Slashdot Log In
BBC Offers iPhone Version of iPlayer, Accessible to Linux Users Too
Posted by
Zonk
on Wed Mar 12, 2008 03:39 PM
from the so-nice-of-them dept.
from the so-nice-of-them dept.
smallfries writes "After a long battle with Linux users in the UK, the BBC was forced into releasing a flash version of the iPlayer streaming service to fulfill their obligations to license-fee payers. After claiming that development of Linux and Mac versions of the iPlayer would take two years, Auntie Beeb has rushed to support the iPhone. iPhone users 'can be trusted' because their platform is locked down ... so the beeb opened a non-DRM hole in the iPlayer to support them. This was guarded by the extreme security of User Agent strings! Long story short, Linux and Mac users have made their own non-DRM, non-Microsoft platform from firebug and wget. UK users can now watch (and keep) their favorite BBC shows."
Related Stories
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Full
Abbreviated
Hidden
Loading... please wait.
How long? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Re:How long? (Score:4, Interesting)
I still think whole iPlayer thing should be reason for a huge government investigation. If it was 2002-2003, it would be OK to put a windows media only thing as a service but if they did after OS X/iPhone/iPod video/mp4 compatible zillions of devices with _very tough_ DRM (if needed) built in, some "exclusive agreement" under the table is going on.
We all keep forgetting about J2ME too. Youtube already has a working J2ME player which runs all fine on my Nokia E65. It plays better than Desktop/Flash sometimes. http://www.youtube.com/yt_mobile_app [youtube.com] . BTW I invite those iPhone guys to see it to figure what is possible with that "ugly" Java Apple hiding from them.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
It doesn't weaken their position. The BBC have always been very up front in saying that they are having difficulty allowing Linux users to download tv shows in the same way that they allow Windows users because only on Windows are they able to ensure that the video is not redistributed. They have done their best in allowing streaming of the shows which is as good in many circumstances and have stated that they are trying to find ways of offering the full service to Linux users. Given the tiny fraction of co
Re:How long? (Score:5, Informative)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6944830.stm [bbc.co.uk]
Parent
Re:How long? (Score:5, Interesting)
Thank you, I do try my best although Zonk has ruined it in a couple of places.
The basis of the BBC's argument has been (as you've stated) that platforms without DRM cannot be trusted. But the reason that this argument is false, and why it is now weakened in the light of their iPhone hole is that you're not worried about redistribution within the trusted enironment. The point is that once something has been stripped out of its DRM covering it can be freely passed around. The idea that Linux is less capable of supporting DRM than windows is a Red Herring. They are both equally capable when it comes to running snakeoil.
The "strong" DRM that the BBC relies on is in fact security through obscurity. The annoying features (such as downloads timing out and self-destructing) can be worked around easily. The "protection" that the BBC has for content distributed through the windows platform is illusionary. Plenty of people had already extracted the FLAC containers from the streaming service before, it was just more of a pain in he arse to do so.
The real point is that it can be done, there is no real protection (only obscurity) and publically stating that there are technical barriers to Mac and Linux support that would take 2 years is laughable. I don't know if you had a look at the three source pages (they're on the second page of the reg article), but the people that are doing this have an agenda. They pay a license fee and they want support. Being told that artificial barriers have been erected to separate them from what they've paid for will not go down well. And if the beeb wants to continue support for the iPhone then they'll need to keep punching holes in the DRM that will be found and exploited.
Lastly, I've already bitched a couple of times about Zonk's incompetence but seriously: The Apple Section? This was supposed to be under YRO as it is a story about DRM being circumvented.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Sorry, you have lost me. Which platform has 0.8% of the market
If you are seriously suggesting that the iPhone has a larger user-base than Linux, can you tell me what it is you are smoking please?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
On the plus side, they can at least claim to be preventing 'redistribution' and people who don't understand the technology will believe them.
Re:How long? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:How long? (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
iLawsuit (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
1. Take an iBazooka
2. Load with iPhone
3. Shoot
???
5. Profit
Though I clearly do not see how to get from 3 to 5... Probably lack of Imagination 2.0.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:iLawsuit (Score:5, Insightful)
So for the people who love the iPhone, it's a perfect "little computer" with phone functionality. For people who don't see that, well, it means they want more out of the iPhone, first, I think.
Parent
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Nokia E65 (Score:5, Insightful)
Can we please stop hearing about the iPhone?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
*takes iPhone out of pocket and places on desk*
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Nokia E65 (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
There is a problem with that. (Score:3, Insightful)
The BBC can't you say "we will support the cool phone, the rest be damned", specially when this phone is not even the market leader!
Somebody in the BBC needs to be called to task. The role of the BBC should be to ensure *all* license payers can access their services, this is best achieved by using open standards.
The BBC playing to the fiddle of MS, Apple or any other company in detriment of the people that
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
For the record, I'm more in the E65 demographic. The iPhone doesn't really get my juices flowing - but I can see the appeal.
Re:Nokia E65 (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Fortunately... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Fortunately... (Score:5, Informative)
I hope that the UK DMCA doesn't apply to me...
Parent
Re:Fortunately... (Score:5, Funny)
There must be at least 1,000 Windows users out there!
Parent
Re:Fortunately... (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:Fortunately... (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
You can have a computer screen without a television licence. From the TV Licensing [tvlicensing.co.uk] website (emphasis mine):
Currently, you only need a TV licence for a PC if it has a TV tuner in it, which enables you to receive a live broadcast.
Flash sucks. (Score:5, Interesting)
Yeah, it is a great software platform for your Webkinz and your ability to deliver those super-fancy web advertisements that everyone likes. It's also a cool platform for those awesome games, like the one where if you shoot a duck you'll be a winner of a fabulous prize. And the one where you have to choose the right urinal.
For me, believe it or not, I'm not into lousy web games. I don't like three (or more) animated ads on a web page. And I don't like my CPU chugging at 100% just because a crap web site wants to deliver a singing, dancing Flash-based ad to me.
So Apple: Good for you. I agree - Flash is merely a battery killer; a misused web technology that is much more often used for junk than for quality content. On a small-screen platform it would be unbearable. Adobe needs to address these issues before Flash gets ported to the iPhone.
I turned off Flash long ago - I'm surprised more people haven't done so.
Re:Flash sucks. (Score:4, Interesting)
Parent
Re:Flash sucks. (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
How to do this (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Article tagged "flamebait" (Score:3, Funny)
Seriously, was there no other source for this news than one which has the headline:
Unacceptable. (Score:5, Insightful)
Whilst the iPhone is popular in the US, it's not that popular here in the UK and as such there is not even the excuse that it's got a large majority of the market segment.
The BBC seems too easily influenced by large corporations and frankly, something needs to be done about it because they are accountable to us - the British citizens that pay the license equally and as such we should be treated equally in how we can access our content. If this is not to be the case, we should have the choice of using our TVs but not watching the BBC and hence opt out of the TV license.
Re:Unacceptable. (Score:5, Insightful)
Your point about the licence fee and different ways of accessing content is correct, we should be treated equally, regardless of OS / Browser / Device. Having said that I'm happy to cut the BBC a little slack in this. It's only been in the last couple of years that non techies have been able to access this kind of media on anything other than a TV and at least the BBC have recognised that internet distribution is the future (unlike the majority of the media industry who still seem to have their heads buried in the sand).
iPlayer is far from perfect but it's a step in the right direction and as my father is fond of saying "Rome wasn't built in a day". If we get to 2009 the only supported platforms are owned by MS and Apple then I'll give you a shout and we can storm Television Centre and start the revolution ourselves.
Parent
BBC releases fix for iPlayer "hack" (Score:3, Informative)
So, according to bbc news, they have stopped it working.
It works fine still on the iPod..
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You're wrong, I have the real reason (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re:hooray.... (Score:4, Insightful)
A biased comment from a person complaining of a perceived bias in another. LOL.
I do wish all you bias whiners would get a grip and move on to something more productive. It's gotten old and uninteresting, and less funny than a Slashdot meme. Moreover, it suggests that you put whatever critical thinking skill you have in the services of evangelising a knee-jerk political rant, rather than taking the information provided to you in a newspaper, a radio or television broadcast and putting it real use.
As far as news organisations go, I'd put the BBC near the top of the list (where most others in the developed and undeveloped world would put it). For me, it stands right beside papers like The New York Times. Hell, I'd even include NPR and The Wall Street Journal on the same list without batting an eye. I also read the editorials and letters, especially from people whose opinions differ from mine. I'd like to think that it's the issues themselves that are most important, and understanding different perspectives on them is an integral part of making sense of them.
Bias? Maybe. Maybe not. All humans have them, and we're all human. In the end, it's up to the individual to decide what the appropriate action (or in your case, reaction) should be. Here's a tip: there has never been a "story" told, or could be told, in its entirety. Cut some slack to someone trying to present a part of it, especially someone of the caliber of the BBC.
Parent