BBC iPlayer to launch on Freesat

On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:22:31 -0000, "Adrian" wrote:

David WE Roberts wrote:
snip
That is a fairly big "Presumably" unless this feature is already
catered for in the FreeSat specification.
snip

It was part of the original specification.

Did the specification state that the port needed to do anything, or
was it reserved for future use? If the latter I would not be
surprized to hear that some boxes don't work properly when the network
port is finally needed.
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Mark wrote:
On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:22:31 -0000, "Adrian" wrote:

David WE Roberts wrote:
snip
That is a fairly big "Presumably" unless this feature is already
catered for in the FreeSat specification.
snip

It was part of the original specification.

Did the specification state that the port needed to do anything, or
was it reserved for future use? If the latter I would not be
surprized to hear that some boxes don't work properly when the network
port is finally needed.

iPlayer was specificaly mentioned even before the launch of Freesat.
--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.

"David" wrote in message
...


"Adrian" wrote in message
om...
David WE Roberts wrote:
snip
That is a fairly big "Presumably" unless this feature is already
catered for in the FreeSat specification.
snip

It was part of the original specification.
--

Things that came along in the course of time with Freeview were said to be
in the spec. but many boxes and TV sets reacted badly, some even failed.

Exactly.
Anyone with experience of computer networks and the OSI stack will be aware
that two people implementing software to the same specification will more
often than not interpret the specification in subtly different ways and
produce software that will not interact.
There usually has to be an agreed reference implementation for everyone to
test against before things finally start working.
If the BBC are now producing a reference implementation of iPlayer over
Ethernet for FreeSat HD decoders it may well be some time before all
implementations will work with it.
There is also the possibility that some exisiting firmware will be judged
'not economic' to upgrade.
It is usually much more effective to test against exisiting kit than to test
against a theory.

On Nov 9, 2:04*pm, "Adrian" wrote:
Mark wrote:
On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:22:31 -0000, "Adrian" wrote:

David WE Roberts wrote:
snip
That is a fairly big "Presumably" unless this feature is already
catered for in the FreeSat specification.
snip

It was part of the original specification.

Did the specification state that the port needed to do anything, or
was it reserved for future use? * If the latter I would not be
surprized to hear that some boxes don't work properly when the network
port is finally needed.

iPlayer was specificaly mentioned even before the launch of Freesat.
--
*^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.

Is there a detailed publication of the spec anywhere? I have read the
headlines of it elsewhere, but not much detail. Presumably it is
"commercially confidential?"

I'm reasonably interested because the Freesat/iPlayer trial is set to
start shortly, and my understanding of it is that BBC will issue USB
sticks to Humax Foxsat owners so that they can update their boxes with
the firmware which will unlock the potential to handle the MHEG /
iPlayer application. However, that leaves Panasonic Freesat TV owners
out of the beta testing, as our TVs don't have a USB port for updating
the firmware. As others have said, just because something is built to
"spec" doesn't mean that there are certain idiosyncracies in the way
that it has been put together. For example, I've not read anywhere
that the Freesat spec included building in decoders for Adobe Air
transmissions.

Matt

larkim wrote:
: I'm reasonably interested because the Freesat/iPlayer trial is set to
: start shortly, and my understanding of it is that BBC will issue USB
: sticks to Humax Foxsat owners so that they can update their boxes with
: the firmware which will unlock the potential to handle the MHEG /
: iPlayer application. However, that leaves Panasonic Freesat TV owners
: out of the beta testing, as our TVs don't have a USB port for updating
: the firmware.

All firmware updates are normally done OTA via the satellite feed. There
are other ways of doing it for the Humax - which will be used for the
iPlayer trials (to selected people only!) but, once it becomes a service,
this is how it will happen!

"larkim" wrote in message
...
On Nov 9, 2:04 pm, "Adrian" wrote:
Mark wrote:
On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:22:31 -0000, "Adrian" wrote:

David WE Roberts wrote:
snip
That is a fairly big "Presumably" unless this feature is already
catered for in the FreeSat specification.
snip

It was part of the original specification.

Did the specification state that the port needed to do anything, or
was it reserved for future use? If the latter I would not be
surprized to hear that some boxes don't work properly when the network
port is finally needed.

iPlayer was specificaly mentioned even before the launch of Freesat.
--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.

Is there a detailed publication of the spec anywhere? I have read the
headlines of it elsewhere, but not much detail. Presumably it is
"commercially confidential?"

I'm reasonably interested because the Freesat/iPlayer trial is set to
start shortly, and my understanding of it is that BBC will issue USB
sticks to Humax Foxsat owners so that they can update their boxes with
the firmware which will unlock the potential to handle the MHEG /
iPlayer application. However, that leaves Panasonic Freesat TV owners
out of the beta testing, as our TVs don't have a USB port for updating
the firmware. As others have said, just because something is built to
"spec" doesn't mean that there are certain idiosyncracies in the way
that it has been put together. For example, I've not read anywhere
that the Freesat spec included building in decoders for Adobe Air
transmissions.

Don't forget the Bush FreeSat HD owners as well!

I have both a Bush and a Panasonic with FreeSat - I have no need of iPlayer
features with the Panasonic as it already gets these via Virgin cable but I
would like them on the Bush.

Oh, and the firmware for the Humax probably wouldn't be much good on the
Panasonic anyway :-)

If the Humax needs a software upgrade to cope with iPlayer then there is no
guarantee anything else will get the upgrade anytime soon.

Then again it may all be working for everyone by Christmas 2009 - you never
know.

"Mark" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 6 Nov 2009 08:04:55 -0800 (PST), larkim
wrote:

On Nov 6, 2:23 pm, Mark wrote:
[snip]
I'm not yet aware of any Sky boxes having this capability. Just
because the data doesn't come via a satellite doesn't mean its not a
Freesat service. Hoover make washing machines you know.

I think it's still a misleading description. If your vacuum cleaner
had a gas operated power switch but ran off the mains you wouldn't be
happy if it was described as a "gas vacuum cleaner".

I tend to agree with you, but, (if I've understood the operation correctly)
although the viewer needs to have a fast broadband connected to the TV, that
aspect is transparent from the viewers perspective. The viewer sees a
missed programme in the TV EPG, and by clicking it, the software connects to
the internet and delivers the show directly on the TV.

So even though its coming in by cable the viewer sees it as if it were just
another sat TV programme. They forget about the delivery mode - until
someone else in the house starts to use U Tube or something.

If you order an item on line and the postman brings it, is it misleading to
say its an online service ?

Struggling with semantics here...

Roger R

On Nov 9, 8:05*pm, "David WE Roberts" wrote:
"larkim" wrote in message

...
On Nov 9, 2:04 pm, "Adrian" wrote:





Mark wrote:
On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:22:31 -0000, "Adrian" wrote:

David WE Roberts wrote:
snip
That is a fairly big "Presumably" unless this feature is already
catered for in the FreeSat specification.
snip

It was part of the original specification.

Did the specification state that the port needed to do anything, or
was it reserved for future use? If the latter I would not be
surprized to hear that some boxes don't work properly when the network
port is finally needed.

iPlayer was specificaly mentioned even before the launch of Freesat.
--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
Is there a detailed publication of the spec anywhere? *I have read the
headlines of it elsewhere, but not much detail. *Presumably it is
"commercially confidential?"
I'm reasonably interested because the Freesat/iPlayer trial is set to
start shortly, and my understanding of it is that BBC will issue USB
sticks to Humax Foxsat owners so that they can update their boxes with
the firmware which will unlock the potential to handle the MHEG /
iPlayer application. *However, that leaves Panasonic Freesat TV owners
out of the beta testing, as our TVs don't have a USB port for updating
the firmware. *As others have said, just because something is built to
"spec" doesn't mean that there are certain idiosyncracies in the way
that it has been put together. *For example, I've not read anywhere
that the Freesat spec included building in decoders for Adobe Air
transmissions.

Don't forget the Bush FreeSat HD owners as well!

I have both a Bush and a Panasonic with FreeSat - I have no need of iPlayer
features with the Panasonic as it already gets these via Virgin cable but I
would like them on the Bush.

Oh, and the firmware for the Humax probably wouldn't be much good on the
Panasonic anyway :-)

If the Humax needs a software upgrade to cope with iPlayer then there is no
guarantee anything else will get the upgrade anytime soon.

Then again it may all be working for everyone by Christmas 2009 - you never
know.

I live in hope!!

Even the panasonics probably need some sort of firmware update, as the
ethernet port isn't fully enabled. From recollection, an IP address
is properly assigned (by DHCP on the router), but beyond that not much
happens. Perhaps I'd be pleasantly surprised though - I think once
the trial starts I shall plug an ethernet cable into my panasonic just
to see if it works out of the box!

I'm aware that OTA will be the route, it just seems to me that BBC are
testing Humax only because it can be done without an OTA update.
Unless the spec is so detailed that there will be no operational
differences between the Humax and the Panasonic, it seems to me that
they are running a risk of having some failing devices out there when
they roll out the full launch.

Matt