Re: Local telly from ITV

"Rabbit" <Rabbit_is@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3rl9lnFjpb73U2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "aa" <usenet.aa@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:tic5f.131748$G8.118792@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Community tv experiment from ITV, coming soon to a town near you..
>>
>> http://www.itvlocal.tv/
>>
>> First impression quite good methinks.
>
> Sounds like a good idea *but* with many ISPs starting or started to
> introduce some kind of caps I'm wondering if the idea is feasible.
> And then there is the question of the TV licence. I know we only
> pay that for the BBC technically but we still need one. How are they
> going to cover that ? Which is a question I've been wondering too
> about the new generation of mobiles which will show telly programmes.

Regarding all that sort of thing, you may be interested to Read
a bit of what the Firm (called NarrowStep.com) who is actually
supplying the "IP Video Delivery Services" to/for the "Content
Providers" have to say on their Website...

http://www.narrowstep.com/

Notice, if you Select either of the 2 Links for the currently
available stuff, (on the Meridian Page of the itvlocal.tv Site)
it Opens up a Window with a "Player" from the NarrowStep.tv Site...

After going through a series of ReDirects & stuff.

http://player.narrowstep.tv/?player=itv_hastings
http://player2.narrowstep.tv/default.aspx?player=itv_hastings
& if you have your Scripts Set up, so as to not allow some kinds of
"Browser Sniffing" type stuff, the Player doesn't Automatically Open,
or Play, but they give you a Link to Click on which Opens a different
Player Window, but they still do their best to Hide what's actually on
the Page - the Script tries to Open the Window without any Menu Bar, so
it's more difficult to get to the "View Source" Option...
http://player2.narrowstep.tv/skins/0014/nsp.aspx?player=itv_hastings

On the Page, it turns out that it's full of Scripts which check which
Version of windoze Media Player is Installed, so that they can check
that it's got DRM (Digital Rights Management) Enabled so that the Video
Files can be "Locked" &/or Encrypted, so they are harder to
ReDistribute.

I did notice that (one of) the URLs for the Files is actually...
http://195.219.160.200/mcp

Which actually Sends back an .ASF (Active Streaming File) which
is just a Plain Text "Meta" File containing the URL of the *actual*
Video Streams

http://195.219.160.200/mcp?MSWMExt=.asf

That is designed to Open up in (or Play in) windoze Media Player,
or the WMP Plug-in in Internet Explorer.

It does a lot of checking ,to make sure that you have the right
(DRM Enabled) Version of WMP & the right Codecs & stuff & that you
aren't Trying to access the URL directly.
:-)

The Video Stream is also available as an mms:// (MultiMedia Stream) URL

mms://195.219.160.200/mcp

I'd be interested to see how (or if) it (either of the Streams) Plays
in other Browsers, or in other Operating Systems

Obviously the stuff on the NarrowStep.com Site (on that first Link
above) is aimed at Extolling (for which read "selling"!) the virtues
of their "Services" that they offer to the TV Companies, rather than
the Consumer. (i.e. the End User, who (ultimately) ends up Paying for
it, one way or another)

Have a Read of some of it & see if you can pick out (in all the Woolly
"Marketing Spiel"), the bits which mean that they are doing their best
to stuff it full of Adverts...
(& also obviously, try to stop people Downloading & Saving the stuff
to Play or Edit & pass on? later)...

<quote>
In a world where video content can be made available to anyone,
any place, any time on any device, Narrowstep provides the most
comprehensive system for managing, protecting, distributing and
commercializing your video. In under a day you can build and deploy
video and tv services over the internet.

Our technology makes content available on mobile devices, wireless
devices, broadband and broadcast services through our unique platform,
the Television Operating System - TelVOS?. You can then monetize your
content using built in advertising, sponsorship, pay-per-view,
subscription and ecommerce tools.
</quote>

& this is (part of) their "Mission Statement" on their "Company -
About" Page...

http://www.narrowstep.com/about.htm

<quote>
Our mission is to make content available anytime, any place on any
device and to enable new business opportunities as a result.
<snip>
The commercial success of our clients is essential to us and we take
a small revenue share of all channels, providing advice, assistance
and publicity in return.
</quote>

HTH!
:-)

--
pmj


.

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