Re: 'BBC iPlayer Improvements' - Downloads now almost unusable

On 29 Apr, 12:47, Adrian C <em...@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Kennedy McEwen wrote:

   However, I do not believe for an instant that

the BBC's iPlayer services are beyond the resources of any but the "well
heeled".

I've no problems with the divisions of _live_ broadcasting that
necessitate some folks spending extra to access those formats. The BBC
at least provides an output that is accessible with considerably less
costly equipment. All included in the licence.

My beef is with the non live broadcast area outside of the license,
where just to get on the platform to enjoy it there are some unavoidable
restrictions.

Your obsession with "live" is bizarre. So it was OK to provide a
colour service which was expensive, because poor people could still
watch in black and white - but it's not OK to provide a catch up
service, despite the fact that the same programmes are available live
that week?

There's no rationality to this argument at all.

Gen up on digital divide.

Actually, our main home computer was a gift - a cast-off. It does
iPlayer just fine. Our plusnet internet access is £120 a year. 2GB
monthly cap, £1 extra per GB after that.

Yes, there are people who can't afford that - but not being able to
watch iPlayer is presumably the least of their worries!


OK, "well heeled" in my rant is someone able, financially and otherwise,
to have a suitable broadband connection with a usable monthly download
limit, working computer or video capable mobile phone. I chose the
language "well heeled" perhaps wrongly, should I have said "broadband
enabled"?

That's the majority now, isn't it?

These folk are in a adequate position to contribute extra to the running
and development costs of iPlayer if they use it.

They can probably afford to pay more for HD - more for the BBC itself
as a subscription service. Should they?

Not saddle all licence
payers with it, and provide it all free so that even non-licence payers
can benefit.

But your argument is contradictory - you worry about the digital
divide, but then demand that there should be an _extra_ change to
access one of the most popular uses for broadband internet access.
Surely this can only worsen the divide, if you start a trend of
charging extra for popular broadband services!

I wish that were true for all. I know there are a few folks still on
dial-up, some rely on their work PCs for internet use, and there are
loads more directly not using on-line services at all...

I must be far too middle class - I know several of people without
internet access, and they could all easily afford it.They choose not
to. There are other things in life!

Cheers,
David.
.

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