[mythtv] BBC Freeview HD encoded/licensed EPG content proposal - comments due 2nd April 2010

[Stuart Morgan]

On Friday 22 Jan 2010 16:45:41 Stuart Morgan wrote:
> I'm all for it, this is fantastic news and we should be supporting the BBC.
> I'll let that sink in before explain why.

Technical - Only the EPG (EIT) data for this one channel will be affected. It 
will be compressed, not encrypted. The video, audio and subtitles will remain 
free to air, with no encryption. This same compression is already being used 
by Freesat for _all_ channels. It will only apply for certain programming, 
imports mostly.

BBC Tech guys aren't idiots - Why would they propose such a solution? Because 
they are NOT idiots. They know they won't be able to show certain films or 
third party series without reassuring the content providers. Their mandate 
prevents them encrypting anything and they don't really want to do that 
anyway, but they need something to show. So some bright spark points out that 
they are already compressing the EPG for Freesat and that compression is not 
encryption, if they compress the EPG they can give the appearance of 
protecting the content. It's the Emperor's Clothes, a masquerade, a sham.

EPG - We have always had an alternate source for EPG data in the UK, the xmltv 
feeds. These will not stop and won't be affected by any compression of the EIT 
data. We will always be able to schedule recordings on BBC HD. So this is one 
giant non-issue.

But why shouldn't we fight it? - Without something in place the BBC feels 
quite certain that they cannot obtain the rights to show certain films or 
series in HD. The BBC can't strong arm their way out of this, their commercial 
competitors are not tied by the same restrictions, Sky etc can pay more for 
the content and still offer encryption. If we fight this then there really is 
just one outcome, the BBC simply won't be able show that content in HD and as 
MythTV users (and tax-payers) we lose out, good foreign films and content will 
not be shown FTA in HD. If you believe that it's worth losing this just to win 
a tiny battle in a war on DRM, even if this isn't DRM, then I won't persuade 
you otherwise but consider that you are screwing over the rest of us.
-- 
Stuart Morgan