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Norwegian Broadcasting Sets Up Its Own Tracker

Posted by timothy on from the some-things-are-neutral dept.

eirikso writes with an interesting story from Norway; the state broadcaster there has decided to put up some of its content on BitTorrent. "The tracker is based on the same OpenTracker software that the Pirate Bay has been using for the last couple of years. By using BitTorrent we can reach our audience with full quality, unencrypted media files. Experience from our early tests show that if we're the best provider of our own content we also gain control of it."

26 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Umm... by Jurily · · Score: 5, Funny

    Experience from our early tests show that if we're the best provider of our own content we also gain control of it.

    Did I wake up in a wrong universe or something? People are actually thinking now?

    1. Re:Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      No. You are in the right universe.

      Just wait and see what happens to their control when they no longer want to provide something.

    2. Re:Umm... by FaxeTheCat · · Score: 5, Informative

      For their (our... it's the state that owns NRK) definition of control is defined on the website http://nrkbeta.no/the-nrkbeta-doctrine/ I think you will find that they have left "the old ways" and actually understand what the new reality is about.

    3. Re:Umm... by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Did I wake up in a wrong universe or something? People are actually thinking now?

      Right universe, wrong country. It's been known to happen these "3rd world countries" that don't have public education systems designed to beat individuality out of people, starting with a morning salute to the flag, and ending in a cease and desist order to the cries of "oh my precious imaginary property!"

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    4. Re:Umm... by poopdeville · · Score: 4, Informative

      Canada

      --
      After all, I am strangely colored.
    5. Re:Umm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      Finland. Our national broadcasting company (YLE) doesn't use BitTorrent but that is just a minor issue. All the shows shown on YLE will be online (for free, no DRM and no country restrictions) the day after they are shown on TV.

    6. Re:Umm... by eltaco · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The UK / BBC. Granted, it's not via torrents, but basically all their content is available via their page to watch online. These are restricted to certain regions though.
      Also on a side note, there's a torrent tracker which is dedicated to British TV. Rumours fly, that backroom deals (for instance not distributing content available on DVD) keeps them from legal trouble.

      also, I know that most german TV networks offer their content to watch online (though their TV imho, isn't worth watching).

      I admit, they're not torrenting their data and I don't know how easy it is to make a local copy (afaik the BBC requires you to use their own software iplayer). In the grand scheme of things it's quite a step forward though.

      --
      It's not about fate, it's about character.
      there be no shelter here, the frontline is everywhere!
    7. Re:Umm... by Cormophyte · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It may also mean that they recognize that if they distribute high quality files on bittorrent with a lot of bandwidth behind it (and maybe release it before anyone else has a chance to) that they can eventually slide a quick commercial in there and people will choose their file because they'll have been getting it fast, reliably, and looking great.

    8. Re:Umm... by tapanitarvainen · · Score: 4, Informative

      All the shows shown on YLE will be online (for free, no DRM and no country restrictions) the day after they are shown on TV.

      Not quite everything shown: only their own productions, not foreign stuff they have to buy rights for.

  2. Somebody catch me... by theGreater · · Score: 4, Funny

    Experience from our early tests show that if we're the best provider of our own content we also gain control of it.

    ... think I'm going to faint.

    1. Re:Somebody catch me... by eirikso · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Of course it can. It's out there. We know that. We're not talking COMPLETE control. That's not possible unless you lock down your content in a safe vault. But if you're the best provider people will come to your place to get it. Giving you better control. We're getting traffic FROM the pirate bay on the content that we have released as torrents. Because more people are seeding from our tracker. In general, people don't bother to redistribute as long as we provide unencrypted high quality files.

    2. Re:Somebody catch me... by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because if I want to download a TV show from this Norwegian channel, the first place I would look after knowing that they have good torrents is the website for this Norwegian channel, not TPB. They've finally realized that if they have decent torrents and don't try to control every tiny thing, they will gain lots of respect, viewers, and money.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    3. Re:Somebody catch me... by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As for the "Money" bit, you do realized this is a fully government funded organization don't you?

      Yes, but if I was a Norwegian citizen and they asked me to vote on something that would slightly raise taxes to pay for upgrades, new shows, etc, I might actually vote for it because the government in this case is actually using taxpayer money responsibly.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    4. Re:Somebody catch me... by arkhan_jg · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Unlike the US, TV in the rest of the world fulfills a lot of other purposes - apolitical news, documentaries, education, current affairs as well as entertainment shows that are too high-brow/niche for the commercial channels to bother with.

      Besides, it's not government-run, it's government funded; there's a difference. When TV is used to keep the populace informed, instead of just keeping the population stupified, it helps not to spend 30% of the runtime playing adverts.

      --
      Remember kids, it's all fun and games until someone commits wholesale galactic genocide.
  3. Mind boggling outburst by Saffaya · · Score: 4, Informative

    of common sense:

    "We have provided all the Norwegian subtitle files and if people want to fansub any of the episodes we're more than happy to let you do that. Please let us know in the comments and we'll link to your translations."

    Three cheers for the Norvegians !!!

    1. Re:Mind boggling outburst by EvilIdler · · Score: 3, Funny

      You won't cheer if anyone subs Pompel & Pilt! I tried, and had to go into therapy for three years after only finishing two of the six episodes.

  4. Re:suddenoutbreakofcommonsense by RabidMoose · · Score: 5, Informative
    And what's more (from TFA's FA):

    If you want control of your content you need to lock it down in a vault and never show it to anyone. We gave up control of our content the day we started broadcasting. For years our most popular content have been available on BitTorrent and on sites like YouTube anyway. DRM doesnâ(TM)t work. The only way to control your content is to be the best provider of it. If people want it on YouTube then you should publish it on YouTube or in a system that give the same experience. If people want it on BitTorrent then you should provide that. If you do it right people will come to your official publish point and you'll end up with more control.

  5. Re:War! by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Will this mean war? Norway vs the EU! nay! against the whole world!

    They have a decent amount of oil & gas, which the EU and others desperately need.
    They also have healthy fish stocks, through fairly competent management of fisheries. The EU regularly howls of unfair competition in fish, as the EU has rapaciously plundered its own stocks, and continues overfishing at destructive levels.

    It's the EU that will cave in, not Norway. Disclaimer: I'm not Norwegian, but did visit there twice (1983 and 1998), and changed plane in Oslo a few times.

    --
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
  6. Re:And now let's bitch about the CODEC used by thinktwo · · Score: 5, Informative

    They are using MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.

  7. I for one... by el3mentary · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hope that the BBC follows suite, it's the next logical step after iPlayer right?

    --
    I reject your reality and substitute my own.
    1. Re:I for one... by FluffyWithTeeth · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hah, I don't think you understand bureaucracy.

      The BBC have shovelled a HUGE quantity of money into iPlayer. That spending has to be justified, which means it will stay largely as it is for at least the next five years.

    2. Re:I for one... by Darkness404 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why should I, as a UK TV licence payer, fund programs for other people to watch?

      Because it doesn't cost any more. If the entire world population were to turn on the BBC (and assuming these were physical TVs and not electronic so you can't add in the small cost of bandwidth) they could all receive it. Is it unfair? Yes, but I am of the opinion (note that I am not a UK citizen nor do I live in even a European nation), that if something doesn't require more money to keep it going, then why really charge for it or prevent others from using it? For example, for a road toll, by driving across it you create wear on the road that will eventually have to be paid to fix using the toll money. On the other hand, when I receive TV transmissions, it doesn't require any extra fees to keep it running.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    3. Re:I for one... by blackest_k · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Actually if you were in Europe if you pointed a dish at 28.2 East you would have access to bbc1 to 4 cbbc and cbeebies also itv1-4 channel 4 e4 more4 film4 and channel 5 all are broadcast in the clear with no encryption. The bbc does limit it's output on the Internet but presumably it has to pay for the bandwidth used. so bbc says yes to give away for free, no to paying to let you watch for free.

      --
      Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
  8. Re:And now let's bitch about the CODEC used by areusche · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Which is an excellent codec for maximum compression vs quality. I like xvid like anything other guy, but when it comes to quality/size mp4 with h.264 is great.

  9. Re:War! by javilon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, I don't know about EU, but USA can perform a "liberation war" on them, under some excuse like "terrorism and kiddie porn". Once they have flattened the country, they can set up a regime that will give their multinationals all rights on oil, gas and fishing. This will be as a compensation on the expenses incurred by the rebuilding effort and paying for deployment of the liberator's army.

    Then, after all is done and nicely set up, they can replace the president and blame everything on the previous one, without returning the people of the "liberated" country the rights to their own natural resources.

    It worked with Iraq.

    --


    When his defense asked, "Which computer has Jon Johansen trespassed upon?" the answer was: "His own."
  10. It is all about being able to demand license fees by xiando · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK) is financed through a "license" which they can by law charge everyone who owns a televison set or other equipment which is able to get TV broadcasts. c They have been trying to claim a whole range of ludicrous things in order to demand license fees from more people than those who are listed as TV owners in their database for years.

    NRK actually tried to claim that everyone who owns a telephone also has a television and asked for permission to demand that everyone registered with a telephone pays the TV license. They were, luckily, denied when they tried that one. Now they are trying to claim that everyone who owns a computer can view their content and should pay a television license.

    NRK setting up a BitTorrent tracker does look like a good thing - at first glance. But do not get fooled: This is all about getting a new Norwegian law which would say that everyone who owns computer technology must pay NRK a yearly fee. It is that simple. This is all about the money. That they use BitTorrent is in itself a good thing. Their motives are absolutely not.

    --
    9/11: Never forget it was a false-flag operation