[mythtv-users] BBC Freeview HD DRM

[Ben Lancaster]

> "Ofcom has told the BBC it will not allow the broadcaster to mandate
> DRM on HD, at least not yet, following overwhelming response to its
> two-week consultation."
Really good news, but I'm not sure it'd have been that much of a big  
deal for us as the MythTV community - the BBC quite vehemently denied  
that it was proposing encrypting content, just "managing" distribution/ 
copying instead [source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/09/freeview_hd_copy_protection_up.html] 
. I doubt this would have affected our ability to receive and playback  
the DVB-T2 stream (when it and the necessary hardware finally arrive).

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of DRM, but I can appreciate that the  
BBC's commercial arm (BBC Worldwide) needs to protect the part of its  
business that sells content on physical formats. What OfCom have done  
is definitely the right thing, and maybe the upshot for the BBC is  
that they'll create more worthwhile, affordable content in high- 
definition on physical media.