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BBC Signs 'Memo of Understanding' With Microsoft
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft has signed a memorandum of understanding with the BBC for 'strategic partnerships' in the development of next-generation digital broadcasting techniques. They are also speaking to other companies such as Real and Linden Labs. Windows Media Centre platform, Windows Live Messenger application and the Xbox 360 console have all been suggested as potential gateways for BBC content. It is unclear how this impacts on existing BBC research projects such as Dirac, although it is understood that the BBC would face heavy criticism if its content was only available via Microsoft products."
It seems to me that Microsoft are the big winner here. Their attempts to enter the TV market have failed several times, whereas the BBC has been at the forefront of digital TV R&D for years.
Registering accounts later than some other chrisb since 1997
Next week, Apple will sign a 'Memo of Screw You' with Microsoft.
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
It is unclear how this impacts on existing BBC research projects such as Dirac...
Is this the Dirac project that's being run by the Duke Nukem team?
The sooner the BBC move to a format that isn't RealVideo the better; even WMA would be preferable to RA.
http://twitter.com/onion2k
It's the last word there which is giving me qualms. Just how does signing agreements with the most proprietary business on earth qualify as extending access?
Burns: We're building a casino!
McAllister: Arrr. Give me 5 minutes.
All this means is that BBC content will be available through Microsoft's distribution channels, in addition to the current distribution channels. Hardly newsworthy.
I pay a hell of a lot of money to the BBC every year*, all I want in return is that all of their digital content to be available through open source technology... this is a step in the wrong direction, or at best a side step. Why can't they also make it work with something like Helix player?
*which they largely squander on stupidly high pay for the executives whilst sacking many of the people responsible for content - Damn them.
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
I can't wait until television companies start requiring people to install WMP11 to watch their content. WMP11 has a horrendous licensing agreement when it comes to DRM infected downloads and your inability to back them up.
Oh You POS
You need to understand who the BBC is and how it is funded. In the UK it is illegal (it is actually a criminal offense) to watch TV unless you, in effect, subscribe to the UK State Broadcaster. This is done by means of the so called 'license fee' - a license to watch TV, all of the receipts from which go to the BBC.
As a result, one of the main activities of magistrates courts in the UK is to jail single mothers for not subscribing to the BBC. One conjectures that neither these ladies nor their children have the slightest interest in watching the BBC, but they will pay for it anyway, and if not, go to jail.
The fee is not small. It is well north of $150 a year. It rises every year, faster than inflation. It is probably one of the most regressive taxes ever devised, and falls most heavily on those who can least afford it.
The BBC then spends substantial amounts of this money to go into new businesses which are already perfectly well covered by the private sector, and it usually succeeds owing to its ability to do cross marketing - magazines linked to shows. So the UK State Broadcaster is also the UK State Magazine Publisher, and is the largest magazine publisher in the UK.
Now we read that the BBC is to strike a strategic agreement with Microsoft. Will anyone be in the least surprised when this turns out to be a vehicle for further attempts to raise the license fee still further, and to extend the BBC's activities still further?
What we in the UK need more than anything is to make subscription to the State Broadcaster optional, and to stop jailing poor people for the crime of wanting to watch some other TV channels, while not subscribing to it.
It is as if, in the US, you were obliged to buy a copy of the NY Times, or commit a criminal offense every time you read a newspaper. It is as if you could only buy a PC with Windows on it. These are the same people, with the same basic attitudes: compulsion is good.
I assume that's a joke (unless Microsoft is planning on buying the UK)
Privatization is not unheard of.
-- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.
Is this anything like Stephen King's pet cemetary, cause that would be really cool.
{in creepy, fresh from the grave voice} I'm cooomming to geeettt youuuu Billll Gatteesss...
If you have a TV tuner card, that counts. If you don't have a licence then you can be prosecuted. The TV licencing folk are like pitbulls, and they have some similar rights as baliffs the way I understand it.
I hate the TV licence. When I first moved out from home, I did not own a TV but the licence people still sent me letters saying "You don't appear to have a TV licence, please get one." I phoned them and said I don't have a TV, they still sent letters. I replied to these letters, but there is no convincing them you don't own a TV. A few more letters and they were threatening to send the inspectors round. I found this link which has some various experiences of the TV Licencing strategies.