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____/ Homer on Tuesday 26 Jan 2010 21:11 : \____
> Verily I say unto thee, that Mark Kent spake thusly:
>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>>> BBC given go-ahead for Freeview HD copy-protection
> [...]
>> One suspects that some aspects of the BBC's charter are being broken
>> here.
>
> They've circumvented the charter's requirement for unencumbered
> transmissions, by only encrypting the program information stream (a.k.a.
> service information data), rather than the content. However, the effect
> will be the same for the majority of people who want to view BBC HD
> transmissions using e.g. homebrew equipment, since they'll be unable to
> access the HD channels without (presumably unpublished) foreknowledge of
> the technical details, and AFAIK they'll be locked out of the
> corresponding EPG data completely, making things like scheduled
> recordings rather difficult.
>
> Technically, this is not "copy protection" or even DRM at all, but it's
> the nearest the BBC can get to it without violating the charter.
>
> Ultimately it /will/ actually be possible for homebrew (read: Linux)
> users to watch BBC HD content without submitting to the "content
> providers'" demands that they only use "sanctioned" (i.e. restrictive)
> equipment, but they'll need to use "hacks" that will inevitably become
> available, much like they did when the MSBBC DRM'ed their iPlayer
> content (a "hack" that still works, BTW).
>
> This anti-"piracy" measure is a poor joke, that ultimately won't even
> achieve its dubious objective, but will simply make life temporarily and
> unnecessarily difficult for certain people ... people who are legally
> entitled (i.e. /licensed/) to view this content. It's a waste of /our/
> money, and a waste of /everybody's/ time, like every other misguided
> "DRM" endeavour undertaken at the unreasonable demand of greedy,
> paranoid, ignorant, naive, hysterically belligerent Intellectual
> Monopolists.
>
> In short: I am legally entitled to view BBC's HD content, and I *will*
> view it using any equipment I damned-well want, whether the BBC and
> their demented "content providers" want me to or not.
>
> Period.
IIRC (I wish I knew where I read it), the "Linux" thing is still work in progress/
negotiation. But anyway, shouldn't the BBC /encourage/ sharing or the content
among taxpayers so as to reduce bandwidth costs to the BBC? The EU
Commission actually /embraced/ torrent and invested 20ml Euros in it for
this reason.
You don't spread programmes by limiting their distribution (which is inevitable
anyway because ripping is always simple, even with a microphone and/or tripod).
- --
~~ Best of wishes
."
CS: "You mean I have a load average of 18.5?" -- Charlie Stross
http://Schestowitz.com | Mandriva Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
run-level 2 Nov 17 02:36
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