BBC to Offer Videos Online?

[MacRumors]

The Independent reports on on-demand video content such as that provided by the iTunes Music Store. In less than 20 days, Apple announced they had sold more than 1 million videos. The question of a more extensive lineup remains.

The Independent reports that the BBC is planning to offer "most of its programming" available for customers:

In Britain the BBC is planning a similar service by making most of its programming available on platforms like the video ipod for seven days after it has been broadcast. The difference is the BBC programmes will be available for free. Their logic is that the public have already paid for the programmes through the licence fee and it would be unfair to make them pay again.

No details the specific form of distribution they've chosen.

 

[samh004]

In less than 20 days, Apple announced they had some more than 1 million videos. The question of a more extensive lineup remains.

You mean they sold more than 1 million videos right

 

[samh004]

I think it'd be great if the videos were offered for free. They know how to make their customers happy.

 

[giveup]

that's nice. i can threw my TV away and get refund of TV license.

 

[aswitcher]

Awesome. Well I'll be subscribing to these

 

[darwen]

This is a different situation though, the BBC operates completely differently than US networks. This wouldn't happen in iTunes either. I hate to burst people's bubbles if they think they are about to get free programming but people outside of the BBC's usual subscribers probably won't benefit from this.

 

[Marble]

Most of the content already available through the BBC uses Real's video technology. It would be a shame if a large-scale video service like this, no matter how many people it is available to, required RealPlayer. I'd like to think they're almost extinct by now.

 

[Sol]

One more reason to love the BBC. Hopefully more networks follow their example and offer their content for free.

I agree that the pay per download model does not work well with most video content, especially Apple's implementation which makes burning to CD or DVD impossible.

 

[Multimedia]

RSS Feeds from BBC AND NBC? Or Proprietary Exclusion?

Awesome. Well I'll be subscribing to these

IF they put it on iTunes with RSS subscription. Same is true for the new NBC Nightly News premiering next Monday evening at 7 PST/10 EST on MSNBC. Will we be EXCLUDED thanks to Microsoft's proprietary video format on that website or not? Will NBC put it on iTunes with an RSS feed?

 

[ArcaneDevice]

One more reason to love the BBC. Hopefully more networks follow their example and offer their content for free.

it's easy to love the BBC when you don't have to pay for it. Why would anyone outside of the UK get the shows for free? You didn't pay for it. Only those who pay the license fee should get the content for free.

That's the equivalent of offering all the top shows of everyone who pays extra for satellite or cable premium channels for free to everyone, on the basis that the subscribers have already paid for it.

However unlike the people in the UK you have a choice whether to pay for those channels or not.

 

[joepunk]

Nice idea there from the BBC. If the videos are free then I will definitly add them to my already growing subscription content of Podcasts.

Gotta love Tiki Bar TV

 

[barneygumble]

Now this is a system i can go for, the BBC must hace seom bandwidth to dispose of

 

[Analog Kid]

it's easy to love the BBC when you don't have to pay for it. Why would anyone outside of the UK get the shows for free? You didn't pay for it. Only those who pay the license fee should get the content for free.

That's the equivalent of offering all the top shows of everyone who pays extra for satellite or cable premium channels for free to everyone, on the basis that the subscribers have already paid for it.

However unlike the people in the UK you have a choice whether to pay for those channels or not.

No, it's the equivalent to putting NPR or PBS programs up for free. The BBC is not like HBO-- it's essentially a government funded broadcast. I think they still have a shortwave service (or did that get closed down a couple years ago) which goes well beyond their subscriber range.

As a government broadcast it serves two purposes: information/entertanment and public relations. It's mostly the news service that extends beyond the UK, and to the extent that people respect the BBC that goodwill carries over to their view of Britain.

Notice their website has no ads? That alone makes it a great resource, in my book.

I think it would be great if they do this, even if it is just the news broadcasts. I'd be an avid subscriber.

 

[hal9000]

No details the specific form of distribution they've chosen.

They could use the BBC-sponsored Dirac open-source codec.

The Dirac development project is hosted at SourceForge. See http://dirac.sourceforge.net/ for details.

They have an entry in the Dirac FAQ about it -

Is the BBC going to stream video using Dirac?

 

[richardthomas78]

Here are the details...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/imp/

I e-mailed them and asked about distribution via iTunes but they said:

"We are currently unaware of plans to make programmes available for any other software, however, I have registered your suggestion on the daily log for the attention of the BBC web team and the senior management."

At the moment, the IMP Application is only available for Windows.

Rich

 

[yoak]

Just thinking...
What about the programs they have sold to NRK (Norwegian equivalent of the BBC) should I be able to get them for free as I have payed my licens fee to NRK?
I wonder how they will solve "problems" like these.
Probably only UK residents will be able to download for free is my guess.
BBC make alot of money selling DVD´s of their nature programs etc.

 

[J@ffa]

Yes, please be aware that the BBC is only going to offer this to those who reside in the UK and have a TV license. They've been working on an iMP (Integrated Media Player) for a while now, and there's a beta test programme currently running, but I think it uses RealPlayer. They'll restrict it either by IP or make you enter your license fee code, or something along those lines.

 

[adrianm]

Some hard info

The BBC is currently trialling a service called iMP ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/imp/ ) where you can schedule/download content and watch it from the day after it was broadcast back up 7 days after broadcast.

This covers TV and radio and even has some HDTV content in there.

This has got nothing to do with the RealMedia based content they put on the normal web-site.

The BBC has said that whilst iMP currently requires a Windows box (uses a special codec only available for WM9), they do plan a mac version.

The iMP client is somewhat similar to iTMS in that you can search by category, subscribe to program repeats (like podcasts), view downloads and play.

So if there is any link with the BBC and iTunes, it's likely that the BBC will make use if iTunes/Quicktime so long as it can support the BBC DRM or maybe the Fairplay DRM can be used to enforce the BBC's rules.

On quality: iMP content is full standard definition video (with some high-def). It would make Apple's current postage-stamp sized video offerings look ridiculous.

As to the license fee ripping up idea - I think you need to demonstrate that you are a license payer before you can sign up for iMP.

One last thing: it would be very cool if BBC decided to use iTMS for it's delivery of content, but I don't see them dumping iMP before it's even gone public... will wait and see.

 

[liketom]

sorry every one

BBC will only work for UK residents who pay there TV License
and so far this uses Real Player

 

[tgorochowski]

iMP BBC Video player

It is true presently they use a microsoft codec in the beta release (friend is participating). What no one here seems to realise is the genius behind it. Transfering high definition video via the iTunes music store would be stupid (the bandwidth requirements would be enormous). Instead the clever thing about iMP is that it uses a peer-2-peer system where the BBC servers seed the initial files and then as more people download it they further seed it, reducing the burden on the BBC servers. I do hope they can get a Mac version of there software out soon if this is going live, but the content will not be available via iTunes anytime soon me thinks.... but then stranger things have happened ;-)

 

[petej]

The BBC has proven itself over the years to use a variety of different distribution mechanisms and this is just one more. The BBC would definately not only supply content through iTunes as that would give the impression of officially endorsing iTunes and Apple. The BBC I'm sure will do their best to find a way to provide content for UK based iPod owners with or without iTunes for free, and for the stated 7 days. After 7 days, then the BBC retail operation can kick in and publicly sell the material - though I suspect this would target the overseas market.
If nothing else, I hope that the BBC re-establishes support for Quicktime feeds.

 

[mwwlse]

UK residents only

You'll need a UK IP address to access the content, and probably have to provide license fee details, they've done this before. Perhaps they'll offer content to non UK residents for a fee.

 

[adrianm]

sorry every one

BBC will only work for UK residents who pay there TV License
and so far this uses Real Player

It doesn't use Real Player. It uses a custom codec that requires WM9 or WM10.

I'm on the iMP trial.

 

[littlejim]

No, it's the equivalent to putting NPR or PBS programs up for free. The BBC is not like HBO-- it's essentially a government funded broadcast. I think they still have a shortwave service (or did that get closed down a couple years ago) which goes well beyond their subscriber range.

As a government broadcast it serves two purposes: information/entertanment and public relations. It's mostly the news service that extends beyond the UK, and to the extent that people respect the BBC that goodwill carries over to their view of Britain.

Notice their website has no ads? That alone makes it a great resource, in my book.

I think it would be great if they do this, even if it is just the news broadcasts. I'd be an avid subscriber.

The BBC is NOT a government funded organization and does not broadcast governent information etc. The BBC makes all it's money from the Licence fee and it's commercial operations.
In fact, the BBC has a great history of kicking our government (of all colours) in the
goolies!

 

[simty]

BBC will be using Windoze Media Player 9

BBC will be using Windoze Media Player 9. They also have a technolgy for blocking viewers outside the UK. Downloads will time out after 2 weeks. Distribution will be done by a P2P system cutting the BBC bandwidth costs. Mac and Linux support is intended but I can't see MS doing a Linux version of WMP9 any time soon. I see no reason why the BBC shouldn't put content up on iTMS, free from the UK store $1.99 for averyone else.