC is funded through that £120 each home pays. The commerical arm that sells DVDs, whilst a bonus, is not to be depended on for revenue. As this is public content it should be publicly available. They can make extra money selling it to the Yanks and so on.
And besides the DVDs sales wouldn't be hurt that bad. People like collections, extra content etc.
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
Now if the bastards only put out the remaining Red Dwarf seasons on Just The Shows I'd be all set.
The argument kinda goes that the BBC is a publicly funded not for profit entity. British TV license holders fund it, and in return the BBC offers services for the benefit of the public. Essentially, buying stuff on DVD is paying for something you've already paid for.
There was something similar with BBC offering HD. If it's seen as anti-competative, they could be blocked from offering shows in HD which is utterly retarded.
Seriously, I've just started getting 'in' to Doctor Who. And it has been a serious pain in the backside trying to find episodes of the new one. Now I can get them for free? That is fantastic. Also, I'm sure there's other good stuff on there but, considering I don't have any way of watching it, I have had no way of knowing.
... Woo! BBC Rocks!
Though I do remember talk about offering the service at a cost abroad - though that wouldn't happen (if it ever did) for a long while.
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
What's the point of putting DRM on public television?
None, really.
Sounds like some guy in BBC Trust said "DRM sounds cool, let's add some!"
Wait... Are you saying that I don't get any of this unless I'm British or a British citizen?
God damnit, BBC, you dangled a dream out before me, only to snatch it away before I could grab hold and sink my teeth. You tease, BBC. You tease.
Edit: I probably should have taken a closer look at the OP. Apologies. But still, why BBC? Why?!
Yeah, I really enjoyed it, and the second it gets release stateside on HDDVD (and if that doesn't happen, it'd be a crime), I'll be grabbing an HDDVD player.
I totally third that. I kinda got the downloaded version but even with the compression, it's absolutely stunning. I really really want to see the full 1080p experience.
He told me that the biggest problem they are running into is the commerical music they licensed for the shows has a contract that prehibits this kind of distribution. This is one of the justifications for DRM but It should be less of an issue for new content however.
We really need to make it clear how much the public demands DRM free access to the material they paid for! Do the survey! I implore you!
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
Yes yes yes.
Were are a more civilised land that produces quality content that has no adverts, is free from commerical viabilty constraints (which is why it could spend 10 odd years making planet earth) and will soon give away it's product free over the internet.
At least you yanks have infomericals.
By Golly, it good to be a Brit!
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
I want your channels and your radio, damnit! Why can't you Brits share?
And besides, what's so great about infomercials?
Sarcasm my boy. Another fine institution.
But seriously, don't you get BBC America?
Also you can listen again to our radio from the BBC website. Can you use that? I know I've used it in Spain to listen to Dr Who and a bunch of comedy on BBC 7. Lee and Herring etc.
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
this reminds me of all the City commissioned Artworks (statues) that comes with a photography restrictions. The public paid for it, they have every right to take pictures of it.
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
Nope. Don't get it in the basic cable package. But yes, I have been tuning in through the intarnets to BBC 7 to listen to Doctor Who. Still, I suppose I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. Either way I'd be using the computer to get the episodes.
[spoiler:5c5adc4564]Paul McGann rocks[/spoiler:5c5adc4564]
The point is, and admittedly this might seem confusing. But the BBC isn't allowed to negatively affect commercial services unless it's significantly in the public interest. So with DRM they're preventing users from just stockpiling shows which might mean they would never watch other commercial channels. It would also negatively impact DVD sales.
Any show on BBC wouldn't be on another channel for a start. Plus, like someone already said, DVD sales are you paying for something you've already paid for. At the maximum its a big bonus to a company that squanders our money on whatever the hell it wants and STILL makes a fortune in profit on top of license fees.
I see your point but I'm with Scootch. It would only hurt the BBCs DVD sales. Which are selling me what I've already paid for anyway. And it wouldn't hurt the other channels at all.
For example BBC 3 schedule is composed of 90% British produced material. No other channel does that. Let alone on one of their minor digital channels. Even channel 4 which gets a share of public funding, has fuck all British content these days. If you go to Europe and watch their television - everythings American - teven though it has to be dubbed.
The BBC is crucial in giving the UK it's own identity. And it needs to do this to stay relavent.
People will still want to watch the other channels. People will watch Big Brother, CSI, 24, D.Housewives and so on as much as before.
It's just fear of the future that makes people think this will kill the other channels.
The fact is they are already dead. The future of television is over the internet. The comerical channels need to adapt to that. Offer their shows for download with adverts for free. Or sans adverts for a small cost. They can use DRM.
The BBC shouldn't be constrained to their flaws. It also needs to do this to justify the license fee in twenty years where the concept of "television" is changed completely.
I really believe this is a crucial moment where the future of the BBC is decided. So the more of you who fill in the survey saying, multi-platform support, no DRM and Creative Commons licenseing the better.
(Also mention the new law that will allow format shifting. Say that this should apply to the downloads too.)
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
Actually, BBC buys in a lot of content - but I think they're probably just talking about BBC-commissioned stuff here, so you're right about lack of conflict.
Also, http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/newsquiz.shtml
According to wiki it was 4 years, which is about right for a big Attenborough series.
And 24 again.
Seriously, its like someone at Television Centre said 'you know what guys, lets just become awesome overnight'.
I apologise for my hyperbole - but I stand by my assertation that only the Beeb could have ever made Planet Earth. No one else would have ever chucked that much money, time and love at ten or so hours of programming.
Every nation should have a Beeb-a-like. The license fee rules.
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
I think the BBC not being able to give it's series away for free is because of them not allowed to be seen as anti-competative in the commercial area. e.g. If the BBC offered free DVDs of it's period dramas, that would heavily reduce sales of the iTV/Channel4/Sky produced costume dramas. So they can't. It's the same with this, if the BBC offered no strings attatched downloads, it would heavily undermine both DVD sales and other channels own On-Demand services.
Seriously.
Just look at other channels, like ITV and how utterly amateurish they look in comparison with the BBC.
Except maybe Channel 4, that, with e4 and more4 are actually a great trifecta of more adult programming (not 'adult', just mature and intellectual shows and comedies)
The best present I got for christmas was Planet Earth on DVD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67XVAT_QAOM
:shock:
It was actually a joint venture with "Discovery Channel and NHK in association with the CBC". So it's not like other channels aren't willing to help fund these kind of programs, I'm sure they realise the commercial aspects of this series is actually really high. (Seriously I will buy whatever HD format + drive this thing comes out on, it's incredible).
It's funny that the only channels you single out are Channel 4's. Which is the only other channel that recieves a small percent of the license fee (or goverment funding, I forget) in exchange for a certain percentage of British made programming.
Unfortuantly this is why it streams big brother 24-7 to fill that quota - but it's still years ahead of the competition.
Also ITV will be dead in a decade. It hasn't a clue anymore.
ALSO ALSO: HEROS! FUCK YEAH!
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!
beeb is the greatest.
I love bbc docs.
we have pbs, very similar, but done through donations and sponsorship, so it does have some limitations that comes with aquiring and pleasing sponsors....
PSN: super_emu
Xbox360 Gamertag: Emuchop
Yeah, but that was more to do with them obtaining distribution rights rather than them making it. I honestly believe they don't have the talent to do that. In the same way that Sky one can't claim it made the fucking awesome Battlestar Galactica just because it paid for some of the sets in the first season in order to get broadcast rights. But it's still at the end of every episode.
This also brings up why I think the free download scheme is fine. The BBC can make plently selling it's product abroad - but it should be nice to it's members here.
Basically: The Beeb can treat America how Nintendo treats Europe. You'll be screwed - but you'll still love them.
Scholar and a Gentleman? Critical of bad science and religion? Skeptobot - Is for you!!