BBC Internet Media Player (IMP)

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BBC Internet Media Player (IMP)

The BBC is planning to launch a PVR service called iMP (Internet Media Player.) It will be using Microsoft DRM, and will only work on Windows PCs. It will have a rolling 14-day schedule (one week previous and one week ahead) and will use some sort of a P2P backend for content delivery.

Why am I almost positive this will fail miserably?

BBC ponders P2P distribution [theregister.co.uk]
More details of BBC iMP revealed - All content DRM'd [digital-lifestyles.info]

by Gen Kanai February 26, 2004 in Products

Comments

Why is it always PC only? In the age of cross-platform compatiblity, or Unix/Linux derivatives, why are Macs and Unix systems continuously shut out?

And why use a MS DRM? MS video is almost always the worst of the 3 major formats.

Posted by: The G at Feb 28, 2004 12:39:46 AM

I wrote the original Digital-Lifestyles.info piece and it's worth noting that the BBC say there have been no final decisions on who will supply their DRM technology, it is currently only being used for the trial.

I think rather than concentrating on whose DRM will be used, it is better to look at the positive side. Here is a national broadcaster talking about providing access to the previous seven days TV & radio content from multiple channels ... free.

They should be applauded for it.

I'd love to know of another, who was talking about doing the same.

Posted by: Simon Perry at Feb 28, 2004 3:15:59 AM

> "Why am I almost positive this will fail miserably?"

Because it's Microsoft?

Posted by: Conrad at Feb 28, 2004 4:54:30 PM

The Beeb is always light years ahead of North America when it comes to cool things to do with TV. They've been doing interactive TV right since the 80's.

I'll also point out that the whole "WMP used to be 3rd best" argument went out the window when Microsoft got serious about Windows Media 9 series, which kicks some serious butt, and as far as I know, is the only one of the three media players capable of delivering 5.1 audio, and HDTV. Real and Quicktime might have had better quality in the past, but it was always due to multi-pass encoding...which takes a hella long time to do.

...and why Windows first? Because like it or not, Linux and Mac are fringe platforms. I love my Linux box, but I know I'm only 1% of ESPN's audience...so I'm not going to tell them to make their site conform to my platform.

Posted by: Brian G at Mar 1, 2004 1:04:49 PM

Hi. I found your site via Google and I just thought I'd add my opinion or something.

Did you know the BBC are developing their own video codec? It's called Dirac and I think that's what they'll end up using for this (the iMP). Not sure how they'll get DRM into it as it's all open source and stuff (they have a section on SourceForge) but it looks interesting. The content will also only be available to people in the UK. Bummer, eh?

Links:
BBC's Dirac Page
SourceForge Dirac Page

Posted by: James at May 4, 2004 2:34:55 PM

The thing that bothers me most is the people using the technology (us) will be blocked at every turn to utilise it fully. I work throughout Europe and have a couple of laptops + a cat5 network in my UK home. I've been using MS XP Media Centre Edition (XP Pro with the ability to give you a blue screen or lockup once a week). To make copyright handlers happy, MS sees fit to stop me watching shows with DRM on any of my other PCs! This will start being a problem soon because the content providers will soon ask us to provide a list what equipment we're using with serial numbers (hello privacy laws)! In the old days (I'm only 33) we could play a record where we had a record player. Soon we'll need to pay everytime we hear a track or watch a movie, "on demand" is the new buzzword, why charge someone $10 to have a DVD making an $7 profit (which they can lend to their friends) when you can charge them $2 to watch the DVD and make a $1.75 profit and stop them watching on any other device (even when, heaven forbid, they replace that device)! Perhaps a new eutopia will form where artists/actors/producers etc... will make films for FREE and those who are sucessful will allow us to PAY-IN-ADVANCE to get the next film up and running! Imagine it...a studio offers you several actors to choose from with scriptwriters and themes and we'd control the content on the internet. Then everyone would bid anything from $1 to $100000 to see the film get made (perhaps with a ROI of 4% for the big bidders). Once the studio had the funding they could allow the end customers to view the movie in priority order (how much you paid depends how long before you see the movie), after 1 year, the movie would be free for everyone! Would it work...who knows? Once people wished to listen to established music artists churn out regular work, perhaps we'll put money in the piggy bank for a new single or album? Steven King tried an online book using this format, but I understand it failed. Also consider this, when the large supermarkets started using the data from their EPoS systems, they started to control what stock certain stores sold, if certain products were unsucessful in stores they were axed. When I moved into a different Acorn area (CACI's geodemographic postcode targeting) I noticed that I could no longer buy certain products as they were unavailable. So I had to purchase those products that were available! It became a self-fulfilling prophecy! How would you feel if niche movies / music was ignored and only entertainment for the masses was provided? I'm not sure I'd want to pay to watch "Eastenders - The Movie" with additional soundtrack written by "Shane Richie" (although my mum might). [Apologies if I've deviated too much or gone on a bit, remember it's our world that other people are shaping]

Posted by: Simon at Jul 5, 2004 10:32:30 AM

ello chic wot u up 2 i am fine hope u r on 2 nyt carnt wait 2 shag u again

Posted by: carina at Sep 23, 2005 6:49:23 AM

I can understand the cynicism, but I firmly believe the BBC will make it work and work well. It is unfortunate that other countries won't have access, but as a UK TV Licence payer, I can understand why.

I don't believe the pay per play philosophy will ever creep into the BBC plan, they just don't work that way. The BBC are quite unique, there is no other TV coporation like them in the world. Bear in mind, they are no way near as commercially orientated as any other major TV company in the world.

The BBC does cater for a huge range of programming and for a diverse audience, in fact they pride themself in it.

Again, BBC I applaud you!

However, as with all things, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Posted by: Car at Sep 23, 2005 11:21:52 AM

The BBC does cater for a huge range of programming and for a diverse audience, in fact they pride themself in it.

Again, BBC I applaud you!

However, as with all things, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Posted by: Car at Sep 23, 2005 11:22:33 AM

I agree with you the way you view the issue. I remember Jack London once said everything positive has a negative side; It is also interesting to see different viewpoints & learn useful things in the discussion.

Posted by: average penis size at Nov 2, 2005 4:58:39 PM

I'm also currently doing the BBC iMP Trail, and also found this site via google...

The BBC has again developed an excellent idea into a working product. As its a trial it's not by any means perfect.. It is in my opinion lacking abit in content. It's okay for all those folk that want to watch Eastenders again and again and again and again....... but does not currently give you access to a full 7 days worth of coverage.

I would say that I give us (there customers) access to some of the last 7 days worth of content. Which is great so we dont need to remember to record anything. Also you can download the limited number of HDTV content! which for the UK is a first. Sky nor NTL/Blueyonder Telewest have release HDTV yet.. they are all trialling it.

Also I guess as it's a trial it not going to be made available outside the UK yet, hopefully this wont be a longterm thing, so others can get the benefits of this system. But i'm sure that at the minute the reasons why it's not available internationally is because of licencing of the content. But with channels like BBC America i'm assuming that the US will also get this. I'm hoping we can get BBC America in the UK.. I would be interested to see the difference compared to the UK BEEB's styles.

Like others I hope this will eventually encompass other non BBC channels, and that iMP will just be the method you use to access other content.

Telewest (my cable supplier) have a service called Teleport, which allows you to view the last 7 days worth of content from the BBC and the FlexTech channels (LivingTV, UKTV Gold, etc etc) straight on your cable STB. Again it's only available for the past 7 days, but at least the service is available. Again like iMP, teleport's content is limited at the minute. The choice of content is poor in my opinion, well at least the majority of the stuff is not my cup of tea.

But anyway, we'll see what becomes of those solutions.

Posted by: Stuart at Nov 25, 2005 9:26:26 AM

Ok if this coment board is still active i would also think that this is one of these services that could be awsome but given the way the ionternet and media is going probly wont. firstly thers the drm (although because its free isnt quite as bad) Why is it needed (i know content providers wouldnt let it go with out.) but think its all on the telly anyone who wants to record it will just plug in a dvd recorder or dvr or caset if they start with brodcast flags. Anyone who wants a proper dvd will still buy one and anyone who would get it off p2p would do anyway, and those who would put it on will get round the drm anyway. Secondly the P2P delivery system grate in theory losey in pratice. ISP's block P2P , they shouldnt but they do, my isp "bandwith throtles" p2p trafic right down to 1kbs so unless they use some new ports it will be teribly slow. finally 7 day expiery on media your away on holiday for a weak and think grate ill use that new imp to catch up and waht do u know they drm wont let u watch em. However once the hacckers have sorted thess problems out and u have all bbc content frelly avlible on everything , anytime and anyware u want it will be grate. please check out my blog on http://tuxworth.blogspot.com/

Posted by: alex at Mar 21, 2006 12:32:17 PM

As an expat and as many,retired, I would like to share my view with the BBC.
1. The future programs on internet should be provided on payment of the normal fee for a TV licence , even should the viewer be in any other country. Most of us who live or work abroad deserve to enjoy our culture and would pay the required fee.
2. Some programs should be free for the whole world to appreciate which would go a long way to educate those who have been less fortunate in their education. Prehaps the goverment would consider some participation especially throwing some light on some of the more difficult decisions they have to make.
Thank you for the time you have taken to read this.
How do you think does the BBC relate to offending The Millions of Mac users?

Posted by: John Gregory at Apr 29, 2006 3:30:35 PM

I took a short work experience placement at the BBC's R&D department this year.

Whilst there I came to understand the difficult position that the BBC is in when it comes to DRM and formats.
The BBC's content needs to be open and accessible to all, yet it still needs to protect the copyright it has on it's programmes.
As noted in another comment, this is a trial, and whilst developing their own codec, they probably needed a fairly good quality, existing codec for the prototype.

Posted by: Thomas Wood at Nov 6, 2006 12:19:36 PM

BBC Internet Media Player (IMP)

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