BBC Trust approves Freesat

In article , [email protected]
cook.RfErMeOeVsEeCrAvPeS.co.uk says...
Dom Robinson wrote:

In article , [email protected]
cook.RfErMeOeVsEeCrAvPeS.co.uk says...

It may have seemed like it, but I meant the big set piece session we
have now. Pomp and Circumstance, Fantasia on British Sea Songs,
Jerusalem and the National Anthem. I think it was that showman
condouctor Sir Malcolm Sargent who put them all together sometime in
the early sixties. The only time they haven't been done since was in
the immediate aftermath of 7/11 when the USAin Leonard Slatkin was
conducting the last night.

Why pick on 7/11 to change the rules? It's a great convenience store chain
when you're in the USA

Ha! I meant of course 9/11.

That's fine. I never get up that early
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
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In article , ess
says...
In article ,
says...
In article , says...
In article , Dom Robinson
writes
In article ,
says...
On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:43:56 GMT, Moley
wrote:

Shame, by then they'll have nothing on worth showing in HD. Well
unless you like on-screen logos, scrolly text, jaunty camera angles
and "edgy" production values.

But you'll need a High Definition set during the 2012 Olympics so that you
can see the exertion on the faces of the winners in stunning detail and
still have enough definition in the picture to see the British athletes
waaaaaaay back in the distance as well as being able to make out the
obscene hand gestures from the home crowd.

Would the Proms sound any better in High Definition?

To me they'd sound better with the mute button applied.

They going to a few, they might open your mind...

As long as they don't play Land of friggin' Hope and Glory. God, I hate that
****e.


As did Elgar, and he wrote it! Well, OK, he wrote the tune, and
supposedly detested the words that were put to it.

Was that the one that MP John Redwood didn't know the proper words to?
--

Dom Robinson Gamertag: DVDfever email: dom at dvdfever dot co dot uk
/* http://DVDfever.co.uk (editor)
/* 1132 DVDs, 347 games, 314 CDs, 110 cinema films, 42 concerts, videos & news
/* antibodies, steve hillage, burning crusade, sega psp, norah jones, kylie
New music charts - http://dvdfever.co.uk/music.shtml
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=DVDfeverDom

Carl Waring wrote:
DAB is the Betamax of digital radio wrote:
DAB is the Betamax of digital radio wrote:

It is due to launch by the time the Borders region switches off its
analogue signal in 2008-2009 and will operate on a not-for-profit
basis.


I think it's a disgrace that they've been allowed to wait until just
before digital switchover before they're launching Freesat, because
Freesat was first touted about 3 or maybe even 4 years ago, and
they've done bugger all, basically for the reason that Greg Dyke
admitted to after he'd left the BBC which is that Freeview was
launched in order to "flood the UK market with dumb set-top boxes" (I
think those were his words) so they didn't have card slots so they
wouldn't accept subscription so that the BBC could get another
decade's worth of secured funding. And them launching Freesat at the
last possible moment before switchover shows that they really want as
many people to get Freeview as possible, even though Freeview is
heavily bandwidth constrained, so providing HDTV is going to be a
squeeze even after analogue TV has been switched off and the Freeview
multiplex capacities will increase, whereas providing it on satellite
is a piece of **** due to the enormous bandwidth at their disposal -
and I read Ashley Highfield, the BBC's Director of Future Media &
Technology (officially the most ridiculous departmental name in the
history of departmental names) say that it costs £7m to broadcast a
TV channel on Freeview and £700,000 on satellite (and £70,000 using
Internet multicasting), so basically they could easily launch their
TV channels in HD on satellite, but of course Sky is the big enemy,
so they want to provide as little incentive as possible for people to
get satellite - without making it obvious to everybody that they're
trying to avoid satellite, because then they'd come under fire.
Typical self-serving BBC...


The trust admitted it was "unfortunate" it has taken so long for
Freesat to be approved,


No **** Sherlock!


saying the BBC had originally planned to
launch the service before digital switchover begins in the Cumbrian
town of Whitehaven this autumn.

Freesat was first proposed in 2003 and then outlined formally by the
BBC and ITV in September 2005, when it was envisaged it would launch
in the first half of 2006.
Yeah, and WTF happened to it then?? Freeview sales took off, that's
what bloody happened, and screw what the public wants.

I'm guessing these things take time.


IIRC, it took the BBC about a year or so to jump into ITV Digital's grave.


Not sure why there was such a
delay but you can bet that it involved "commercial" rivals lodging
complaints about how they would be ruined by this Freesat thingy.


I can't remember seeing any such complaints, because the BBC were never
pushing to launch Freesat............


Basically, if it had been the other way round and launching Freesat
would have benefited the BBC and harmed Sky (hypothetically speaking,
obviously), if it was proposed in 2003 they'd have got the bugger up
and running by 2004.

And of course you have the proof to back up your statement don't you?
Thought not!


Think back to what Greg Dyke said about why the BBC launched Freeview. He
said that it was to flood the UK market with dumb set-top boxes without card
slots because that would ensure that the BBC would get another decade of
secured funding through the licence fee.

Anybody who thinks the BBC isn't primarily concerned with its own
self-preservation is incredibly naive, I'm afraid, and the most dangerous
organisation to the BBC's future is Sky, because Sky is dead against the BBC
licence fee because if there wasn't one it would earn a lot more money - ITV
is in favour of the licence fee, because if the BBC ever became ad-funded it
would reduce ITV's earnings dramatically.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php

In article , tony sayer

wrote:

"Roderick Stewart" wrote in message


Though the technology has changed, we do the same today, probably
without realising it. If you've ever heard a live concert of
acoustically generated music, try closing your eyes in front of a
hi-fi system and convincing yourself that you're not just listening
to a representation of it, even if it happens to be a very good one.
Are you *ever* convinced?


On some types of sounds the Quad electrostatics come "very" close)

Indeed. :-)

Provided the original materiel is good enough which usually means before
the advent of processing and too many stages of production..

Also provided you have managed to arrange the speakers, room acoustics,
etc, so as to get decent results.

I was listening to some Ella Fitzgerald recordings of the Gershwin Song
Book yesterday. I don't know if I was 'convinced', but the sounds via
either ESL63s or 988s sounded good enough to me. ;-

With good source material I find it easy enough to forget any awareness of
the audio system, and simply appreciate the music.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message


Think back to what Greg Dyke said about why the BBC launched
Freeview. He said that it was to flood the UK market with dumb
set-top boxes without card slots because that would ensure that the
BBC would get another decade of secured funding through the licence
fee.

I've heard that quote. Do you have a link to a news source?

--
Max Demian

"Dom Robinson" wrote in message

In article ,
ess says...

As did Elgar, and he wrote it! Well, OK, he wrote the tune, and
supposedly detested the words that were put to it.

Supposedly. Makes a good story, anyway.

Was that the one that MP John Redwood didn't know the proper words to?

No, that was some Welsh song.

--
Max Demian

"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message
...
Carl Waring wrote:
DAB is the Betamax of digital radio wrote:
DAB is the Betamax of digital radio wrote:

It is due to launch by the time the Borders region switches off its
analogue signal in 2008-2009 and will operate on a not-for-profit
basis.


I think it's a disgrace that they've been allowed to wait until just
before digital switchover before they're launching Freesat, because
Freesat was first touted about 3 or maybe even 4 years ago, and
they've done bugger all, basically for the reason that Greg Dyke
admitted to after he'd left the BBC which is that Freeview was
launched in order to "flood the UK market with dumb set-top boxes" (I
think those were his words) so they didn't have card slots so they
wouldn't accept subscription so that the BBC could get another
decade's worth of secured funding. And them launching Freesat at the
last possible moment before switchover shows that they really want as
many people to get Freeview as possible, even though Freeview is
heavily bandwidth constrained, so providing HDTV is going to be a
squeeze even after analogue TV has been switched off and the Freeview
multiplex capacities will increase, whereas providing it on satellite
is a piece of **** due to the enormous bandwidth at their disposal -
and I read Ashley Highfield, the BBC's Director of Future Media &
Technology (officially the most ridiculous departmental name in the
history of departmental names) say that it costs £7m to broadcast a
TV channel on Freeview and £700,000 on satellite (and £70,000 using
Internet multicasting), so basically they could easily launch their
TV channels in HD on satellite, but of course Sky is the big enemy,
so they want to provide as little incentive as possible for people to
get satellite - without making it obvious to everybody that they're
trying to avoid satellite, because then they'd come under fire.
Typical self-serving BBC...


The trust admitted it was "unfortunate" it has taken so long for
Freesat to be approved,


No **** Sherlock!


saying the BBC had originally planned to
launch the service before digital switchover begins in the Cumbrian
town of Whitehaven this autumn.

Freesat was first proposed in 2003 and then outlined formally by the
BBC and ITV in September 2005, when it was envisaged it would launch
in the first half of 2006.
Yeah, and WTF happened to it then?? Freeview sales took off, that's
what bloody happened, and screw what the public wants.

I'm guessing these things take time.


IIRC, it took the BBC about a year or so to jump into ITV Digital's grave.


Not sure why there was such a
delay but you can bet that it involved "commercial" rivals lodging
complaints about how they would be ruined by this Freesat thingy.


I can't remember seeing any such complaints, because the BBC were never
pushing to launch Freesat............


Basically, if it had been the other way round and launching Freesat
would have benefited the BBC and harmed Sky (hypothetically speaking,
obviously), if it was proposed in 2003 they'd have got the bugger up
and running by 2004.

And of course you have the proof to back up your statement don't you?
Thought not!


Think back to what Greg Dyke said about why the BBC launched Freeview. He
said that it was to flood the UK market with dumb set-top boxes without
card slots because that would ensure that the BBC would get another decade
of secured funding through the licence fee.

Anybody who thinks the BBC isn't primarily concerned with its own
self-preservation is incredibly naive, I'm afraid, and the most dangerous
organisation to the BBC's future is Sky, because Sky is dead against the
BBC licence fee because if there wasn't one it would earn a lot more money

I'm sure that situation will change once the government has sold the BBC to
Rupert Murdoch.

(kim)

Max Demian wrote:
"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message


Think back to what Greg Dyke said about why the BBC launched
Freeview. He said that it was to flood the UK market with dumb
set-top boxes without card slots because that would ensure that the
BBC would get another decade of secured funding through the licence
fee.

I've heard that quote. Do you have a link to a news source?


I read it in a mediaguadian article, but I've since seen it mentioned that
it's in Greg Dyke's book.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php

Edster wrote:
"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message

My name has nothing to do with the technical superiority of one
standard or another, because the vast, vast majority of people
associate Betamax with being the classical example of a technology
that lost a format war and became obsolete.

Except it hasn't. It is still being advertised by the BBC as being the
future of radio, and DAB receivers are still on sale in Tesco.


DAB+ has been designed, DAB+ receivers will be available in the next few
years, within a couple of years you won't be able to buy a digital radio
that doesn't support DAB+, and there's currently only 4.6m DAB receivers
sold-to-date. Therefore, DAB will be replaced in the UK over the next few
years.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.php
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab/dab_radios.php

"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message

Max Demian wrote:
"DAB is the Betamax of digital radio" [email protected] wrote in message


Think back to what Greg Dyke said about why the BBC launched
Freeview. He said that it was to flood the UK market with dumb
set-top boxes without card slots because that would ensure that the
BBC would get another decade of secured funding through the licence
fee.

I've heard that quote. Do you have a link to a news source?

I read it in a mediaguadian article, but I've since seen it mentioned
that it's in Greg Dyke's book.

Thanks. I've found it now:

Dyke 'promoted Freeview to save licence fee'
By Owen Gibson

Media Guardian, UK: 17 September 2004
http://media.guardian.co.uk/bbc/stor...306275,00.html
[Login: /firefox]

[...]

--
Max Demian