----- Original message ----- > Kieran Kunhya wrote: > No, this is what I'd expect the BBC to do. > It serves the public when market-based squabbles over alternative > technological platforms don't happen, and everyone just gets on with > innovating atop a good-enough platform, rather than frittering away > consumers' time and money by playing platform argy-bargy. > > Of course, this makes other broadcaster's jobs easier, but that's a good > thing; the harder it is for them to develop something, the more they'll > want to control what they developed. Relieving them of that burden is > to everyone's benefit, not just theirs. > > > It's unlikely such a wide group of companies would ever reach a > > consensus otherwise without the BBC. > > Exactly. Markets aren't very good at arriving at a new platform from > a standing start, largely due to company boards treating technological > platforms as a strategic asset when they get the chance. > > Hence, HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray, VHS versus Betamax, or, for those old > enough to remember, AC mains versus DC mains, or broad gauge versus > standard gauge. > > As Joel Birnbaum (former HP Labs director) noted: standardizing the > mains socket enables enormous innovations on either side of it, rather > than constant arguing about what shape the pins should be. > > If the BBC can help take the debate about a platform's 'shape' off the > table, it allows everyone to concentrate on building stuff on that > platform, which can only be a service to the public.
As long as the possibility of an open-source implementation remains. Which is quite concerning at present. One should be able to build a Canvas receiver from *public* specs ultimately. The scale of lockdown is quigte worrying at the mo. Also inprove some of the diagnostics...
