NPR Drops QuickTime Support

Magnetic Confinement writes "NPR has decided to drop QuickTime from its available streams. Their help desk response is: 'NPR.org had been offering some of its audio in the Apple QuickTime format under an arrangement with Apple QuickTime. We regret that we were unable to reach mutually acceptable terms for a new arrangement with Apple QuickTime. As a result, NPR is unable to continue offering its content in this format."

Comments

Re:does this mean....

[Anonymous Coward]

does this mean....I won't be able to see videos of Garrison Keillor (A Fairie Home Companion)?

Given that it's a radio show, I'd say the answer is probably yes.

Re:Audio? or Video?

[WatertonMan]

Presumably they are being *paid* to use a particular format. It is all moot anyways since lots of individual public radio stations offer MP3 streams. Here's the one I use:

KUER

There are a few under iTunes' radio list and Google could find more.

Of course this won't let you listen to backstories. But so long as they don't start using WMP9 who cares?

BZZT, wrong

[daveschroeder]

NPR has to purchase NOTHING for this. QTSS, and their existing equipment with QuickTime frameworks, is all they need to stream this, and they don't need to pay for any codecs to do it. Either:

1.) They now want (more) money from Apple to do it, or

2.) Apple must not want to pay them to do it (any longer).

Please point me to where I or anyone else is required to "purchase" codecs from Apple for QuickTime either for streaming or playback (other than MPEG-2).

(This assumes NPR is using QTSS on Mac OS X Server, the only platform where it is supported by Apple.)

Re:BZZT, wrong

[gsfprez]

This is not a matter of COST. It is a matter of NPR being a bitch, and wanting payola. Period.

THERE IS NO COST to you (besides using a Mac for the broadcaster) in order to use Quicktime Streaming Server. Its an Open Source product - Apple even has links to RH, Solaris, and Windows NT versions freely downloadable. Oh, and the source, if you REALLY want to use your new Fossil PDA watch as a QTSS server once you port the software.

QTSS and Quicktime Broadcaster are both freely downloadable and have 0 cost to you, the unpaying user. You can use whatever codecs you think are good enough for you, meaning that you can use this even on Linux.

"We regret that we were unable to reach mutually acceptable terms for a new arrangement with Apple QuickTime" is liberal NPR speak for "just because Al Gore is on your board doesn't mean shit to us. Don't think that we aren't closet free-marketers in real life, so give us free money, or we'll drop your ass."

I am totally floored that they have ditched the only 100% free streaming server in order to shill up to their favorite right-wing "Big Software" companies like Microsoft and Real.

(You have read the word "Real". Real is a registered trademark of Real Networks, and we are now directing you to a website where finding the free player is practically impossible. Once its downloaded, you will need to give us your email address, full control of your computer, your DNA, your first born child, your credit cards and numbers, your preferred sexual postition, and state if you supported the war in Iraq before we fill up your screen with an entire window of advertisements just to listen to our "welcome to real" jingle)

Ahh...yes...

[gamgee5273]

NPR continues to show its true colors and become more and more of a corporate bitch.

Lessee here...I see WMP and Real mentioned on the front page.

"Public Radio," my ass. They're just another example of boomers selling out to the "corporate masters" they complained about back in the 60s and 70s.

As an infrequent NPR listener, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft is at the root of this. Whenever I listen to NPR in the morning there is always a well-place MS "announcement" (read: advertisment - on public radio!) around 8am. I have no doubt that MS is threatening pulling its financial support if WMP is not the primary media player on the site. I bet Real will disappear soon, too.

If NPR were truly interested in being a user-friendly entity, it would post the stories in an .mp3 format and it would drop these ads for Microsoft and other corporations.

Meanwhile, I'm going back to Audible and the New York Times. At least I can deal with corporations that make it clear they're in it for the money, not some soft-and-fuzzy-bunny-bullshit smokescreen.

Re:Ahh...yes...

[gamgee5273]

Try reading what I wrote, not just what your blinders will allow you to. I never attacked the capitalist model.

Need I remind you, "public television" and "public radio" aren't supposed to "make" money. They're not-for-profit organizations. My argument is is that QTSS, something that can be had for free (even the OS, Darwin, it runs on can be free), was probably pulled because Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, both huge contributors to NPR, told them to do it. As I said before: I expect Real will disappear from the site as well.

The entire argument, which, mind you, was on topic before you voiced your opinion, is that NPR is a bunch of posers, son, for dumping a technology for cloudy reasons. They are HYPOCRITES. They clearly aren't looking out for their listeners or for the values they claim to embrace. They're covering their asses and not taking chances.

I have no admiration for those who do not take risks. That would probably include those who choose to "emulate" (read: follow) instead of lead.

Why not MP3

[benwaggoner]

A few reasosn not to use MP3:

No multicasting
No native RTSP support
No good loss recovery mechanism

It's amazing that MP3 works as well as it does for pseudo-streaming, but a true streaming format it ain't. Personally, I'd like to see them adopt a MPEG-4 AAC-LC stream, which QuickTime, RealOne for Windows, and other ISMA MPEG-4 compliant players could tune into. Better quality at lower data rates than MP3.

Pretty soon we'll have AAC High Effeciency, which can do ~FM quality at 32 Kbps for 44.1 stereo. Astonishingly better than other propritary codecs in head-to-head at these low bitrates.

Re:npr == leftist apologists

[elmegil]

You clearly don't actually listen to NPR. Often as not the quotes and more importantly the very common cases of actually talking to a representative of the AEI et.al. in person, are being given full coverage of their side. Sometimes the reporter has an agenda that's clear, but it doesn't get expressed as "this person I'm talking to is clearly a moron" in the same way as, say Bill O'Reilly's screeds. Each side airs their perspective and they part at worst as disagreeing individuals who treat each other with respect. And in many cases NPR appears to be taking the side supported by AEI.

But of course you'd actually have to listen to the station to learn that, and that might interrupt your convenient "liberal media bias" myths that you can use to excuse the BS that O'Reilly and his ilk pull.

More information from NPR

[daveschroeder]

Here's a reply that I got from NPR asking for more information:

From: NPRHelp1
Date: Thu Apr 17, 2003 1:29:08 PM America/Chicago
To: "'Dave Schroeder'"
Subject: RE: QuickTime

Dave:
I've talked to our business affairs manager and this is the response he
asked me to give people who wrote in looking for additional information:

This outcome is the result of business and legal negotiations and we do
not discuss those negotiations. If you are asking whether this in any way
reflects on Apple QuickTime's technology, the answer is no -- business and
legal issues, not technological ones, led to this outcome.

I apologize if that's not the answer you're looking for.

Paul

> From: Dave Schroeder [mailto:das@doit.wisc.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2003 1:59 PM
> To: nprhelp@npr.org
> Subject: Re: QuickTime
>
> > NPR.org had been offering some of its audio in the Apple QuickTime
> > format under an arrangement with Apple QuickTime. We regret that we
> > were unable to reach mutually acceptable terms for a new arrangement
> > with Apple QuickTime. As a result, NPR is unable to continue offering
> > its content in this format.
>
> I'd like more information about this. Since the QuickTime Streaming
> technology is free and has no licensing restrictions, what do you mean
> you were "unable to reach mutually acceptable terms for a new
> arrangement"? There is nothing that needs to be arranged with Apple, or
> purchased from Apple (unless they were subsidizing your broadcast, or
> providing facilities and/or equipment, and did not wish to do this any
> longer).
>
> Awaiting your reply,
>
> Dave Schroeder
> University of Wisconsin - Madison