BBC Lets Viewers Buy Shows and Episodes Permanently, But No 'Extras' (thestack.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The BBC has opened a new online store which lets viewers purchase TV programs that do not expire in its iPlayer streaming outlet after thirty days, but which apparently remain stored for streaming in the same style as Amazon's video purchases. The BBC claims the extensive archive inventory is available only to UK-based viewers, though its VPN-blocking attempts do not currently seem to prevent purchases from outside the country. Additionally the BBC's high-quality disc extras do not seem to have made the jump from disc to digital, signifying possible further decline for 'value added' features such as commentaries and documentaries in the future.

Comments

bitrot

[Iamthecheese]

How permanent is permanent? I lost north of 300 novels when Nook bought e-book retailer Fictionwise. I could have downloaded and archived them one at a time I guess. Except for the ones that expired a year after purchase due to draconian DRM. Anyway the point is I no longer trust ANY DRM'd material, especially streamed content. If it's not downloadable and DRM free, you never own it.

Re:bitrot

[lgw]

I suppose each person will have to learn this the hard way, like you, before they see the benefit in actually controlling the media.

But that's not a reason to never use plans like this. Just go into it with eyes wide open - you're leasing the content, for an undefined time. If you almost never go back and watch anything more than 5 years old, for example, then this can be a good deal. For movies and music, I personally want control of the media, since I watch old stuff a lot.

For games, OTOH, I'm quite content to buy the game again in 10 years if I need to, since the percentage of old games I go back to is so low. (My favorite games are all 5+ years old, but that's maybe a dozen games, versus the 50 or so I buy each year and never return to). Buying 1% of my games again is totally worth the convenience to me.

For books, I do go back to older books occasionally, but I have ~1000 hardbacks now and I don't have any more freaking room for them. I'm content with the limitations of leasing eBooks, due to simple practical constraints.

Make each decision based on what's best for you, once you understand what you own and what you don't.

Buying must be better than torrenting

[Anonymous Coward]

If you make things too difficult to get, too pricey, or leave out too much content, I'm going to pirate it for free.

You'd think content providers would realize this, but apparently not.

Re:Buying must be better than torrenting

[AmiMoJo]

Looking at the site it's a crappy deal. Doctor Who series 9 is £21.99 for 13 episodes. If the quality is the same as iPlayer that means 720p and low bit rate. Streaming to supported devices only, no ability to watch it on my TV or download it for safe keeping.

For comparison Amazon has the BluRay of Season 8 (season 9 isn't out yet, it's still airing) for £24.95, so only £3 more. Comes with extras, easy to rip and watch anywhere, better video and sound quality.

What a joke.

"Digital"

[Dogtanian]

the BBC's high-quality disc extras do not seem to have made the jump from disc to digital

"Disc to digital"? Are you comparing it to the releases on analogue formats such as Laserdisc and CED?

Or is this just another example of the stupid and lazy misappropriation of "digital" to mean synonymous with "online" or "download" and contrast with non-online formats such as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Compact Disc Digital-F******-Audio"? (Yes, the fact that CD was digital was one of its major selling points).

That's kind of understandable (not forgivable, but understandable) on crappy mainstream sites written by and for people who neither know nor care as much about technology as they'd like to think. (#) OTOH, I don't think it even counts as nitpicking to expect better from a site like Slashdot which is supposed to cater- at least it used to- for actual geeks and not just boys toys' gadget fetishists who think they're geeks because it's cool now and they buy a new smartphone every 18 months.

(#) I'd be willing to bet that despite the man-on-the-street's apparent increased familiarity and comfort with digital and electronic devices compared with 30 to 40 years ago, most people still don't understand as much about the underlying technology as this would suggest, and probably still wouldn't be able to explain what "digital" means.