If only iPlayer...

A couple of weeks back I got hold of a copy of the UK launch edition of WIRED magazine. It’s pretty much all read now. If you’ve seen the cover you might have noticed the words: how the iPlayer saved the BBC. The iPlayer is a genius piece of technology and a largely redundant one for us. We were near enough addicted before we left the UK, by which I mean we were using the site daily. But you can’t access the same content overseas, certainly not the TV shows we were watching in the UK.

The internet can ease the separation felt in moving country in so many ways. So many things are in the same place as they’ve always been. But being locked out of the best bits of the BBC’s greatest invention so far this century really is by far the biggest fly in the anointment. Dare I say, I’d happily pay a subscription to have full access from over here, but I imagine the rights issues would be cited as an obstacle to this. But were it possible, wouldn’t this simple development turn it into a world beating online video destination? It may even lay the ground work for the BBC’s survival when charging a television licence fee become untenable.

Perhaps the truth is the money men – or women – don’t want the truly world-wide potential of the world-wide-web to be exploited. Territorial divides – the discriminating monopolies of media – make them too much money. In my experience everything hosted by American networks flashes up ‘only available in the US’ signs when accessed from Europe. Even YouTube is becoming increasingly territorially discriminatory. But what better way to combat piracy than to make legitimate material accessible. iTunes did it. Admittedly it didn’t stop music piracy but it does give honest people the chance to do the right thing. I am, however, also a realist so I won’t be holding my breath on this one!

Let's hear it for encouragement!

I can't remember the exact words but they were enough to make me kick my apathy and post again. So my thanks to James. If you appreciate him spurring me back into action why not drop by and let him know. For James has succeeded where Stephen Fry failed!

I watched Fry's programme about the Gutenberg press on the BBC iPlayer (what a fantastic piece of technology - the iPlayer that is!). As I was sitting there I knew I should be blogging about it, especially when one of his interviewees drew the comparison between the advent of moveable type and the dawn of the internet age. I didn't. Perhaps because I was holding an MSN conversation about the programme with a friend who was simultaneously utilising the iPlayer. (You can co-ordinate tea breaks and everything!). The iPlayer's only obvious drawback is shows expire after 7 days. But to cover that eventuality God invented YouTube! TOS violations permitting, most good TV can be found on there. I checked and, sure enough, I'm able to present you with part 1 of 6 of that fascinating documentary. Just don't tell the BBC!