By silicon.com, 31 July 2007 14:57
There has been a lot of criticism levelled at the BBC for its on-demand TV service - iPlayer - since it was unveiled back in June.
The Beeb's attempt at an on-demand, online TV service has been slammed for its lack of compatibility with non-Windows technology and for the varying performance of the beta version currently available for public testing.
silicon.com Retail & Leisure
Get the latest retail and leisure news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the R&L newsletter today!
For a beta version of any technology to be perfect from the off is a bit optimistic - surely the whole point of a beta is to iron out any glitches before moving to a wider release.
And as for compatibility, while the question about whether the iPlayer can become cross-platform is worth asking - since it has so far been developed just using Microsoft technology - it is clear the Corporation's independent governing body, the BBC Trust, is committed to making a cross-platform iPlayer and will make sure this happens.
For example, the BBC has met with the Open Source Consortium to discuss working with developers to make the iPlayer available on other platforms.
In addition, as one silicon.com reader pointed out, Channel 4's 4OD TV service is also only available for XP and Vista, so the BBC isn't the only organisation non-Windows users might like to moan at.
It seems people enjoy criticising the BBC - perhaps because of its public funding. But so far it appears that in this case it is working hard to make sure everyone can use the iPlayer regardless of their technology choices.
The iPlayer should be a useful addition to the services offered by the BBC and, so far, it seems the Corporation has managed the development well. But we wait for Linux and Mac versions, due later this year. And no doubt the open source community will be watching too, to make sure Auntie makes good on its promise.
Comments
There are 5 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
#1 "BBC has built bridges with the open source community" - whilst the BBC Trust and Ofcom have met with open source groups, BBC management haven't. No bridges have been built.
#2 Channel 4's 4OD TV service is also only available for XP and Vista - yes, but Channel 4 is not governed by the same charter as the BBC. They are an independent company, not funded by the likes of you and me.
#3 "But we wait for Linux and Mac versions, due later this year." Yeah, right. The Windows DRM is so tightly bound into the iPlayer codebase that this will *never* happen. Erik Huggers, former Senior Director at Microsoft and now head of the iPlayer project at the BBC, will see to that.
Ceasefire? Interesting.
2. GK
I've not been keeping in the news regarding the iPlayer - maybe because i have no plans to use it - but Anonymous' replies are good points...
3. Grant Gibson
The real problem is that the player is BBC-only, not the fact that it's windows only. Having to download a different application for each channel (BBC, ITV, Sky, 4OD) is a complete pain, and isn't going to be accepted by the general public.
They're creating fragmentation in a new market, which will ultimately hurt the development of IPTV.
Maybe that's what the TV companies, with their massive investment in broadcast technology want? After all, why would they want an open, level playing field with the little guy?
4. misceng
It gets worse.
The iPlayer only works with Internet Explorer so Anonymous should add
#4 Many who do not trust the security of IE are excluded even if they are running Windows XP.
The BBC seems to be in the pockets of Microsoft to make a player so restrictive. Like others I feel that the BBC is using licence fees to create a system of apartheid for all who do not bow to Microsoft.
5. anonymous
The writer has missed the point: the BBC has chosen a technology that only works on Windows. All the cups of tea in the world won't change that. I wonder whether the BBC has breached its mandate in making this decision.