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BBC Trust Will Hear iPlayer Openness Complaints

Posted by kdawson on from the tv-without-internet-explorer dept.

AnotherDaveB writes with a Register story reporting that the BBC Trust has asked to meet with open source advocates to discuss their complaints over the corporation's Windows-only on-demand broadband TV service, iPlayer. The development came less than 48 hours after a meeting between the Open Source Consortium and regulators at Ofcom on Tuesday. Officials agreed to press the Trust, the BBC's governing body, to meet the OSC. The consortium received an invitation on Wednesday afternoon.

5 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Sun + Java = open DReaM by oliverthered · · Score: 4, Informative

    I seem to remember that sun was working on an opensource DRM based on Java called Dream

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  2. Re:What can they really do? by DigitAl56K · · Score: 4, Informative

    Because the compulsory TV license covers UK viewers, and we're talking about Internet distribution now?

  3. Re:What can they really do? by CanadaIsCold · · Score: 4, Informative

    They need to DRM and limit to the UK because of syndication. While most of their shows are public broadcast in the UK they license them to other TV stations that release on a different schedule. These other channels would not want to pay the same amount if the shows were available on the internet for free before they showed them on their channels.

    The same thing happens with DVD's of BBC shows. The season may be long over in the UK some times years over but the DVDs won't release until after the american syndication has aired.

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  4. Siemens outsourcing of BBC Technology by paj1234 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Has this got anything to do with the BBC's two-billion-GBP computer outsourcing deal with Siemens? Way back in 1999 the BBC had its own Linux-savvy wizards who did a fantastic job on the BBC website and other tasks:

    http://linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/1176/1/

    I'd like to thank them for making sure the BBC's watch/listen pages work on my GNU/Linux/Mozilla/Realplayer computer at home. Now, it's all gone to Siemens, apparently:

    http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2004/10/01/ 205660/bbc-completes-2bn-outsourcing-deal-with-sie mens.htm

    Anyone inside BBC or Siemens care to comment?

  5. Re:BBC R&D? by mormop · · Score: 3, Informative

    The BBC flogged its technology services division off to Siemens.. As happened with the UK train system, as soon as it sold off into private hands it turned to shit. The BBC was originally set up with a public service ethic at its heart. Now that those in power have £ signs in their eyes you can kiss goodbye to that one.

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