> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael Sparks > Sent: 22 October 2007 14:01
<snip> > I'm actually half tempted to do this, but couldn't do the > encrypted channels on Sky - which is a pity since a lot of > what I watch is on Sky 1/2, movies, SciFi, etc. > > Regards, > > > Michael. Blimey, you took my idea to the next level! I'd love to do that... Except I haven't got half the brains to do so :D Wish I did though, my knowledge lies elsewhere presently. :( Going back to mosaics, I'm fairly sure Sky could do it because don't they have monitor (or at least have the ability to monitor) every channel being broadcast at any time from their NOC? The way it's done on CanalSat is the mosaic's presented as a full-frame live video stream, and all the rendering's done at their end (so in effect you just get a regular TV channel) except when you load the channel up, it loads the interactive element - a small red square which frames the channel currently selected (starting at the top left) - and plays the audio for the related channel (often in lower quality, so it sounds like substreams). If you preview a channel you're not subscribed to for more than around 30 seconds, the audio cuts out and (if memory serves) a small banner appears prompting you to subscribe to view the channel (not interrupting the interactive experience though, I think it comes up overlaid inside the currently-selected-video box). As all the P-in-P rendering is done at their end, you just page through the video screens - 4x4 boxes per page, so I guess you're choosing more video substreams every time you page back and forth. It's a really neat way of doing things, and I was very impressed with it. Astra have their own Astra-branded mosaics of their own channels (both radio and video on several mosaics) so I'm not sure whether it's an Astra or a CanalSat thing, but either way it's pretty cool. And if CanalSat can do it, surely it can't be *that* tough to negotiate similar rights for a similar UK device? If anything I'd regard the ability to see an (albeit tiny) video window of a channel you don't subscribe to as a potential incentive to upgrade your package, especially if there's something on you'd like to watch but can't! Of course, as we all know, broadcast rights is a minefield, I can only approach this from the logical common-sense point of view, but it still seems like a good idea. </thinking aloud> - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
