Just on the matter of Google's Android platform, I presume everyone knows about http://androidguys.com/
2008/9/7 Christopher Woods <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > ... and what about the neo freerunner platform! > > And Android... And RIM's devices (that doesn't support DRM at all, > something > one mobile music platform has already countered by selling major labels' > content in MP3 or AAC+ format)... > > To be honest, I don't think the Windows Media DRM implementation on WinMo > phones is great - it piggybacks on the host device's DRM privileges, and > requires a minimum level of WMP on the desktop in order to sync desired > content between devices. I do NOT want to be syncing gigabytes of high > bitrate WMV files to my pocket device, although it has 2Gb SD card. > > I'd much prefer MPEG4/XviD/unDRMed WMV (in that order), which will play on > virtually any mobile device, in a sufficiently low enough bitrate that most > pocket devices less than 24 months old can handle it (300-400kbps would do > nicely). Players like TCPMP are quite capable of handling this, although > WMV > might have an edge in terms of playback performance on WinMo devices. > > (And what about full support for Linux in a format which doesn't mandate a > proprietary plugin, etc? And other minority OSes, my thoughts don't just > stay on OS-agnostic support for all mobile devices, but that's where I see > the iPlayer taking off next) > > If you think about it, the BBC is eventually going to *have* to provide a > host of formats for all manner of devices; it's the logical progression and > the public will demand it as more and more people get those inclusive data > tariffs and phones that support formats that can facilitate on-demand video > streaming. So, I agree that it makes sense to begin a rollout on other > mobile platforms - as we can currently see, in a controlled partnership > with > Nokia on one particular handset, which is obviously useful to gauge quality > of service and platform stability... > > That said, delays wouldn't be a good thing for gradual rollout to other > mobile devices - particularly if they begin to err towards the unreasonable > (in my mind, anything more than six months). Anything like that, when it's > seen by the public that just a lucky couple of handsets are still the only > ones to be granted access to the iPlayer platform by the almighty Beeb... > Well, I can only imagine that it's going to result in a growing amount of > resentment from regular users who have WinMo handsets (like myself) who > cannot use or access the iPlayer on their mobile devices. I have an HSDPA > connection, why can't I just stream MPEG4 video? I think I might even put > up > with stuff being panned & scanned (although being given the choice would be > nice) - as long as I can just play it when I'd like! > > A "download to desktop then sync to mobile" solution is far less > preferable, > but again it'd be tolerable for the interim. If the current state of play > continues much past the middle of 2009 though, they're going to have people > angrily knocking on the doors asking why they can't get iPlayer on their > mobile, plus increased discussion about the validity of the licence fee, > just how much of it is going into development of a product which is still > treated as a walled garden solution for a lucky minority of handset owners > etc... I'm broadly in favour of the licence fee, but even I might start to > have my doubts if not much visible progress is made by the middle of next > year, given that the iPlayer's supposed to be the Beeb's flagship > interactive service and all that. > > > Sorry, I've ended up thinking aloud again... But put it like this: I have > an > almost infinite amount of patience, and I fully appreciate the technical > complexities of rolling out a service that is as transparent as possible > for > all licence fee payers. However, demand will inexorably grow, and the > proles > grow restless far more quickly than techy people like us do! I hope that > the > BBC don't get caught up in making their service so perfect and refined for > just a couple of platforms that they neglect the rest of the market (which > still remains the vast majority of all mobile users). > > > Some fear-allaying words from people involved with the iPlayer which give > us > an indication that they are aware of this bigger picture and will > facilitate > a widespread rollout in due course to all mobile devices would be a very > good thing to have at this time, I highly doubt that any announcement of > impending future rollouts that are supported across multiple mobile Oses > would be regarded as falling foul of any potential Public Value Test or > anything like that. In fact, it could only be a good thing. > > > Thoughts? > > > > I imagine that the iplayer team are working on the windows > > mobile platform though the DRM probably is an extra layer of > > bureaucracy (including lawyers) and fiddling. > > > > I hope the team will find a way to have a SVGA version of mp4 > > iplayer for all mobile devices. That would be ideal i think. > > > > Tim > > > > -- > > www.tdobson.net > > ---- > > If each of us have one object, and we exchange them, then > > each of us still has one object. > > If each of us have one idea, and we exchange them, then each of us now > > has two ideas. - George Bernard Shaw > > - > > 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]/ > > > > - > 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]/ > -- Brian Butterworth http://www.ukfree.tv - independent digital television and switchover advice, since 2002
