BBC launches iPlayer
The much awaited video downloaded service from BBC that uses a special iPlayer (works only on Windows XP) has arrived. The product is still in beta and will have limited availability at least in the early going.
The iPlayer will allow viewers to download from a menu of programs that aired on BBC channels over a 7-day period, and they will have the ability to watch them up to 30 days after the download. Another UK-based TV network, Channel 4 has a similar service, called 4OD. If you try iPlayer, let us know what you think.
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what does the letter “i” have to do with BBC or the player? doesn’t apple own that letter anyway?
Scott on July 27th, 2007 at 10:05 am - Permalink
The ‘i” stands for “I, the BBC license payer, paid for this, and now you’re telling me it only works on Windows?”
Not that I’ve had a TC license in years…
Mark Day on July 27th, 2007 at 11:46 am - Permalink
I totally agree with Mark - it’s a bit of a liberty to spend licence fee money on this, then restrict access to XP users only. Fair enough they say they’ll offer Mac support in future, but what about support for my iPod, my Sony Ericsson phone and my Apple TV?
And if they’re so keen on DRM to protect their content from being copied, why do they broadcast PDC signals with their content, effectively allowing perfect ‘rips’ of programmes to DVRs?
The rant continues…
http://www.grantgibson.co.uk/blog/index.php/2007/07/27/why-bbc-iplayer/
Grant Gibson on July 27th, 2007 at 12:13 pm - Permalink
I completely agree. This player has no future. It’s just evil. A huge wast of british tax payer money. As an american I’m confident it will just die and go away, but if I were a british citizen I’d be pissed. Hasn’t the BBC learned anything from dealing with Real? It’s unconsionable to reprive citizens who can’t afford or don’t have Win XP of public programming… a step backwards on the digital divide rather than a step forward.
Michael Meiser on July 28th, 2007 at 3:06 am - Permalink
[...] of video players. The BBC has launched their iPlayer, but it only works on Windows XP (WTF!). Says Om of iPlayer: The iPlayer will allow viewers to download from a menu of programs that aired on BBC channels over [...]
Another player begins, another has problems « Jason Rosenberg on July 28th, 2007 at 10:46 am - Permalink
oh boo hoo, to all the whiners above…bbc came out with something that is useful and wanted…and will be immediately usable by the majority of users out there (ie windows). they will then come out with a mac version.
when mac rules the roost (and it may very well some day), this will be flipped around, and you’ll be happy as clams
beng on August 13th, 2007 at 7:29 am - Permalink
bittorrent works much better to get BBC programs. its cross platform, international, and free. now if bbc.co.uk, became a big bittorrent tracker it would have been kick ass, AND been much more efficient for tax payer dollars
expattorrents on August 16th, 2007 at 10:04 pm - Permalink
Re beng: if you think this is merely whining about there not being a mac version you’re clueless. What about it being playable on linux. What about it being playable on my AppleTV, what about my iPod, what about my Zune, my Archos media player, my Tivo, my Akimbo set top box.
This format may one day come to the mac, probably in some crappy, buggy and primitive way as Microsoft is known to support the mac platform… but it will never play on the 99.99% of devices mentioned above, it will never play on ubuntu, debian, or any flavor of linux… or the vast majority of set top boxes and non-microsoft media players. Because it is fundamentally incompatible.
This format is defective by design as are all DRM by their very nature. It will never be supported on more than a few extremely simple platforms, Microsoft XP/Vista, Microsoft’s Zune, Microsoft’s Xbox… and maybe Microsoft will throw apple a bone and allow it to be played on the MacOS in some crappy form.
It’s the exact same story as Apple Playfair audio format and every DRM before it.
The only difference is now instead of the music industry enslaving itself to Apple’s proprietary DRM where music sold in the apple store doesn’t play on anything but the iPod… the BBC, is enslaving itself and the entire british population to microsoft’s whims.
It’s freaking evil.
Of course the flip side is this. People WILL crack it… and they will bring the content to bittorrent and other file sharing darknets / aka. black markets.
oh, and…
@expattorrents: I 100% agree.
Michael Meiser on August 17th, 2007 at 2:40 am - Permalink
[...] there are some Showtime shows on Vuze.com, but that’s about it. The UK obviously has the BBC with its iPlayer, but in the U.S. it actually looks like the industry is moving away from P2P solutions. AOL used to [...]
Legal P2P For Fall TV? Fat Chance. « NewTeeVee on September 18th, 2007 at 12:45 pm - Permalink
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