[Gloucs] Only 400-600 Linux users of bbc.co.uk website?

[Andrew Oakley]

Paul Broadhead wrote:
> For a massive piece of back peddling by the BBC have a look at these:
...
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2007/11/open_standards.html

That last link is hilarious.

He quotes Sky as an example of the BBC already participating in 
proprietory lock-in.

Except... the BBC does NOT distribute content via Sky. It distributes 
content via the Astra 28 East satellite system. You do not need a Sky 
subscription to watch BBC1,2,3,4, News 24, CBBC, CBeebies or BBC 
Parliament using digital satellite.

The reason it works with Sky and with other digital satellite systems is 
(wait for it...) the BBC uses an open standard (DVB-S) and refuses to 
use digital rights management (DRM). The BBC isn't tied to one digital 
satellite provider!

You can buy ANY DVB-S decoder and dish (eg. Maplin or Aldi, from 50 
quid) and receive all BBC channels - just mount the dish somewhere in 
the UK, point it at 28 degrees east and scan for transponders!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3142005.stm

Strangely this is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the BBC's attitude to 
Microsoft's iPlayer...

-- 
Andrew Oakley