The iPlayer continues to use Flash to stream videos online for seven days after broadcast, and remains available only to UK residents due to the BBC's publicly-funded status - but if you're a UK resident then you can get started with this new beta here.
BBC iPlayer 2.0 arrives in beta
The iPlayer continues to use Flash to stream videos online for seven days after broadcast, and remains available only to UK residents due to the BBC's publicly-funded status - but if you're a UK resident then you can get started with this new beta here.
BBC to broadcast live TV streams on the internet
The new streaming service will go live sometime int he next few months. The BBC already streams content from several of its news channels live, but this will be the first time you'll be able to watch live TV from the BBC's flagship channel on the web.
You'll need a broadband internet connection to watch. And you'll also also need to pay the same £139.50 annual license fee that you pay to watch television in the UK. Critics complain that it could be tricky for the BBC to enforce that policy, which means that television owners could wind up subsidizing the content watched by people who own a computer but no television set. But officials charged with enforcing the TV licensing policy say they have ways to catch moochers. All of which means that we probably won't be tuning into BBC1 over the internet in the US any time soon.
thanks Omar!
BBC's iPlayer DRM scheme cracked again
BBC, DRM, and the iPhone: it doesn't sound very steamy. But things are definitely heating up in regards to the BBC and DRM. The release of BBC's new iPlayer brought with it the typical suffocating DRM restrictions, with the typical amount of outrage in the blogosphere.
However, when the BBC released the new beta iPlayer software that allowed users to view BBC streams on their iPhone, the streams made for the iPhone didn't didn't include any DRM.
Certain intrepid programmers and users were quick to jump on the fact that the iPhone streams were unencrypted. One user was able to use a PC to watch the unencrypted streams by using the Firefox plugin Fast Agent Switcher to convince the iPlayer that it was an iPhone. Developer Paul Battley released a Ruby script to download the iPhone formatted files to your PC.
In response, the BBC iPlayer took countermeasures to block the streams from non-iPhone devices. Just yesterday, in fact.
Rumor: BBC and Apple set to announce iTunes deal
The BBC already offers a way to watch TV shows that have aired in the last 7 days using its online iPlayer video service. But the iPlayer is only available to UK residents, who pay for BBC content with their taxes
It's not clear at the moment whether the iTunes downloads will be available outside of the UK or not. On the one hand, an international deal would represent a new revenue stream for the BBC. On the other hand, Apple charges almost twice as much money for TV show downloads in Britain than in the US.
The BBC press office decline to comment on the rumor.
Update: It looks like BBC content is now available at the UK iTunes store, but not the US store.
Microlife - Time Waster
We were surprised to find an interesting time waster on the BBC's website, of all places. Microlife doesn't fall neatly into a game category. Essentially you play God, and control the lives of tiny microlife, which are single-cell organisms that move around slowly.You feed them, and can train them to become warriors to defend their nest, but you have to be careful to keep an eye on your funds. Each microlife goes through a life cycle, starting as an infant, moving through middle age where it spends the majority of its time (and lays eggs if you're lucky) then becomes elderly and ultimately dies. Illnesses can also befall your little critters, so ensuring that they stay healthy is also your responsibility.
In the early levels you get to try your hand at raising little microlife without having to worry about the evil Catchers, but later on these predators come looking for a snack, so you have to make sure to have Warriors trained up to fend them off.
Microlife is well designed to slowly introduce new game concepts as the levels progress, and keep you addicted. This time waster can eat up an hour easily, so consider yourself warned before you click. But you're going to anyway, aren't you? You know you are.
BBC's iPlayer adds support for Firefox
The popular iPlayer is a service that acts as an on-demand viewer of BBC content. Similar in functionality to a web based TiVo. The BBC is very happy with this new development and proclaimed, "It's good because it's the first real non-Microsoft thing we've been able to do with the download iPlayer".
What's the hold up with bringing iPlayer to Mac and Linux? None other than our old favorite acronym DRM. BBC's iPlayer relies upon Windows Media Player and it's related DRM to enforce the BBC's viewing policies.
Are there any Brits who have used iPlayer? What are your thoughts on the service? Please share in the comments.
[via Afterdawn]
BBC iPlayer could be coming to Apple TV
BBC Future Media and Technology Director Ashley Highfield writes on his blog that the BBC is looking into ways to bring iPlayer content to set top boxes. He says he's particularly encouraged by Apple's announcement that you can now download online video directly to the Apple TV instead of relying on a PC. Although nothing is anywhere near concrete yes, we think it's safe to say that means the BBC will be in touch with Apple about adding its software to the box.
If this collaboration actually happens, we're pretty sure it will be available for free to UK viewers. We can only hope that the BBC decides to let users outside of the UK access the same content for a fee. Highfield indicates that the company is already looking into other methods to get iPlayer on the TV including the Xbox 360 and Neuros OSD.
[via last100]
BBC iPlayer moves to the web to support Mac and Linux
- Are running Windows XP
- Are using Internet Explorer
- Use Windows Media Player
- Live in the UK
Well, it looks like at least some of those issues are being addressed. The BBC plans to launch a browser-based version of the iPlayer using Adobe's Flash technology to stream videos. Up until now, you had to download videos. The move to streaming video means that Mac and Linux users will be soon able to us the iPlayer.
Now if only the BBC would release a version of the iPlayer for non-UK customers. We're sure there'd be plenty of folks willing to pay a small subscription fee to watch new episodes of
BBC iPlayer wreaking havoc on ISPs
Nevermind all that DRM stuff that we talked to the FSF about, the iPlayer is causing all sorts of other trouble for ISPs. The player, built for viewing and downloading popular television shows onto computers through the special application is taking a toll on the ISPs bandwidth. So much so that they are looking for compensation from the BBC, threatening to initiate traffic shaping that would slow down service and render the player unusable if they don't pay up. The BBC iPlayer is supposedly seen as 30 times as bandwidth heavy compared to other video players like YouTube. These ISPs might not realize what's in store for the internet as even more services and larger content moves online, they might have to buckle sooner rather than later and spend the $2 billion necessary to upgrade networks before things really get out of control.
[via usatoday]
DLS Interview: Free Software Foundation's Peter Brown

The BBC iPlayer has been in development for a number of years now, costing the BBC public £130 million (nearly $260 million) to date. The use of Microsoft's DRM technology has been highly contentious, especially with the appointment of Erik Huggers (previously director of Microsoft's Windows Digital Media division whose technology the BBC now employs in their iPlayer software) as controller of the BBC's future media and technology group which is managing the iPlayer project.
The BBC is a publicly funded body, governed by the BBC Trust who protect, amongst other things, open access and independence form corporate influence. The BBC has been told to make the player platform independent, however Mac and Linux users are likely to be out in the cold for some time.
Download Squad decided to visit the protest and spoke to Peter Brown, Executive Director of the Free Software Foundation, about the reasoning behind the protests and what the campaigns hopes for the future. We've made the interview available either as a text transcript after the break, or via the Download Squad podcast feed.
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- BBC iPlayer homepage
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Continue reading DLS Interview: Free Software Foundation's Peter Brown
DefectiveByDesign: London and Manchester Calling

BBC takes more flack for XP only streaming video archives

Small signs of progress are appearing however, as the BBC reports some success in meeting with the Open Source Consortium about a possible Linux player for all that locked up content. Meanwhile, a petition circulated online has garnered over 10,000 signatures from angry alternative OS users who want what their Windows counterparts have; access to the BBC's enormous archives.
Dev Chair : iPhone Safari and the rest of Web

iPhone day is upon us. Much has already been written about the iPhone despite the fact that only a handful of journalists have used it. One thing that is common among all reviews is the AT&T's EDGE network is slow. Perhaps it is faster now but EDGE is still no 3G.
Earlier this month at WWDC, Jobs told Apple's developers to develop web applications for the iPhone instead of releasing a SDK. Again, much had been written about how developers felt betrayed by Apple, and that web applications are not really applications at all. Despite all these resentments, a few iPhone only web sites have sprung up since WWDC. Unfortunately, none of them are particularly impressive or useful probably because no one has gotten their hands on a real iPhone yet, which kind of confirms what the developers feared; that web applications will not be as good as proper iPhone applications. There are exceptions, of course. NewsGator's online feed reader allows users to read their RSS feed via the web anywhere and sync with their desktop apps when they get home. Similarly, the latest version of Google Reader does the same.
With all the attention on iPhone only web apps, I think people are neglecting the regular web sites. Just because iPhone's Safari can render regular web sites fully and allows the users to navigate/zoom around the site with their fingers, it does not mean it provides the best user experience.
My prediction will be that as soon as all the new iPhone owners get home and start surfing to their favorite news site/blog/message board via EDGE connection, they will find that -- although they can do almost everything on that smaller screen -- it is not as easy as on the desktop computer. They will be disappointed and lots will be written on the web this weekend about how web surfing sucks on the iPhone using EDGE. And I will agree with them. Can you imagine loading and navigating cnet.com on the iPhone using EDGE?
So what can be done to improve the user experience? The solution is a concept that has existed ever since cell phones were able to connect to the internet; mobile versions of web sites. The idea of a stripped down version of the regular web site for a mobile phone is as old as HTML4/CSS2 themselves. Some of the best examples that I have used are Fandango, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Vox. What is so good about specificly tailored mobile web sites? First, they are designed with cell phone in mind so the site is generally formatted to fit the narrower screens. Second, because of limited bandwidth mobile, they strip out all extraneous graphics, animations, AJAX menus and buttons, Flash, and the like. so the page will load quickly. Third, and the most important of all, because of the previous two reasons these sites always focus on what the users want to do on the site. Whether it is to find movie times on Fandango, updates your current thoughts/activities on Twitter or Facebook, or read/compose blog on Vox, these sites let users get there and do it quickly and pleasantly.
Some of the big players in the web are already there. Both Yahoo and Google have mobile version of their sites, allowing quick access to search, emails, and other features. BBC has a PDA version, so does CNN. As the battleground shifts from desktop to mobile computing, web sites need to start thinking about how their sites look on a restricted device (be it a UMPC, iPhone, etc.) because it is no longer just about providing content or services. It is about how easy the users can access these content or services.
My hope is that the iPhone will finally make web developers pay more attention to the mobile experience of their web sites. Even if iPhone 1.0 disappoints, at least other mobile web users will benefit from improved user experience.
BBC gets approval for "catch up TV"
The BBC Trust has approved a proposed video-on-demand service for BBC viewers. The announcement follows a public test of the BBC's new iPlayer service.So what the heck is an iPlayer? Basically it's a service that offers BBC viewers online access to every television episode that has run on the state-regulated network over the past week, commercial-free.
10,500 viewers and organizations offered comments during the test period. I'm guessing most of the comments were positive.
No word yet on when the service will roll out. The BBC press release says it "will be announced in due course," which sounds so much nicer than "it'll be ready when it's ready."
[via NewTeeVee]
BBC and YouTube strike a deal
The BBC plans to set up three YouTube channels featuring short clips of BBC content. There will be one news channel and two entertainment channels.One of the entertainment channels will feature trailers and short videos related to BBC programming. There will be no advertising on this channel. It's main purpose will be to drive traffic to the BBC's website, which in the future may include full episodes of TV programs for streaming and download.
The other entertainment channel will be advertising-driven, and will include 3-6 minute clips of material from the BBC archives. Clips will include content from Top Gear, The Mighty Boosh, and nature programs.
The news channel will also include advertising, and will show around 30 news clips every day. The news clips will be available only to viewers outside of the UK, which I find kind of funny. Sure you shouldn't have to watch advertising on the BBC if you live in Britain, but does that mean you should actually have less access to this BBC outlet than foreigners?
Anyway, somebody wake me when they put Doctor Who episodes up on YouTube.


















