Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead :(

papa dragon

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Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

Looks like they're using the transition from SD to HD as a perfect opportunity to restrict what people can do with their content.

Ofcom has backed the BBC's proposal to use DRM to protect some of its HD shows from multiple copying, with high value film and drama content set for a copying lockdown.

According to a statement by Ofcom, the BBC's decision to control the copying of some of its shows - something which was proposed back in January - was in the best interest of the broadcaster, noting: "Ofcom has concluded that the decision to accept the BBC's request will deliver net benefits to citizens and consumers by ensuring they have access to the widest possible range of HD television content on DTT."

The new ruling, which is a change to the multiplex license means that no restrictions will be placed on standard definition shows, but restrictions will be put in place for HD content as long as the BBC can "secure an effective content management framework on the HD Freeview platform".

According to Ofcom: "The BBC is proposing to licence the intellectual property required to gain access to the HD EPG data (Huffman lookup tables) free of charge and major receiver and integrated digital TV manufacturers are including content management in their HD Freeview products."

Essentially this means that viewers of the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 in high definition will be restricted to how many copies they can make of particular films and TV shows – something which affects those who have a Freeview HD set-top recorder.


By Marc Chacksfield 14/06/10 TechRadar UK | Technology News And Reviews

Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead | News | TechRadar UK
 
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Re: Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

please can someone tell me why the BBC is repeatedly allowed to get away with charging extoriionate amounts of money for a Licence for only a handful of channels, 99% of which the rest of the world can view for free, whilst making millions from selling its dvd`s, bluerays etc etc and lavishing some of its stars with millions in wages every year?????????????????


oh yeah, its because the government get huge tax profits out of it............
 
Re: Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

FWIW, I enjoy debating the TV Licence, and am fully aware I'm not going to change your mind on this...
please can someone tell me why the BBC is repeatedly allowed to get away with charging extoriionate amounts of money for a Licence for only a handful of channels...
You could always move to Denmark and pay €300 a year! ;) (joking, btw)

99% of which the rest of the world can view for free
Exluding the BBC World Service, apart from British armed forces bases you'd be lucky to get any UK DTT TV signal within a few tens of miles of the north coast of France. The signal from the armed forces bases is a few hundred meters at best.

The World Service sort of defines itself, but it is a radio station not a TV station.
whilst making millions from selling its dvd`s, bluerays etc etc and lavishing some of its stars with millions in wages every year?????????????????
BBC Worldwide and other non-licence funded arms of the BBC Trust contribute upto 25% of the BBC's annual income. The rest (I've got the figure of £3.1bn in my head?) coming from the licence fee. If the BBC didn't have this 'extra' ~£1bn a year from BBC Worldwide they'd be asking for closer to £200 per year - close to the value-for-money threshold that is often quoted.
oh yeah, its because the government get huge tax profits out of it............
Apart from the NI and Income Tax from BBC employees, which they'd still get if the BBC were a commercial broadcaster, I've never seen evidence that the government gets a slice of tax from the licence fee.

It may be that they hold it in escrow, but even then it's ring-fenced...
 
Re: Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

ok , so tell me little pob exactly why is the bbc allowed to charge us for a license to receive there two channels? and why did they have it extended for the next tens years (granted this was a few years ago)................granted my rantings have not come from too many facts, but aside from debt collectors and bailiffs, TV license is one of the things top of my list of hates.

like i say i would love to know why in this day and age we have to pay for a license to view 2 channels (or probably this has increased to include the new digital channels)
 
Re: Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

The amount the Licence fee costs is set by the Department of Culture. Under Labour it was often set lower than what the BBC asked for. I imagine the new Con-Lib Government will continue this practice. Though I wouldn't expect them to cut the cost of the licence fee, I wouldn't be surprised if they froze or at least capped any increases below that of inflation.

FWIW, the new Culture Secretry has stated that they will look closely at the next BBC Charter and the future of the TV Licence and method of BBC funding. This Guardian article makes for an interesting read: BBC licence fee 'under scrutiny' next year | Media | The Guardian

The TV Licence pays for more than the 8 + 1HD BBC TV channels... There are the regional and national radio stations, the BBC's website and the digital switchover.

If I remember correctly around £600m was set aside from the current charter to help pay for the free digi-box side of the digital switchover. Regardless of the starting figure there was an underspend of about £200m, which the previous Labour government wanted to use to part fund the fibre optic broadband network proposed in their Digital Britain report.

Interestingly, on recently checking the validity of the often stated insistance, which I myself have posted previously on DW, that the Licence fee directly pays for the maintainace of the terestrial broadcast masts, it would appear to be hearsay. The masts are owned by a private, 3rd party operator called Arqiva. So at the moment the closest evidence I can find of this 'fact' is that the Licence fee would indirectly pay for mast maintenance when the BBC pays the mast owner the carriage fee (£1.8bn got them a 25 year, 1156 mast agreement back in 2006).
 
Re: Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

The TV Licence pays for more than the 8 + 1HD BBC TV channels... There are the regional and national radio stations, the BBC's website and the digital switchover.

Thats funny, Since I plugged my FTA cable receiver in hoping to get BBC HD for the WC and it seems they are encrpyting it in Nagravision 3.. I wonder how they are allowed to do that then. :thumbdown:
 
Re: Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

Thats funny, Since I plugged my FTA cable receiver in hoping to get BBC HD for the WC and it seems they are encrpyting it in Nagravision 3.. I wonder how they are allowed to do that then. :thumbdown:

Baring in mind I've no experience with cable, but are there any FTA channels in the N3 areas?
 
Re: Ofcom gives BBC HD copy protection the go ahead

Baring in mind I've no experience with cable, but are there any FTA channels in the N3 areas?

All the radio channels, 7 BBC Interactive streams, BBC 1-4, Four, Five, ITV 1 , ITV 2+1, ITV 3+1, ITV4+1, VOD Streams and oddly ITV 1 HD is fta? lol..
 
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