Hi, Thought this response from my friend might be of interest to the list - reproduced with permission.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Miglia Date: 01-Oct-2006 21:49 Subject: Re: [Fsfe-uk] BBC News partnership with Microsoft Hi, I am gravely concerned that the BBC has been in effect tricked by Microsoft into using their DRM on 95% market share arguments. Clearly Microshaft want to gain a foothold given Apple is wiping the floor with them. But unless the BBC has stipulated that Microsoft support _all_ platforms, then I am paying a license fee for content I'm locked out of. This is unacceptable. The BBC's correct approach should be DRM-free content with cross-platform codecs. Unpatented codecs would be ideal, but anything that VLC will playback will do. Right now, I'm paying a license fee even though I don't have a telly because I believe in the BBC model - that is, I believe Enlightenment values in mass media can be safeguarded through public subscription like the BBC license fee, because it allows a broadcaster to take risks without pandering to advertisers or the lowest common denominator. I even accept that much of my license fee, even if I had a telly, would go on shit I'd never watch - the BBC has to cater to all audience segments, including morons who like watching sport and reality TV. But If the BBC is going to cut me off IP TV unless I abandon my preferred computing platform and buy Windows Vista, they can, bluntly, fuck right off. This is like if terrestrial broadcast TV required me to buy Sony tellies only, and my cheap Samsung telly didn't work. Not on. Cheers Miglia -- Regards, Dave _______________________________________________ Fsfe-uk mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/fsfe-uk
