[Wylug-discuss] BBC and DRM

[Andy Macdonald]

Shaun,

Funny you should mention MS glasses to read books - they already exist - I quote a recent MSDN flash:

"Enter a fantastic new application, developed in partnership by the British Library <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6274503> and Armadillo Systems <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6274504>.
The British Library digitised the pages of 15 of their most valuable works and created "Turning the Pages", a browser-based WPF application that enables you to interact with these books in a virtual environment remotely. You can open a book on your desktop and by clicking on a page, turn it in a 3D environment. You can zoom or pan around each of the pages. (Some secret shortcuts: use the mouse wheel to zoom, shift+drag to rotate the book, ctrl+drag to pan around the scene. Use the settings dialogue to open more than one book simultaneously, and then right-click on the desktop to add new books. Be aware that adding multiple books starts to impose a considerable load on the graphics hardware, so you'll need plenty of video RAM if you want to use this feature.)

It's worth highlighting the unique value that the WPF platform brought to the table for the British Library. No other browser-based technology can support the complex 3D models and lighting that are required to produce the rich experience you see here. Direct3D itself would clearly provide the 3D power needed, but it's not easy to deploy and service an application like this. Thanks to the new HD Photo format 
<http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6274505> for digital images that was introduced with Windows Vista and supported by WPF, this application achieves unparalleled compression of high-quality images, which translates into smaller downloads. You'll see lots of little WPF tricks throughout the application, including the use of vector-based animated icons, glassy effects using alpha-channel transparency, and a templatised ListBox for the menu.

You can run the application directly by going to this page <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6274506>. Find out more about the application at this site <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6274507> that describes the project in more detail. Try it out <http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6274508>. You'll enjoy it! (Make sure you have .NET Framework 3.0 or Windows Vista installed on your machine, of course, the application also benefits from a DirectX 9-class graphics card.)"

..!

On Mon, 26 Feb, shaun laughey wrote:
> On Sunday 25 February 2007 23:14:45 Rob Hall wrote:
> > Hello folks,
> >
> > There is an e-petition to get the government interested in the recent
> > proposal from the BBC to use Microsoft DRM :-
> >
> > http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/iplayer/
> >
> > Apologies for the cross-posting but this is fairly important (IMHO!!)
> >
> > Rob Hall
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Wylug-discuss mailing list
> > Wylug-discuss at wylug.org.uk
> > https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/wylug-discuss
> 
> I just realised I've not watched TV in nearly a 6 months so I don't know if I 
> should be petitioning for relevant content instead of against DRM. After all 
> if it's encrypted tat it's still tat.
> 
> Now if they DRM books in some way and force me to wear Microstuff Glasses XP 
> to read a book....
> 
> By the way anyone see the petition about making Vista cheaper - now that was a 
> quick double take moment. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/VistaOvercharge/
> 
> I created one to ask the law be changed to stop OEM licencing in order to 
> increase the price of Vista. Hopefully that one will appear in the next few 
> days - when it does I'll send a link.
> 
> Shaun Laughey,
> TV Free Code Warrior.
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Andy Macdonald
Network Manager, Greenhead College
Huddersfield, HD1 4ES, England.
01484 422032