BBC Downloads

[on:]

In short (For you lazy ones), the BBC are opening their archives of TV and Radio and will allow you to download.

 

Originally mentioned here:
Greg Dyke, director general of the BBC, has announced plans to give the public full access to all the corporation's programme archives.
Mr Dyke said on Sunday that everyone would in future be able to download BBC radio and TV programmes from the internet.

The service, the BBC Creative Archive, would be free and available to everyone, as long as they were not intending to use the material for commercial purposes, Mr Dyke added.

"The BBC probably has the best television library in the world," said Mr Dyke, who was speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

"Up until now this huge resource has remained locked up, inaccessible to the public because there hasn't been an effective mechanism for distribution.

"But the digital revolution and broadband are changing all that.

"For the first time there is an easy and affordable way of making this treasure trove of BBC content available to all."

He predicted that everyone would benefit from the online archive, from people accessing the internet at home, children and adults using public libraries, to students at school and university.

Click the link for the full article.

[Reply #1 on:]

yay! Free Spooks for all 

[Reply #2 on:]

Just hope they don't insist on using realplayer for it!
Spooks and Red Dwarf 

[Reply #3 on:]

I wonder if they will only put things on line after a certain time period, if not their video/DVD sales are likely to fall.

[Reply #4 on:]

I bet ITV will have a fit though (and BSkyB)...

[Reply #5 on:]

My guess is that they'll set a time period, similar to the Thirty Year rule, between a show first airing/being released on DVD and being released into the public domain.

[Reply #6 on:]

Yeah, I expect they'll have some sort of rules like that or something. But lets face it, if people really want to see something, they'll find a way, legal or not...

[Reply #7 on:]

Ow... think about those documentaries.... Woooo...

[Reply #8 on:]

Interesting how this comes only a day after Tony Ball slammed the beeb for wasting licence payers money and not giving them anything in return.

Still, free Red Dwarf sounds fun.

[Reply #9 on:]

Won't this cause a problem for the UKTV channels, as their line-up is based almost solely on BBC repeats?

[Reply #10 on:]

You mean we get to Dl Hours upon Hours of Zany british Commedy and Even Zanier documentaries?

[Reply #11 on:]

 

Originally posted by CyberKnight:
Won't this cause a problem for the UKTV channels, as their line-up is based almost solely on BBC repeats?

I doubt it as not everybody will download everything, just things they want to watch a few times. Also not everybody has access to broadband for fast downloads... apparently some people have no net access at all.

[Reply #12 on:]

 

Originally posted by Tweek:
apparently some people have no net access at all.

Really?   

I wonder if they'll make all those obscure politically incorrect dramas from the 1960's available.

[Reply #13 on:]

Whoo!  I can finally figure out what the big deal is about Dennis Potter!  And see Blackadder!  And watch Monty Python's Flying Circus whenever I want!  I love you BBC!

[Reply #14 on:]

SlashDot Article is up on the subject...interesting discussion going on if anyone wants to take a look.

[Reply #15 on:]

I rather liked this quote (in response to the question: won't the MPAA have a fit):

 

MPAA == Motion Picture Ass. (pun intended) of America

BBC == British Broadcasting Corporation

Britain != America

Conclusion: MPAA can go fist themselves.

 

Interesting read, although I fear that it may be true that things like THHGTTG and Red Dwarf will not fall under this archive (as someone pointed out, every actor has to be tracked down and reached a deal with). One can always hope....

When do you think this will actually happen?

[Reply #16 on:]

Trust me when I say the UK writers guild had a fit when the BBC wanted to put current radio programmes up online...I can't imagine what they're going to think of this.