Anyone know how to get BBC iPlayer to work abroad? Page 2

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 13 2009, 2:56 AM BST

There's always hope that BBC America might expand it's remit, I suppose.

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I got rid of my cable television service 6 months ago, but I wasn't impressed with most of the offerings. Lots of repeats of daytime stuff like "Cash in the Attic" and much-delayed and bizarrely scheduled evening shows. They always seemed to be at least a year behind the BBC and would yank programs with impunity. I'm pretty sure they showed the first series of "Green Wing" but not the rest.

Green Wing was a C4 show originally.

I shouldn't worry too much, BBC Worldwide is basically going to be buying into C4 and ultimately, the way things are going, there will be an economic argument for exporting all UK-produced TV content under one umbrella organisation. No doubt there will eventually be a system whereby you can pick-and-choose the UK TV content you wish to purchase/subscribe to. Just as I'm sure you wouldn't wish US garbage TV on us, we wouldn't wish a lot of our rubbish TV on you.

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 13 2009, 3:06 AM BST

Green Wing was a C4 show originally.

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I know. That's another weird thing about BBCA. I'd be more interested in paying for archives of old shows than the new stuff. I just download that stuff (for free) an hour after it airs. I'd rather not have to store zillions of hours of shows and would gladly pay for on-demand streaming service. The same goes for music.

The media corporations will come around eventually.

Quote: DaButt @ September 13 2009, 3:02 AM BST

They always seemed to be at least a year behind the BBC

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Only a year? Lucky. We're very rarely within a year of US programmes we import. (Certainly on subscription channels.)

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 13 2009, 3:06 AM BST

the way things are going, there will be an economic argument for exporting all UK-produced TV content under one umbrella organisation.

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Not going to happen. At all. Probably not ever. Too many organisations would want too much control over their product. BBC America has purchased US screening rights for programmes from all channels for yonks. If it was truly BBC proper, that'd never have happened.

Quote: DaButt @ September 13 2009, 3:13 AM BST

I know. That's another weird thing about BBCA. I'd be more interested in paying for archives of old shows than the new stuff. I just download that stuff (for free) an hour after it airs. I'd rather not have to store zillions of hours of shows and would gladly pay for on-demand streaming service. The same goes for music.

The media corporations will come around eventually.

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Don't bet on it. They've never understood the consumer, and never will.

Having said that, the independent (i.e. not Hollywood-owned) TV companies will come round to it light years ahead of all else. (The BBC trialled a BBC Archive service alongside iPlayer a few years back. The selection of programmes was pretty pathetic, but it laid the ground work, and gives me hope that they do have some intention of opening up a bit more. Of course, Channel 4 are doing it with their entire back catalogue, but then they've only been going for 25 and a bit years.)