MSE News: You'll need a TV licence to use iPlayer from 1 September this year

Cornucopia

VisionMan wrote: »

Its the cream of US TV programmes that can be world class, not the TV services/platforms/monopolies themselves.

Which is what I meant.

The BBC has been at the forefront of new and innovative technology for the last fifty years and aims to continue to do so. One only has to compare the new superb BBC iPlayer Beta with, say, ALL4, to see what I'm talking about.

In terms of their presentation on Youview, arguably ITV Hub (the new version) is the glossiest. It's difficult to compare, though, because each broadcaster has a different range of content, which present different challenges of organisation and accessibility.

The BBC is regarded as world class, the world over. The British commercial PSBs are not.

Downton Abbey was arguably one of the best received UK programmes, worldwide. Overall, though, there can be no comparison between, say, Channel 5 and the BBC because they are simply such different organisations.

Whilst the BBC's brand recognition abroad is very good, I'd be surprised if more than a tiny proportion knew what kind of an organisation the BBC was or how it is organised and funded. Regarding something positively without knowing anything about the detail is not a great commendation in my view.

Commercial PSBs are in no way as diverse as the BBC. They produce and broadcast programmes to and for the highest common denominator and due to and for purely commercial considerations, always will do.

Do you mean "Lowest Common Denominator"?

I think C4 (and on occasion ITV and C5) produce programs that are well outside that territory. Having said that, consuming their wares by catch-up only is inherently cherry-picking. Overall, I would say that the entirety of commercial media matches the BBC quite well.

But, again, comparing a £5bn behemoth with limited commercial considerations against any other broadcaster is somewhat tricky to do fairly.

The closest we can come, I think, is to compare the entirety of C4 with BBC1, since they cost around the same (BBC1 is more expensive, in fact). On that basis, I think I have to call it for C4, but others will have their own opinions, and of course, value for money is only one consideration (though a typically MSE one).

In the final analysis, though, I cannot ever see how the TV ends justify the Licence Fee enforcement means (whether that be the over-riding anachronism or the day-to-day abuses). That will always be my bottom line, irrespective of how thrilling the latest baking competition turns out to be.

VisionMan

Apologies, I did mean Lowest Common Denominator. And thanks for the correction.

The new ITV Hub on YouView is HTML-5 based, and is the way the entire platform is going (eventually). It was previously garbage, but is now technically acceptable.

almillar

I would say go and watch C4 and see what ad-funded, UK public service TV would be like.

OK, I was thinking of the 'public service' part disappearing altogether. And of course C4 makes plenty of stuff that would never be done on commercial TV, for which I'm thankful.
VisionMan makes a great point about All4 - iPlayer is so, so very much better than it. Forcing you to watch the same advert 3 times before a programme is just horrible.

Cornucopia

almillar wrote: »

Forcing you to watch the same advert 3 times before a programme is just horrible.

That's fairly rare, though, and it's presumably a mistake.

Unfortunately, we're at something of a turning point for video media. The two old models of the Licence Fee and ads that can be skipped are both unsustainable. The future is ad-free services upon payment of a subscription or ad-funded services where skipping the ads is difficult, limited, impossible or subject to presentation in different ways according to preference.

VisionMan

Cornucopia wrote: »

The future is ad-free services upon payment of a subscription

Think Netflix, Amazon Prime.

Cornucopia wrote: »

or ad-funded services where skipping the ads is difficult, limited, impossible or subject to presentation in different ways according to preference.

Think of all the PSBs players.

Query - does the on demand subscription service Now TV force adverts upon users, as with their satellite platform?