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BBC On Demand: Mac Users, IMPORTANT!!

joshysquashy said:
Sounds like propaganda if you think you are watching a show but actually it is sell sell sell! i dont like that, i like to have control over what i buy, not someone hypnotising me with hidden advertising!!!

theyr not gaps, just a fade to black, then back again, its obvious it was an advert break they missed!
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I didn't mean a propaganda-type show; I meant a show which is sponsored by a company to fill in that small gap, say a 5 minute cooking show sponsored by a food products company where they mention the company and then get to the show part, where they use ingredients from the company to help make the food.
 
BBC's plans to deny Mac users access to their on-demand services

As mentioned in the news and this thread, the BBC's plans for on-demand television over the internet have been successful.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6316857.stm

However, it's not all that wonderful.

As it stands, the iPlayer services will only work on Microsoft Windows XP and Vista, with Windows Media Player 10.

The BBC's defence is the normal bollocks an IT technician will tell you:
"Windows Media Player 10 software operates on PCs running the Widows XP operating system but is not compatible with some other PC operating systems such as Apple’s Mac OS X. The BBC has informed us that its choice of Windows Media 10 was driven by cost and operational issues and may be revised in the future. The BBC’s current Radio Player allows end users the choice of using either Windows Media Player or Real Player. Real Player is supported on the Mac OS X and that the BBC could extend the reach of the catch up TV service if it were to support the Real player in addition to Microsoft."
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You can make your voice heard here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/consult/open-consultations/ondemand_services.html
Pay particular attention to the question. "How important is it that the proposed seven-day catch-up service over the internet is available to consumers who are not using Microsoft software?"
 
Said my piece in the other thread, although I'll add that if Apple had licensed Fairplay, you would probably now find that the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel4 content would be downloadable and playable on Macs. You can accuse the BBC of neglecting Mac users, but in reality it's Apple doing the neglecting.

Way to go Apple!! You just handed game, set and match to Microsoft!!
 
dynamicv said:
Said my piece in the other thread, although I'll add that if Apple had licensed Fairplay, you would probably now find that the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel4 content would be downloadable and playable on Macs. You can accuse the BBC of neglecting Mac users, but in reality it's Apple doing the neglecting.

Way to go Apple!! You just handed game, set and match to Microsoft!!
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I think it (Apple licensing Fairplay) will happen eventually, though the BBC deal is gone. It parallels what happened with Quicktime, which Apple originally opted to keep Mac-only; but it has flourished as a standard since it was opened up onto Windows.
 
whooleytoo said:
I think it (Apple licensing Fairplay) will happen eventually, though the BBC deal is gone. It parallels what happened with Quicktime, which Apple originally opted to keep Mac-only; but it has flourished as a standard since it was opened up onto Windows.
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The trouble is, all the deals for UK broadcasters are now gone. UK Mac users therefore are locked out of all services because Apple couldn't get its head out of its backside long enough to look beyond US borders. Every single entity I've contacted about this, from the Football League to ITV give the same reason why they've gone with Windows. They want to protect their content, but Apple won't allow them to use Fairplay. It implies that they've asked Apple first, then gone with Microsoft because Apple have turned them down. And you can safely bet this is being repeated across the world.

I really love OSX, but I'm getting to the point where I'm not sure I want to be locked out of so many services by Apple's inaction. This entire market was theirs for the taking, and if they honestly think ignoring the need isn't going to effect both Mac and iPod sales in the future they're deluding themselves.
 
Sadly I can see people switching back to Windows or choosing a Windows PC over Mac because of this.
 
MacSA said:
Sadly I can see people switching back to Windows or choosing a Windows PC over Mac because of this.
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Or indeed stop many potential switchers, switching.

Mac run Microsoft Office? Sure! Macs don't get viruses? Nope! Macs make great videos, fun songs and organise your photos effortlessly? Yeah! Macs watch BBC programmes? Nope.

And then off they go to buy a Dell.
 
dynamicv said:
Yep, in current events. Don't worry, a mod will be along with a merge sometime soon :)
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Well, not necessarily, especially if you don't report the thread (
report.gif
) or at least provide a link here... or even better: report the thread/post with a link to the other thread... that helps... ;)
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
Well, not necessarily, especially if you don't report the thread (
report.gif
) or at least provide a link here... or even better: report the thread/post with a link to the other thread... that helps... ;)
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Slapdown noted. I'll be more helpful next time ;)
 
EyeTV.

To hell with them anyways. Though IMO they're the only decent TV channel actually making good programs these days (Spooks, Life on Mars, Doctor Who, Robin Hood etc).

I'll have to drop a subtle hint to this situation in the show I'm co-writing for them :cool:
 
Oh well there's always UKNova or other bit torrent sites. If you've ever used DRM Videos on windows media player you will know its a complete ball-ache anyway.

Sod them - stinks that your licence money effectively goes to promoting Windows OS though.
 
The BBC Trust looks as though it will require the Executive to adopt a "platform agnostic" approach which means they will have to work out a solution to allow Mac and Linux users to access the service in a reasonable time frame (the document suggests 24 months max).
 
Loge said:
The BBC Trust looks as though it will require the Executive to adopt a "platform agnostic" approach which means they will have to work out a solution to allow Mac and Linux users to access the service in a reasonable time frame (the document suggests 24 months max).
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You see, that's another thing that gets me about the Microsoft decision. The BBC are going to have to waste time running two parallel systems, one for WMP, the other for Real. With RealPlayer being available for Windows anyway, why not do the entire iPlayer on Real's Helix DRM, have only one system to maintain, and open it to just about everyone from the beginning?
 
dynamicv said:
I really love OSX, but I'm getting to the point where I'm not sure I want to be locked out of so many services by Apple's inaction. This entire market was theirs for the taking, and if they honestly think ignoring the need isn't going to effect both Mac and iPod sales in the future they're deluding themselves.
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I don't think inaction is the word - it more or less implies passiveness, when in truth Apple is actively ensuring Fairplay's exclusivity. Look at their actions to break Harmony, and PlayFair, and indeed the fact that they developed a proprietary DRM standard in the first place, rather than attempt to form a standard.
 
I have sent in my comments. I told them that Mac's were t3h suxxor and shouldn't be supported at any cost ;)
 
After G said:
I didn't mean a propaganda-type show; I meant a show which is sponsored by a company to fill in that small gap, say a 5 minute cooking show sponsored by a food products company where they mention the company and then get to the show part, where they use ingredients from the company to help make the food.
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INFOMERCIAL! As hammed as they are, they are enjoyable. The best is when their product is actually useful (think Magic Bullet or Foreman Grill).
 
From the BBC website:

"Both the service and the iPlayer tool will be available once the BBC Trust - an independent body that replaced the Board of Governors at the beginning of this year - has published its final approval for the scheme in May.

The Trust also recommends that the BBC adopts a more platform-agnostic approach to the digital rights management framework which protects the programmes offered for download.

The DRM framework currently relies on Microsoft technology but, the Trust says, the BBC must develop a more platform-agnostic approach "within a reasonable framework" which takes account of other technology, such as Apple and Linux."

Full article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6317389.stm

So nothing is set in stone just yet.
 
dynamicv said:
BTW, I know I asked not to M$-bash on the BBC site, but I've got to get this off my chest. Why is it that so many British organisations and Government departments see Microsoft as this big benevolent trustworthy entity? I can guarantee the BBC have received hints from Microsoft that Windows DRM will be offered to other OSes in the near future. Microsoft of course have no plans to do this, they're just doing their usual trick of promising things for the next version that will never appear in order to get the sale today.

When are the people who run this country finally going to wake up? It's bad enough that people here are being completely stiffed on the price of Vista without our public bodies doing everything to ensure that we must just bend over, hand over the cash and allow M$ to shaft us.
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The BBC are moving entirely to Apple based production (Final Cut Studio et al), which never stops to amaze me when they come out with Windows/WM support only for big important new features such as this, especially when their BBC Trust page makes a point of mentioning "accessibility for everyone" - something I made a point of mentioning in my submission.
 
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