BBC Views Content Piracy As Wake-Up Call 388
Peregr1n writes "The BBC is reporting that they view the piracy of a Doctor Who episode before its broadcast date earlier this year as a 'wake-up call about the demand for new technology', in a refreshing change of opinion from most media/broadcasting corporations, who would damn this piracy without hesitation. They are forming plans to simulcast the television channels BBC1 and BBC2 on the web, as well as allowing users (only in the UK to start with, unfortunately) access to shows for a week after the broadcast date. It is worth noting that they are already trying out a system where they make shows available on the web before television broadcast, with The Mighty Boosh. Other BBC3 comedies are due to follow suit and become available on the internet first." Relatedly, shadowlight1 writes "K9, Doctor Who's lovable robotic dog, is returning to the new series with a cameo in season 2."
All I can say is: (Score:3, Insightful)
All I can say is: WE allready have this (Score:5, Interesting)
We (the dutch) are allready doing this. The website (http://www.uitzendinggemist.nl/ [uitzendinggemist.nl] translate as "Missed Broadcast/Episode" hosts most of the stuff broadcast by public access (three channles here), it's all avaialable for free, and without commercials (which our public access does have, but only in between shos, not during).
I myself am enjoying this service so much, that I'm thinking of not getting a TV at all (I'm moving out soon, finally), since I'll be able to get my news, and background (60 minutes like shows) from the forementioned website. I'll just get the big american shows from the web, I usually end up doing that now anyway, since our (fully) commercial channels are atleast six months behind on the americans.
Archers (Score:2, Funny)
What, exactly, do you expect ? (Score:5, Insightful)
If I have signed a licencing agreement with X over a (presumably popular, though I've never listened to it myself) show, wouldn't X be rightfully annoyed if I then start giving it away ?
Say X's business depends on it, and they've committed funds on that basis - the beeb would be in obvious breach of the licence, and would be open to being sued. This is therefore not an excuse, it's a cold hard problem. Deal.
It annoys me when (anyone) makes a bold new move, and joe-random-nobody pops up with "yes, but it still doesn't do *this*". So what ? Progress is being made in a good direction. The idea is to applaud and encourage, not to bitch and moan. Some people are so unbelievably self-centred.
Simon
(who's noted that being critical of someone on
Re:What, exactly, do you expect ? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:What, exactly, do you expect ? (Score:4, Insightful)
They do. The market for entertainment has a limited size, since there's only a limited number of people and limited amount of time per day that a particular human being can devote to entertainment. Therefore, every piece of new entertainment will be directly competing with old entertainment.
In other words, if old episodes of, say, Powerpuff Girls keep circulating among fans, it lessens the demand for Powerpuff Girls Z - and whatdoyou know, Cartoon Network is not showing PGG anymore, now that PPGZ is nearing launch (or has possibly already been launched in Japan).
It's simply a matter of trying to sell new series into a saturated market - you need to kill off some old stuff to make room for new stuff.
Then there's the matter of profile - maybe whoever produced the program wants to forget it ever existed. Maybe he wants to make a "special edition" and forget the original ever existed (but Han still shoots first). Maybe the program used material licensed from some other entity, and that creates legal trouble (Star Trek: The Animated Series, for example, used Kzinti from Larry Niven's books).
Re:What, exactly, do you expect ? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Git orf moi LAN! (Score:3, Informative)
Interestingly the long wave is slightly different to the FM version (The long wave version regularly has more shipping forcasts) and for major, reletively unplanned events (such as the replacement of the pope) one version gives in depth coverage, the other regular programming
This is what I'm paying a licence fee for. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:This is what I'm paying a licence fee for. (Score:5, Interesting)
duh (Score:4, Interesting)
besides being obvious, this is very nice, and a credit to the BBC for showing that sometimes publicly run things do get it right.
**this is not an endorsement for state sponsored programs or wholesale socialism, because most of the time it sucks... but BBC seems to be doing it right, for a change.
Re:duh (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:duh (Score:2)
I don't know about that.
Put it out on the web at the same time it is airing, and I'll watch it commercials and all. I just lack a TV (and the desire to buy one).
I'd rather watch it now with commercials than find it on bittorrent the next morning and wait for a download. No question in my mind.
Re:duh (Score:5, Interesting)
These are extremely convenient ways to watch TV, so people prefer them to Internet broadcasts. Also, because of the high barrier-to-entry, there's a perception (true or not) that it's "better" content: it's "what's on TV". There's a considerable amount of simple inertia, too.
So advertisers will pay more for a 30-second commericial on TV than for an overtitle on your web broadcast. (You may well find overlays even more aggravating than commercials.) Or you could put in real commercials and watch the slashdotters scream about the DRM you put on to keep people from skipping them.
You'll find that the expense of producing a TV show, plus the expense of serving up 640x480 video images, rapidly exceeds the budget you get from advertising.
That said, feel free to prove me wrong. Overcome the inertia, make something good enough that people WANT to download it. Or build a set-top box for serving up Internet-based content, and hook it up to a simple remote.
(The remote alone is a big barrier. A TV remote has the simplicity of ten digits because of the limited number of channels. Full URLs are going to be a pain in the ass. Tie it in to full-scale web surfing, perhaps, with a wireless keyboard, preferably for a high-def TV so that you can read the screen...)
I'd love to see the Internet break the barriers that scarce spectrum/cable/satellite bandwiths bring up. It's starting to happen with music, which has lower start-up costs both in production and bandwidth. Video content may be next.
Re:duh (Score:4, Insightful)
FWIW, it didn't seem obvious to me.
Pushing the content into the pirate's channels before the pirate can. Hmmm... why wouldn't that work for commercial TV too, with ads in place as originally broadcast? Sure, maybe ads could be fast-forwarded, as with TiVo, but maybe they wouldn't all be (as with TiVo).
(Nice they're reviving K9. Consonant with with their anti-piracy push-philosophy, makes him sort of a 'please-watch dog'...)
Re:duh (Score:2)
I don't think so. At least where I live (Greece), for-profit TV stations make money by showing ads (and plenty of them, too). If they were streaming shows on the web at the same time they could include the ads, which would just give them more revenue while also being convenient for the users.
Re:duh (Score:2)
The BBC will follow the money. (Score:5, Interesting)
The BBC has a lot of content that I like; the few odd series that have made it to US public television that I specifically remember were Doctor Who, Are You Being Served, May to December (was that the name of it?), Mulberry, etc.
There were quite a few others that generated buzz but I never managed to see (Kumars of x Street, Yes Minister, some of the old crufty stuff like Upstairs Downstairs).
Heck, even MTV picked up The Young Ones.
The BBC has a large catalog of shows. Imagine charging an internet license for Bittorrent access to this archive and suddenly doubling their audience.
It was recently very difficult to get the entire Doctor Who 2005 down by bittorrent. If the BBC guarantees a few seeds for everything, then heck I'd pay.
It will be somewhat ironic if the BBC becomes a global media powerhouse while ABC, CBS and NBC go the way of the dinosaur.
Re:The BBC will follow the money. (Score:3, Informative)
Stuff that sucks on PBS (Score:5, Insightful)
> programs or wholesale socialism, because most
> of the time it sucks...
Yeah, "socialist tv really sucks:"
NOVA, Wall Street Week, Seasame Street, This Old House, Victory Garden, McNeal Leher Report, Cosmos, Scientific Frontiers...
Not to mention, the cooperation that brought us:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. Who, Blake 7, Benny Hill, Faulty Towers, Monty Python,
As opposed to Quality TV on Korporate Funded Networks:
Friends, pick your favorite reality show, Different Strokes, Heehaw, the 700 Club, GMA, Katie Couric, Friends,
Sure, Korporate TV does get some things right, but show for show, "socialist tv" is doing a hell of a lot better.
Re:duh (Score:3, Insightful)
Only part of its funding is derived from the licence fee. It also generates a lot by selling programmes outside the UK, and through DVDs and so on. It could be argued that BitTorrents of shows might be damaging to these other sources of revenue, and it might be that the BBC is seeking to protect. However early access (via electronic formats) might boost sales if a way to deliver and sell via electronic media is made possible.
Piracy or leak? (Score:2, Interesting)
the piracy of a Doctor Who episode before its broadcast date
Those wacky Brits, and their funny spelling of "leak".
I was sure that most people knew it was a viral-style publicity stunt.
Re:Piracy or leak? (Score:5, Interesting)
The main one being that the leaked episode one was an NTSC rip (29.97 fps) and not a PAL (25 fps) that indicates that it did indeed come from an NTSC territory and not a PAL one.
Re:Piracy or leak? (Score:2, Interesting)
Which means nothing at all. I just ripped a copy of "True Stories" for my girlfriend in Serbia. And reencoded it from NTSC to PAL with no problems whatsoever. The tools are very cheap and easy to use. It could easily have been a reencoded PAL rip.
Re:Piracy or leak? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Piracy or leak? (Score:3, Insightful)
The leaked copy wasn't even that great. It was compressed beyond belief and included some unpolished special effects (the garbage can scene had clearly not been shaded properly yet.)
Are you telling me that someone who works in a video pro
BBC TV (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:BBC TV (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course BBC America shows commercial in the US.
Re:BBC TV (Score:5, Funny)
Re:BBC TV (Score:3, Funny)
Re:BBC TV (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:BBC TV (Score:3, Informative)
Re:BBC TV (Score:2)
Re:BBC TV (Score:2)
A realmedia radio streams at 44.1Kbps is "enough", 80Kbps for video is just plain unwatchable.
Re:BBC TV (Score:3, Interesting)
Isn't $25 a month what Giganews now charges for unlimited downloading? Drop the crappy cable, and learn how to download binaries and watch .AVI files. Get a nice TV with a VGA input (even 640x480 VGA is a vast improvement over S-video), and let other people be your Tivo. I haven't had cable for four years now (and the last year
Re:BBC TV (Score:4, Insightful)
Here's a novel thought then: Stop it.
Stop paying for 50 channels when you only want five. Don't pay for any channels. The fact that so many keep paying for it enables the cable companies to keep selling it without offering better options. If people like you stopped paying for a crappy service that isn't what they really want, the cable companies would be forced to change. Until then, expect the Cable TV status quo to continue.
About time (Score:2, Interesting)
I wish more companies did this (Score:5, Insightful)
Look! Pay attention all who hate on piracy and despise users for doing what they want:
Google listens, gives everything away for free, yet is one of the richest and most loved companies.
BBC is just now listening to what people say,
and now we must give them respect for doing that.
MPAA recently said that they could be wrong too, and that their movies sucked. They do.
What a novel concept! Give people what they want and they won't hate you so much.
Go with the flow instead of against it. Gah, haven't you people read the Tao?
Re:I wish more companies did this (Score:3, Funny)
Err... (Score:5, Funny)
Or "Satan's Hound Of Comedy-Sidekick Hell", to give him his full title.
I will never forgive the BBC, or indeed the world in general, for allowing the theme tune to K9 And Company to be inflicted on this poor unsuspecting child...
Cheers,
Ian
Re:Err... (Score:2)
* Figuratively of course.
Reason for difference (Score:5, Insightful)
As much as people from abroad take the piss for our "TV license", it's nice to have a media corporation act in the public's interest rather than being legally obliged to do everything in its power to make money for its shareholders, unlike typical broadcast corporations.
Here's the crucial difference: the BBC think "they've already paid for it, how can we give them better access to what they have paid for?", and other corporations think "they've already paid for it, how can we make them pay for it again?".
Compare and contrast with, say, the RIAA, who flatly deny that you buy music, rather "a license to listen", and run the upgrade treadmill - buy on vinyl, buy on cassette, buy on CD, buy on DVD-A, buy online - but tie it up in DRM so you'll still have to pay for a copy for the office and your car too.
At some point, corporations should recognise that they've been more than compensated for the cost of producing it, and let it go. But they are unable to do so as long as shareholders are able to turn around and sue them for not milking the public for every penny they can.
Re:Reason for difference (Score:3, Insightful)
Man, being a Mexican stutend in UK, I find that license REALLY anoying... when I arrived to UK I did not have a TV in the place where I was living. Now I just moved to a new apartment where the person living there happened to have a TV (and payed those £10 monthly which I find quite high for public TV).
Now I am living in the apartment and I do not watch TV, usually I see DVD's on my computer but someone told me that if I have the TV, th
Re:Reason for difference (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Reason for difference (Score:3, Funny)
In general, "someone told me" counts for very little. You only need a license if you receive or record [tvlicensing.co.uk]
Re:Reason for difference (Score:3, Interesting)
In the case of the BBC, it is a government program more than anything else. For others, then it is the corporation that originally funded the program and as such, I think they do have certain exclusive rights to make what money they can from it. Of course, I don't believ
Re:Reason for difference (Score:2)
Re:Reason for difference (Score:3, Insightful)
No, actually. DRM is a way to give corporations more control than they have by law.
For example, Apple lets the same DRMed music be played on up to five computers.
Wow, that's very magnanimous of them, isn't it? "Allowing" their customers, who have paid them the ability to exercise their fair use rights a *whopping* five times!
And to think that some people
Re:Reason for difference (Score:2)
They should also be required to say on the package what rights you are actually licensing.
Re:Reason for difference (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Reason for difference (Score:2)
Re:Reason for difference (Score:3, Interesting)
Do you have stock? Do you have some fund or investment plan or retirement plan or
It's amazing how many people are whining about the shareholders demanding higher revenue causing less jobs or inferior products or whatever while they or their parents or neighbours are shareholders themselves whom start whining the moment stock prices are dropping.
Blame the mana
piracy isn't alway about getting it for free... (Score:5, Insightful)
Piracy for movies and songs that have been around in the market for a while, is all about getting it for free. These folks probably wouldn't pay no matter what.
There is talk about releasing dvds at the same time as movies in theaters. Seeing as a DVD costs about as much as 2 tickets, I think it might help with group 1, but not with the "i'm never going to pay" group.
Re:piracy isn't alway about getting it for free... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:piracy isn't alway about getting it for free... (Score:3, Insightful)
It's sad that Hollywood doesn't do as many pirate movies as they used to.
I agree completely... (Score:2)
Just because it isn't available in the US doesn't mean you are forced to pirate it. You could also do without. This is what you would do if it were a physical object that you wanted and no one would sell it to you.
But I agree that there are times that people pirate (myself specifically) when they would gladly pay in the normal way if that option were available.
Companies that put people in this position likely lose money they could have easily have captured.
nice time to produce state-funded content (Score:2, Interesting)
BBC, as a state-funded institution, is doing its job by achieving maximum reach. If it can expand its reach through online distribution, then it is doing a better job at fulfilling its state-funded mission.
I'm sure ABC doesn't mind that thousands of people watched LOST in high-definition on their computer monitors via BitTorrent downloads. What ABC must mind is that these home-edited, advertising-free distributions of their content subvert their entire
Re:nice time to produce state-funded content (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think TV content producers care how their programs are distributed. They care about whether or not people are watching the advertisements.
Let's face it; when it comes to any media outlet's business model, WE'RE the product being sold. Advertisers/sponsors pay very good money to media outlets to spread ads to as many people as possible.
It's natural that advertisers, and in turn broadcasters, are concerned by any technology that prevents the ad from getting to the consumer: hence Ted Turner's comments about channel-flippers being "thieves".
I'd be willing to bed that for-profit broadcasters would embrace any technology that gives their programs (and more importantly, ADS) wider distribution. Things like Tivo and P2P distribution of ad-stripped programs is a direct threat to their business.
Re:nice time to produce state-funded content (Score:3, Insightful)
Not quite. They don't care whether people watch the adverts. They care whether they can tell their advertisers "we have [x] number of people watching on a Friday night, and they are likely to be of [y] age, with [z] amount of disposable income".
So even if everybody who illegally downloaded their programmes watched the adverts, it would still matter to t
Hope they will do this internationally (Score:5, Interesting)
It's not a technological issue preventing this; it's actually the BBC's Royal Charter, which states that any overseas venture has to be paid for with money that is not derived from the license fee (also, there could be potential international copyright issues; however, the fact that the World Service broadcasts music, amongst other things, to the four corners of the world suggests that the BBC is in a position where it can come to reasonable agreements with copyright holders).
So on that basis, a serious question: how many people outside of the UK would be willing to pay for access to BBC programming over the web?
Re: TV license fee (Score:3, Informative)
I want to watch Doctor Who, and right now the only way I can do it is over the internet.
Re:Hope they will do this internationally (Score:2)
While the quality of their programs are usually good, their TV programming sucks mostly. I prefer the Canvas (Belgium TV) programming. They show the best the BBC has to offer but with a better schedule.
Having said that, I would love the pay for easy to use, high quality, iTunes like DRM (nog **AA like DRM) visual content on a pay per episode/show/season base.
Going
Those Brits never give up. (Score:5, Funny)
(remember to post AC, remember to poast AC, remember to post AC...)
Re:Those Brits never give up. (Score:5, Funny)
I wouldn't say it was entirely fair. Your unexpected stategy of cowering behind the French left us helpless with laughter.
Re:Those Brits never give up. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Those Brits never give up. (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, but remember - the UK actually HAS weapons of mass destruction!
Besides, they make some really good meat pies. And some decent beer.
You'll just have to wait for the MPAA to use their mercenary army to take out the BBC.
Beeb is *big* online (Score:5, Interesting)
http://www.alexa.com/site/ds/top_sites?ts_mode=la
They're ahead of CNN, ahead of NBC, Fox all the USA networks, all print media. They're even ahead of Fastclick (the web advertising network!).
You gotta be impressed at how they've grasped the Internet.
Re:Beeb is *big* online (Score:2)
refreshing (Score:5, Interesting)
Next thing we need is a global service - I understand BBC limiting itself to UK to begin with, it is financed with UK tax money after all, however I really would like to see the day when broadcasters realize the power of global audience.. most companies are already global, and I would think the likes of Coca Cola, Nokia, Sony and Microsoft would see the possibilies of global marketing and the money they'd save/make by running their advers with something like that.
The superduper DRM schemes and limiting products to special markets only (through DVD regions for example) seems like a very odd and counter-productive thing to do from a global point of view.
Maybe what I'm asking for is utopia and maybe the current money flow is enough to keep us inprisoned to strange regional marketing schemes for years to come.. but maybe some day we consumers get the point through.. here's to hoping!
Hollywood is starting to change as well (Score:5, Insightful)
Before Internet piracy took off, movies would be delayed for months before overseas release.
And I would guess that broadband ISPs, hard drive makers, CD
I'm not claiming it's justifiable morally, but it's not all 100% evil.
Please oh please, (Score:4, Funny)
Thanks Beeb...
Re:Please oh please, (Score:2)
Re:Please oh please, (Score:3, Insightful)
And yes, the Puritans over here are very anal about it all. I have to admit though, I am against pornography on TV or the internet where little eyes could stumble across it. Benny Hill though, was/is not porno, it's mature/adult entertainment, and should be shown during a time frame that young eyes don't happen onto it.
Leave kids to be kids, there's plenty of time for them to be adults WHEN THEY BECOME ADULTS...
I say this as a father and a grandfather..
Th
Re:Please oh please, (Score:3, Funny)
Ahh, so you had your infant children blindfolded before they were fed, did you?
That is nice, but . . . (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:That is nice, but . . . (Score:2)
If you don't like streaming there is nothing to stop you dumping the stream with mplayer.
K-9 and Company (Score:2)
Re:K-9 and Company (Score:2)
What is the story with no Dr Who in the US ? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What is the story with no Dr Who in the US ? (Score:3, Interesting)
I'd say a combination of both.
BBC Worldwide Americas (BBCWA) - the licensing arm of the BBC in this region - reportedly wanted the SciFi Network to pony up $1 million per episode for the rights to televise NewWHO in the United States. That's far more than what the fees were charged to CBC of Canada or any of the other markets NewWHO is being televised in. SciFi said "no" and decided to plow the money into more of their *shlock* "original pictures" i
Re:What is the story with no Dr Who in the US ? (Score:2)
Someone should sued the SciPhony network for misrepresentation or bait and switch.
I just want to know one thing... (Score:2)
little britan (Score:5, Interesting)
Recent finds
The Power of nightmares [thepiratebay.org]
Global Dimming [thepiratebay.org]
The Private life of plants [thepiratebay.org]
If drugs were legal [thepiratebay.org]
also things like little britian and dr who. I would say that i download more BBC content than content from any other company/org. If this were provided for say 20 dollars a month, for fast not dead at 98.2% torrents, i would happily stop using the free ones.
BBC advances humanity once again.
The power of honesty (Score:5, Interesting)
Imagine if the RIAA or MPAA were in their shoes. "RAWWWWRRR!! SUE!!!! DIE!!!111!1one" - but the Beeb are different. They actually listen and take a pro-active approach. Instead of shouting at people for... ahem... "pirating" their show they ask themselves why and what they can do to *persuade* people not to or to do something even better that prevents people from needing to in the first place.
Heck, they even have a show (Points of View) where they allow people to blantantly and openly slag them off and read out the letters on air. Okay if someone's being a numpty then they'll just turn around and say "don't be silly." But often someone comes up with a valid point, and the appointed representative holds his hands up and says "yes you're right. Here's our apology and here's what we're going to do to prevent it happening in future"
You don't get that from many companies. One that actually listens to its customers is so worth it...
Of course they also get bonus points for inventing the BBC Micro... and BBC News Online which everyone around the world like to read... and embracing open source... and...
Re:The power of honesty (Score:3, Interesting)
Nice to see they're with it (Score:4, Insightful)
If this service becomes available outside of the UK I think I'd probably be quite interested in signing up as I do like a lot of the BBC content.
Positive step, but not unexpected (Score:5, Interesting)
Now, as an ex pat myself I still find myself drawn to BBC programming; partly becuase I still find the English accents more "comfortable" than American for certain types of TV, but mostly because I find the general quality of writing and acting tends to be better. US TV is awfully focused on "How can we sell something to the public using the ruse of a drama", while the BBC has always subscribed to the notion "Let's entertain our people with good drama." This leads to a lot of good quality American TV shows that eventually pander too much to advertisers and/or "consumer advocate groups" and as such tend to eventually target at the lowest common denominator of the audience. This is why subsequent seasons of many TV shows seem to become progressively worse than the last.
This isn't really just an American phenomenon; I see this in some British TV shows as well, but in general it seems more prevalent in the US. Perhaps that because there are more hours of TV produced, more channels or something... I haven't really performed any sort of analysis; just my observations.
Getting back on topic though I have to say that I enjoy BBC content and would gladly pay an annual fee (like the license fee) for unlimited and unfettered access to this content. To me it would be better value than most of the crap I get on my satellite TV and never watch... and BBC America doesn't really count because many of the shows pre-date my moving to this country (10 years ago), and those that are more recent are often repeated incessantly and thus lose some of their "luster". A subscription to content would allow me to grab content on my broadband connection as I want to see it, then dump it to the hard drive of my MythTV box for viewing on the family television. Better than crowding around a monitor and just as comfortable as sitting watching regular TV.
I can't be the only person out there to be able to count the number of programs they actually watch on American TV on the fingers of one hand... not to mention being able to put my finger on what I consider quality TV because it is so different from all the other chaff on TV.
I really love BBC - theyre always a step ahead. (Score:2, Insightful)
and no difference when the OS issues came became an issue.
When the Linux users complained about not beeing able to
listen to online radio provided for windows media player, BBC
reacted and started to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/audiohelp_nix.shtml [bbc.co.uk] support Linux users as well
Its good to see these wonderful public service freethinkers
go at it again - this time to figth piracy the democratic way!
Uitzending gemist (Score:3, Informative)
BBC, NRP, and KCRW in LA (Score:3, Insightful)
They are at the forefront of podcasting radio shows to the public. They were one of the firsts to simulcast on the web as well. I do not find it suprising that this forward thinking website that caters to a intelligent demographic is also a public broadcasting station tied to NPR (national public radio).
I hope this is a boon for public broadcasting in geenral.... great ideas!
Too late? (Score:2)
As most tech-savy users realize, a media revolution might start with concepts like podcasting with bittorrent [gotilk.com]. Maybe it's time for independent movies to do it this way instead of dvd rental based with the Netflix-like providers. They are still being ripped-off. We need to cut the middle man.
Google, where are you? ;)
Finally.... (Score:2)
Sadly this has as much to do with BBC internal.. (Score:3, Insightful)
For the love of God, sell them to me!!!! (Score:4, Interesting)
While simulcasting on the web is a nice step, just let me download the episode and give you money! Otherwise I'll complete the one step I can - downloading the episode - and then PERHAPS buying the DVD later after I've already watched all the episodes. Simulcast is just not anywhere near as convieninent as downloading, even if I am able to view it which I doubt very much not being a UK citizen.
With Battlestar Galactica I had the same issue. I wanted to watch the show in HD but that was impossible on TV in the US (at le4ast with my cable) - so I was forced to seek avenues other than TV to watch it. When they released the DVD I bought it, which as far as I'm concerned closes the loop. But I would have also happily paid to download those episodes as well, and probably still bought the DVD anyway for the extras and convienience of storage.
The one thing every content provider needs to do right now is open up a channel for payment, at the very least saying "I downloaded this and my payment precludes you from suing me. Enjoy the extra money you would not have seen otherwise".
Getting Doctor Who legally in America... (Score:3, Informative)
As good Slashdot and Digg readers (http://www.digg.com/apple/iPod_Video..._Details_ [digg.com]
If you'd like to see the NewWHO series available for digital distribution through iTunes (and for iPod Video and iPod Photo/Color models), then let Apple know by writing to them and asking that they actively pursue acquiring digital distribution rights here in the U.S. Such a distribution agreement would create buzz not only for the allegedly upcoming iPod Video unit but also buzz for the new series here in America.
Write to Apple here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html [apple.com]
If you'd like TiVo to take a look at a digital distribution agreement for broadband equipped TiVos, write to TiVo here:
http://research.tivo.com/suggestions/2web519.htm [tivo.com]
I'm including TiVo as an option since it is well known that TiVo wants to actively pursue digital downloads for their machines and they are currently testing downloads of IFC Channel original content (Greg the Bunny, etc.) through their current beta tests.
Re:Now moan... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:God, Socialism sucks doesn't it? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:God, Socialism sucks doesn't it? (Score:3, Insightful)
£10.50 per month for advertisement free unbiased television and radio per household that has a television.
That's for BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC THREE, BBC FOUR, BBC News 24, CBeebies, CBBC, BBC Parliament. They'll all be in high definition next year as well, if you have the equipment, for no extra money. Couple that with over 10 radio stations (not counting regional)
BBC *doesn't* get it (Score:4, Insightful)
In a globally connected world, it simply doesn't work to make TV programs available in one part of the world but not others. The real demand for Dr Who torrents isn't from the UK, it's from everywhere else on the planet; and the BBC still has no credible plan for reaching the rest of the planet.
"BBC America" is largely a waste of time. It's run by The Discovery Channel, censors the shows (sometimes heavily), and shows them in pan-and-scan format. At any given time it shows a very limited selection of content, padded out with endless re-runs of cheap bad 30 year old content (e.g. Benny Hill).
The BBC needs to set up satellite rebroadcasting of content from their own channels, and manage it themselves. Don't go through some clueless American media corporation. Make it a premium channel, get DirecTV to offer it, and I'll subscribe.
Re:Telewest are doing BBC video-on-demand (Score:3, Informative)
Screengrab from the cable box user interface : http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds22574.html [digitalspy.co.uk]
Telewest info on Teleport : http://www.telewest.co.uk/html/television/telepor