I agree with you entirely, Paul. Btw, did folks here see my recent posts to the "gets even better" and scaling blogs?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/09/bbc_iplayer_gets_even_better.html - mine are near the bottom. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/07/scaling_the_bbc_iplayer_to_han.html - mine has been the last post on that one for a while. And who said that a more complex design was more "fun" anyway? Especially when it breaks usability... ----- Original message ----- > On Tue, 14 Sep 2010, Andrew Bowden wrote: > > > It should work. But not everything will work. The EPG probably won't, > > nor the Now and Next. You're unlikely to get "traditional teletext". > > And if you're German, you won't get the menus in German. > > > > As a German would you buy a UK set top box? > > > > As a Brit would you buy a German set top box? > > The problem is more fundamental than this. The problem is that the > free market likely will be throttled even *within the UK* by Canvas. > > We don't have sufficient plans/specs yet to say for sure, but given > prior history wrt the BBCs' actions with iPlayer there is strong > cause to worry that Canvas will be locked down and that all 3rd party > applications will require some kind of approval by a centralised body > before being allowed general access to the device. This inherently > implies a stifling of the market. > > Whereas before, where the BBC broadcast a signal according to some > public standard and where many device makers independently innovated > and built devices to receive/display that signal, with Canvas there > is a very clear risk that a very small number of organisations will > have rubber-stamping power over which device and software makers do > and do not get access. > > Despite the fact I respect the BBC and the people within it, and that > I believe they are good people working in good faith for the public > benefit, I can not believe that it is ever a good idea to centralise > the process for access to a markets (other than for very limited > regulatory reasons such as to enforce safety regs or provide > arbitration services). > > Let device makers remain able to innovate independently. > > In practical terms, I want to remain able to buy cheap Chinese (or > whatever) "TV" electronics - where those devices are built to support > a number of global standards, and the vendors do not have the ability > to co-ordinate crypto keys, etc.. with some UK specific body. > > NB: Reply-to is set to both my personal address and the list address. > Not sure if all list software or MUAs handle that appropriately. > Please check addresses on any reply. > > regards, > -- > Paul Jakma p...@jakma.org Key ID: 64A2FF6A > Fortune: > Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper. > -- Francis Bacon > - > 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/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
