UK Internet Television on demand... If you heart windows
The BBC are getting in a spot of bother over their new iPlayer IPTV on demand service. The iPlayer, due for public release some time in 2007, allows you to view and download BBC programs in a similar way to their BBC Radio 'listen again' feature. Considering the BBC's public service obligation to serve all of its audience, and with a name like the iplayer, you'd think that the program would be available for every OS and at least for Mac, right? Well... no. Unlike the BBC Online Archive, who's public beta trial I'm currently enjoying, the iPlayer is strictly Windows only.
Initially at least, the BBC had confirmed a 24 month timeframe for developing a Mac version, but have quietly been trying to back down from that, citing DRM issues. And The BBC aren't the only ones. Channel 4 Have run their 4OD service for some time now, also blaming their lack of OS X support on DRM.
Apparently the problem lies with apple not outsourcing their DRM technology to third parties (this is one of the ways, for example, that they keep iPod users locked into iTunes). However, this doesn't stop IPTV broadcasters from providing a service for Apple customers, it merely means that the broadcaster can't pull the old 'deleted after 30 days of download' trick. Surely the quickest way out of this problem for the time being is to offer Mac (and lets not forget the ever growing share of Linux) users the ability to watch but not download TV on demand. After all, these guys seem to be doing a pretty good job.
