[SWLUG] BBC's "iPlayer"

[Vladimir Zlatanov]

>
> I suspect they've picked the choice of technology here simply to use
> a proven technology - it's the same one that Channel 4 have used for
> their 4oD service, after all. (Both being, of course, publically
> owned channels, with largely similar remits, albeit with different
> funding models).

Well, that is probably true, but the choice of this particular set of
technologies has policy, business and political undercurrents.

"With DRM" the main reasons are:
* not to undermine CD/DVD/... sales
* not to loose the global market
It is disputable that there are actually valid business wise, meaning that
their sales would drop if there isn't DRM, but that is a gray area.
Essentially the same set of aguments reiterated around the iTunes service.
The cruicial difference is that the beeb largely owns the content and they
could make a stand. Unfortunately they are not.

Politically they are required to make efficient use of public money. With
DRM looks like good protection.

They are still trying to find a successful policty of how to reach the
outside world - channels like BBC World, content sales to other networks,
cooperation with HBO are examples of such attempts.

BBC is one of the major content providers for learning English worldwide -
they have series of textbooks and bundled multimedia reusing BBC other
content.

For the beeb it looks scary to loose those markets or to drop the revenue
coming from them. What is still largely speculative is what is actually
their size compared to the money coming from public funding. What is the
potential size? Could the beeb be actually aggressive, so that their content
becomes dominant, even though it might be redistributed over p2p, thus loss
of some revenue. And let's not forget - all own bbc content is already paid
for by the license fees. All extra income is just that - extra income. At
least currently this is the case.

What it boils down to is is there a public consent for DRM? at large nobody
really cares
Is there a need for cross platform support for iPlayer? most people don't
care, but...
how does that relate to providing equal and fair access? It doesn't do
anything like that, so you might be able to get a part of your license fee,
if you are willing to go through the courts. Needs to be tested. The
accessibility act can have some strange consequences.
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