Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
> On the road to a Dirac standard ... at last
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Ok, so I know that people think that Dirac disappeared into a black hole some
>| while ago but we're still hanging in there and getting it done. We're just
>| coming up to some really major milestones and things are looking really
>| exciting. First, Dirac (or part of it) is going to be an international
>| standard. Yay! We made a cut-down version doing intra coding only and this
>| has only just been submitted to the SMPTE. If it goes through it will become
>| VC-2 (Windows Media 9 became VC-1 when they standardised it). After a lot of
>| hard work fighting SMPTE's preferred Word format (yuk) it went in just before
>| Christmas and is being voted on as a Committee Draft as I write this.
> `----
>
> http://sonofid.blogspot.com/2008/01/on-road-to-dirac-standard-at-last.html
It's good to see that the BBC's own researchers are continuing their
good work, in spite of Mr Huggers and Mr Highfield. The Dirac codec is
very good, and free in all senses. One wonders how the Windows Media 9
became a standard presumably in spite of having all kinds of patent
claim from Microsoft.
>
> iPlayer Update
>
> http://blogs.verisign.com/demandinsights/2008/01/iplayer_update.php
>
> From http://www.groklaw.net/newsitems.php :
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| "This blog post by the VP of Digital Content Services at VeriSign celebrates
>| the success of the iPlayer launch, but does not mention that viewers prefer
>| the streaming version over the Kontiki version 8 to 1."
> `----
>
> "Linux is a very complete and sophisticated operating system. And there is a
> lot of work being done to improve it in and of itself, particularly to make it
> easier to use and easier for people to set up on their personal computers."
>
> --Paul Maritz, top executive at Microsoft
>
>
> Related:
>
> Status Quo: Can't watch the news in Linux
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| As you can see, we had one site that improved (CBS News) and one site that
>| has actually gotten worse (BBC News). Congratulations to CBS news for joining
>| the 21-century. I am not sure what to say about BBC News. Apparently, the BBC
>| is now using a new video player called the "BBC iPlayer", which only supports
>| Microsoft Windows operating systems. Because of this, there was a lot of
>| controversy about the highly restricted player, including this petition.
> `----
>
> http://useopensource.blogspot.com/2008/01/status-quo-cant-watch-news-in-linux.html
>
>
> BBC Director General grilled by MPs on iPlayer
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| During the meeting there is discussion of iPlayer?s total cost to the licence
>| fee-payer - the BBC representatives are unable to give a figure, but start
>| the bidding at £20m, excluding staff costs. Thomson gives incorrect
>| information - that Mac and Linux versions of iPlayer have the same
>| functionality as Windows versions - and has to change his evidence at the
>| end. Perhaps it was this confusion that prompted Dr John Pugh MP to follow up
>| the encounter with a letter direct to Mark Thomson today discussing platform
>| neutrality in greater detail. A copy of this letter has been passed to the
>| Open Rights Group.
> `----
>
> http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/01/10/bbc-director-general-grilled-by-mps-on-iplayer/
>
>
> BBC Corrupted
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Today the BBC made it official -- they have been corrupted by Microsoft. With
>| today's launch of the iPlayer, the BBC Trust has failed in its most basic of
>| duties and handed over to Microsoft sole control of the on-line distribution
>| of BBC programming. From today, you will need to own a Microsoft operating
>| system to view BBC programming on the web. This is akin to saying you must
>| own a Sony TV set to watch BBC TV. And you must accept the Digital
>| Restrictions Management (DRM) that the iPlayer imposes. You simply cannot be
>| allowed to be in control of your computer according to the BBC.
> `----
>
> http://defectivebydesign.org/blog/BBCcorrupted
>
>
> BBC iPlayer Protests
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Who are the people responsible for creating this mess?
>|
>| * Mark Thompson, BBC director general (DG)
>| * Erik Huggers, group controller at BBC Future Media & Technology
>| * Ashley Highfield, director of new media and technology
>|
>| Right now, there is very considerable concern within the BBC that the actions
>| of the Director General and his team are sending the corporation in the wrong
>| direction. The BBC has been embroiled in a number of recent controversies,
>| all linked back to the DG's leadership.
> `----
>
> http://www.defectivebydesign.org/iPlayerProtest
>
>
> Why Linux Users Should Be Furious At BBC
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| Recently the BBC had a bit of a wake up call regarding numbers and how many
>| Linux users were really out there. Why does any of this matter? It has to do
>| with something the BBC provides called the iPlayer. Seriously, relying on
>| ActiveX is so "1990's" that it's painful, and as luck would have it, the
>| Linux users who wish to use this BBC player made sure that the BBC knew that
>| they were making the sought after content inaccessible to those people using
>| Linux.
>|
>| No iPlayer for Linux Users, But There Will Be An Alternative. Based on what I
>| have been able to gather thus far, it looks like we will see an Adobe Flash
>| option coming out soon. Then again, who really cares? Seriously, if the BBC
>| is this foolish to ignore how much Linux growth is taking place both in the
>| UK as well as the surrounding countries, then maybe people ought to be
>| looking elsewhere? Is it because this is indeed, the BBC? So there is the
>| belief that this is the people's media? Up until now, I enjoyed much of what
>| the BBC had to offer, but this entire thing is enough to have pushed me away.
> `----
>
> http://www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2731&Itemid=449
>
>
> Beeb slammed for 'fawning' to Bill Gates
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| BBC viewers have flooded the corporation with complaints over how it
>| covered the launch of Microsoft Vista earlier this week.
>|
>| In one cringingly servile interview worthy of Uriah Heep, the
>| Beeb's news presenter Hugh Edwards even thanked Gates at the
>| end of it, presumably in appreciation at being allowed to give
>| the Vole vast coverage for free.
>|
>| In other TV news items presenters excitedly explained how Vistac
>| ould be obtained and installed - details courtesy of the BBC's
>| website.
>|
>| But British viewers, currently forced to pay a £131.50 licence
>| fee to maintain the BBC's "impartiality", were less than impressed.
>|
>| Scores got in touch to complain that so much was Auntie up Bill's
>| bum that you could barely see her corset.
> `----
>
> http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37411
>
>
> http://slated.org/bbc_microsoft_bias
>
>
> BBC: Death by a thousand top-slices
>
> ,----[ Quoet ]
>| So it looks like the end of the unique, state-centric model for funding the
>| BBC. An incoming Conservative administration is unlikely to be more
>| sympathetic to the BBC, with its stifling bureucracy and monopoly control
>| over a compulsory tax.
> `----
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/18/bbc_top_slicing/
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/ |
| Cola trolls: http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/ |
| My (new) blog: http://www.thereisnomagic.org |
|
|
