[bcab] Re: BBC i player

A good friend has tried the I-player and as he is a novice computer user I 
helped him with it.  I'm 
afraid to say that he had no chance of using it independently at all, in it's 
current form.  It 
seems to be accessible but IMHO the usability leaves a lot to be desired.   The 
reality is, that the 
program is providing a "watch again" service over the internet for selected BBC 
programmes, very 
similar to the existing "listen again" which they do so well for BBC Radio.   
But more like a video 
podcast or "vodcast" feed.  The I-player is a bit like the Beeb's own version 
of Juice.

However, firstly it is available to subscribers only - perhaps they are 
monitoring whether people 
are license payers or not? - and the logging in process was a nightmare.   
Secondly the program 
listings were very tricky to navigate (although they wouldn't be for more 
proficient screen reader 
users).  But worst of all, a half hour long programme, took overnight! to 
download on a home 
broadband connection.   There are also some confusing DRM issues, in that the 
video files - in some 
sort of protected Windows Media format - will expire forcibly, after a certain 
date and no longer be 
watchable/listenable.

One cannot help but wonder how they'll stop people burning them to CD...  My 
friend has no sight 
whatsoever and would have been quite happy to just have the audio of the 
programme with the 
description, he does not need the picture at all, which is what the bulk of the 
download file was 
probably comprised of.  This was at the Beta trial stage so some aspects 
mentioned above may have 
improved by now, he has given his feedback to the Beeb team about it via phone.

Even when I-player comes out of Beta, I doubt I'll be touching it.  Our Virgin 
media TV package 
includes an on-demand program section with a far wider choice than the I-player 
has, including 
programs from other channels than the BBC.   "Watch again" in it's finest form, 
probably second only 
to Sky Plus.  And without the complications, waiting or any disk space taken up.

Leon Gilbert
Editor, www.vipnews.org.uk
(Currently in the process of updating.  April 07 reached so far).

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charles Crisp " <charlescrisp@xxxxxxx>
To: <bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 9:08 AM
Subject: [bcab] BBC i player


Hi

Anyone thinking about using the new I player from the BBC might be
interested in this paragraph from the press release.

'At launch, BBC iPlayer will include a display settings toolkit for the
hard-of-vision and sign language for the hard-of-hearing; subtitles and
audio description will be rolled out in the coming months.'

All the best.


Kind regards

Charles Crisp

See our holiday home website:
www.thecrisps.co.uk/french-house <http://www.thecrisps.co.uk/french-house>



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