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BBC Discusses PVR Software, Creative Archive Plans
Fidigit writes "You may have heard something about the BBC Internet Media Player {iMP) - a computer-based PVR for the BBC's TV and radio content, 'only... available to UK broadband users', which'll use P2P to shuttle content around between downloaders. Now we hear the iMP content will distributed using DRM, using Microsoft's DRM technology, 'in a break with the BBC's long-standing support of Real.'" The previously mentioned BBC Creative Archive is also discussed - apparently its content "...will be downloaded using a similar application, but will not be restricted by DRM, enabling people to re-edit it, or use it to make other programmes" - the content "will not be the complete BBC archive", but an example given of the initial content is "nature programmes".
I speak only out of logic here, not facts, so take this as you will..
Most P2P programs which break down files into chunks would have some sort of hash on the individual chunks, which are compared to others or a central tracker (a la bittorrent) - you cant rename file and try to share them, as your data will continually be corrupted to other users.
Of course, the more basic P2P apps, like the old gnutella (& co) simply worked off the name and downloaded from a single user, whereby renaming would let you download rubbish, thinking it was something else!
eMule/Donkey/whatever has a has for the files and even if the filenames the same, if the hash doesnt match, that users file is not lumped in with all the others that do match - its returned as an extra result in the search box.
I am a viral sig. Please copy me and help me spread. Thank you.
I do wish that people would do a little research before going off on bordering right-wing murdoch style rants, especially ones so ill-informed.
Also, be aware that there are several sources of technology advocacy within the BBC, the engineers in R+D at Kingswood Warren are a lot more open to open src software than the less technically astute creative types (who are brilliant in their own way, but not always best placed to make such decisions).
The BBC
Rather than merely writing off things you know nothing about, a little background research might be an idea.
No - you dont. If you buy a TV to watch broadcasted television from BBC / ITV / SKY you must have a license, otherwise you are breaking the law. If you buy a TV simply to watch DVDs then you do not have to get a license. However, License inspectors would be highly sceptical if they were to find an aerial lying around....
Ease up man.
He has to pay it, even if he doesn't have a TV, if he has a TV tuner card in his machine. Also, if he is a tenant in a flat with others, he has to pay the license, because the fee is allocated on 'separately occupied places'.
Have you seen the penalties? Up to a thousand quid? Christ.
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Death will come, and will have your eyes
-- Pavese
That's not true. My old landlord would be in the shit every other week in regards to watching VHS only on his TV. He had no aerial but the tuner was capable of picking up signals so he had to pay - so they kept telling him. He had the option to remove the tuner (not practical) or pay the tax.
He paid because the hassle was not worth the £100+ licence fee he might have saved.
It is a tax, not a service.
This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
The license is on the tuner not on the viewing device.
For example, if you purchased a computer monitor and a DVD player and connected them to each other, you would not be required to own a TV license to use them together, as you do not have a method of viewing "television". If you bought a regular TV you would.
In another example, if you had a black and white television and a VCR, you would have to own a colour television license, as the VCR is able to receive colour television, even though you cannot view it.
A further example would be if you owned a TV Tuner card for your computer, irreguardless of whether it was physically in the computer or not you would be required to own a TV License.
In cases where you do not own a Television Tuner, you are usually invited to sign a document saying that you do not, otherwise the TV Licensing authority will assume you are dodging paying your TV License fee and fine you accordingly. (This agreement also has the clause, like the license, that you must inform them when you move)
Now, the British government is going to switch to MS, dumping Real. All these actions encourage the same company they complain about.
The BBC is not part of the British government. It may have funding provided by the government, but it is an independant body.
The TV licenceing website is lying. Complaints have been made about it to the advertising standards authority, and an MP called Andrew Carey complained about it in the house of commons. This is easy to check, there are numerous websites with information about the TV licence.
Some links to get you started:
Abolish the TV licence
C.A.L.
Broadband and the TV licence
A latent existence
Don't forget, though, that media was very, very expensive in those days, and the shows were considered ephemeral - look at topical humour like Drop The Dead Donkey, for instance. When shows are rebroadcast, a short (typically 15 seconds) summary of the news current around that episode's original air date is broadcast before it, so that audiences aren't left totally bewildered by the "in-jokes".
To clarify - any copying is illegal under UK law, there's nothing special about MP3s. Technically, making a cassette copy of a CD you own for a walkman or for the car is equally illegal.
Since no-one prosecutes for making tapes for the car, I suspect it's unlikely (although entirely possible) that anyone would prosecute you for ripping CDs you own to MP3.
Q.
I was fed up of being hassled for not having a TV license. The form I had to fill in suggested I sent a solicitors letter as evidence the TV had been got rid of!
I regularly got letters which hinted darkly that representatives could be in my area soon...
I phoned the licensing authority to make a formal complain and ask for compensation for waiting in for these representatives who never showed up!
They phone back (yes!) and said they would put me on a list so I wouldn't get hassled again for a year. (is that all!)
I also complained that the letters did not make clear what the license was required for, the letters just tried to scare me.
It seems the license is required to install television equipment or receive (or watch) broadcast programmes only.
Sam
blog.sam.liddicott.com
hmm, I'd have thought that the only installation required for a TV was plugging it in.
you can use a TV as a coffee table and pay no licence if you like, but that would be so stupid they wouldn't believe you.
No, you misread it. The BBC Archives will not use DRM, although they will apparently use Microsoft media codecs. There should be nothing to stop some enterprising bunch of people from transcoding these WMV files into something more useful (Such as MPEG2, MPEG4 or VP3/Theora), though.
That may be true, but if you look at the link in the Register story to new media age you would see that they intend to make it "platform neutral"