FoxBoom!

It’s been going for a while now, but I’ve only just really noticed it. The BBC’s Programmes site aims to provide a permanent page for every BBC show ever broadcast, with a mind for the Semantic Web and smart design.

It really is exciting to see the BBC discussing and embracing standards.

Dudes! Is this awesome? I think so!

The BBC’s iPlayer now works on the iPhone.

The website itself isn’t really iPhone-friendly for reading, but the videos are just simple H.264 streams which play full-screen. There’s an awesome blog post on the technical details if you’re interested.

Ashley Highfield is the BBC’s Director of Future Media & Technology, and his blog is awesome in its frankness.

In a post about the difficulties of getting protected media into the living room:

“Mentioning this to a very tech savvy colleague this morning, he replied that he downloaded programmes through BBC iPlayer, stripped the DRM (hence his anonymity!), re-encoded the file, burned it to DVD from his PC, then took it to his DVD player connected to his TV in the lounge.” [Ashley Highfield, “IP to TV: How?”

The blog also confirms that the BBC wanted to get the iPlayer onto the Xbox 360 but it didn’t work out, and are interested in getting content on the new Apple TV — now that it handles rentals, and not just lifetime purchases. But at least I can look forward to iPlayer on the Virgin Media television platform.

I’m really interested in these new television distribution models. Not least of which because my 40″ TV still doesn’t actually pick up any broadcasts, and it’s gonna be so much easier for me to plug in some kind of IP TV than to get an aerial fitted.

Remember the e-mail I sent to the BBC last month?

Dear Mr Eccleston

Thank you for your e-mail regarding ‘Dr Who’.

I am sorry you were disappointed that Catherine Tate is to appear in the
next series.

We do find that viewers’ opinions are an invaluable source of feedback for
BBC programme makers. Styles and policies are continually being assessed
and changed based on feedback from the general public. Your views have been
registered and form part of our daily feedback to programme makers and BBC
management. Comments such as yours help us plan future programmes.

It may be of interest to you that the website for the programme can be
found at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

May I thank you again for taking the time to contact BBC Information.

Regards

Anne

BBC Information