iPlayer goes global

It is sometimes difficult to work out whether 'the corporation' has a master plan or not. Is this announcement good news or not, it is hard to tell.

What interests Nomad is whether it will be possible to access the service from inside the UK or will we be forced to use iPlayer.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/5406851/BBC-and-Google-in-talks-to-launch-international-iPlayer-site.html

Adverts

I have turned on adverts in the hope that links to sites selling media players and other cool stuff will appear. So far it doesnt look like that but lets give it time.

Update: Loads of media center stuff now, looks good to me.

Comments, errr umm

Nomad had been wondering why it was that only other Bloggers had been leaving comments. After some study of the various screens, it turns out that comments were only enabled if you had a Google account.

If you had wanted to leave a coment, sorry about that. Comments are now open to world at large. So feel free.........

Twonky

Twonky make 2 products, these being: Twonky Media Manager and Twonky Media Server. Twonky Media Manager costs $39.95 (£25) and includes Twonky Media Server (which costs $29.95 or £19 on its own).

Obviously the Server product makes available media files on your PC to client devices elsewhere on your network. The Manager product also allows control of what is being played from the PC. Nomad is not sure how useful this "play to" functionality would be. On the other hand given the small price differential it may be just as well to invest in the full product.

The Twonky media products provide a DLNA certified interface. If you are running Windows XP then installing Twonky will provide the same functionality as Windows Media Center without you having to upgrade to Vista or wait for Windows 7 to be released.

You can download Twonky Media Manager for a 30 day free trial. This seems such a good offer that Nomad has decided to make it this weekends project. Expect a report shortly.

http://www.twonkyvision.de/

Windows 7

By now even the residents of Pyongyang are aware that Windows Vista has had a mixed reception. Nomad is of course employing a euphemism in using the term "mixed reception". Indeed many people hate Vista with an irrational venom that Nomad chooses to reserve for 'the corporation'. The major complaint levelled at Vista is that it is too slow. Microsoft has had a long history of producing new releases that required increased processing power to run acceptably. Fortunately for Microsoft the capability of a new off the shelf PC kept on increasing faster than the demands of its latest product. The problem with Vista has been that while PC capability is still improving it is now doing so only at a crawl. Microsoft has consequently been forced into re-engineering Vista and releasing it as Windows 7. The beta versions of Windows 7 are said to show much improved performance.

This is all very interesting you are probably saying (or not as the case may be), but what does it have to do with Video Podcasting?

Windows Media Center originally appeared in a version of XP. Unfortunately this version of XP was never made generally available. As things stand to get hold of Windows Media Center you need to install Vista. Windows Media Centre lets you replay media on your PC. More interestingly it also lets your PC act as a server for Media Centre Extender clients. The Linksys DMA2200, which was covered in a previous post, is one example of an extender client. The clients are designed to provide a "10 foot interface" meaning that you can drive it from your armchair using a remote control. Windows Media Center can also be used to sync files on portable devices.

Windows Media Center will be part of Windows 7 which will also be DLNA certified. So it looks like Windows 7 will become a desirable item for digital media users. Microsoft have not yet announced a release date for Windows 7 but October is the hot rumour.

DLNA: The best thing since sliced bread?

DLNA stands for Digital Living Network Alliance. This is a consortium of big names including Microsoft, Cisco, Nokia, Sony, Phillips and HP. The aim of the organisation is to define standards so that the devices in your home can exchange digital media.

Lets have a brief tutorial in device classes. A Digital Media Server stores content and makes it available to other devices on a network. A Digital Media Renderer plays the content that is sent to it. A Digital Media Controller finds content on a server and controls it being sent to a Digital Media Renderer. A Digital Media Player can both find content on a server and play the content. Obviously a particular product may provide the functions of more than one device class. For instance a PC could be both a Digital Media Server and a Digital Media Controller.

Certified DLNA devices are already on the market. To mention one, the elusive HP MediaSmart Connect which Nomad alluded to in a recent post is certified as a Digital Media Player.

Sounds great doesnt it. Will it really work in practice though? Everything can be compatible but some things are more compatible than others. Your media player might be compatible with my file server; does that mean it will play a particular file format though? Who can tell.

However Nomad is going to stick his neck out here. DLNA looks like it is here to stay. Maybe DLNA will not solve every problem overnight; but any standard is better than no standard. DLNA certification is going to be something this blog looks at with increasing importance.

http://www.dlna.org/home


Update 27 May 2009:

Nomad has diligently searched the DLNA web site to uncover some vital gen. DLNA has tandardised on MPEG2 as the media format for video on home devices. MPEG1, MPEG4 and WMV9 are optional formats. MPEG4 is the standard for mobile devices. So just because your device is DNLA certified dont expect it to play an AVI format file. However DNLA are clearly doing the right thing here; standardising on a single format means that the content providers will eventually have to fall in line and provide that format. Until that message gets through expect more grief.

On a seperate topic it is worth mentioning the uPnP (universal Plug and Play) standard. UPnP is a component of DLNA. In other words if you buy a DLNA certified device it will, by definition, be compatible with uPnP. The DLNA logo is the one to look for.

New Speakers

Nomad has now got new speakers installed which makes it a good moment to show what the system setup looks like.

Mediaplayer: Linksys Kiss1600
Monitor: Viewsonic 22" HD LCD VX2260wm
Amplifier: NAD C326BEE
Speakers: PSB Alpha B1

We Got Served

See the link below for very useful reviews of the Linksys DMA-2200 and the HP MediaSmart Connect. My question about the MediaSmart Connect is this: Where can you buy it? Not the US 115 volts version but a european spec unit. Can you actually purchase one in the real world?

http://www.wegotserved.co.uk/hardware-reviews/

SlingCatcher - An Apology

In a post titled Media Player Hardware Review, Nomad stated his opinion that the SlingMedia SlingCatcher would require a TV Licence. After some further research Nomad now thinks he understands what the SlingCatcher does and it will not require a TV Licence. Nomad humbly apologises to the great British public and promises to return any expenses he may have incorrectly claimed or capital gains tax he omitted to pay.

SlingMedia make 2 boxes (actually there are more but lets keep it simple). The Slingbox takes a TV signal and turns it into streaming video. The SlingCatcher takes a streaming video input and turns it into a video signal (typically HDMI). Therefore it seems that a Slingbox would require a licence but the SlingCatcher would not. It is possible to use a SlingCatcher without a Slingbox. If you have SlingProjector software on your PC then any video playing on your PC can be sent to the Slingcatcher.

Nomad still does not recommend the SlingCatcher. The problem is that there is no interface to control what is being played on your PC from the SlingCatcher remote control. This will be great if you need to keep fit and like running back and forward to your PC every time you change the file being replayed. Couch potatoes will be dissapointed though. The SlingCatcher will also replay files from a USB stick and does support an impressive range of file formats. The SlingCatcher could be a useful component in a system and it may be that some development of the SlingProjector software could produce a desirable solution.

Hulu is coming!

Check this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/5356527/Hulu-set-for-September-UK-launch.html

It takes a lot to get Nomad excited but this news fits the bill. Although he had not got round to sharing this with you, Nomad was concerned that lack of content was emerging as the major issue. In particular the lack of UK content found in the Miro guide is quite noticeable. Clearly there is little point in solving all the technical issues if there is nothing to watch.

What is so good about Hulu? It works with Miro! Things are starting to fall into place.

System Architecture Revisited

For some time Nomad has been wondering whether his system architecture is the correct one.
Why use a media player? Why not just play everything on a PC? This would be much more flexible as it would solve the problems of file compatability which have plagued the project. It would also be possible to dial up Youtube and other sites which do not use the RSS podcast interface.

There is one good reason for not using a PC however, which is the difficulty of operating a mouse while slumped in your armchair. What is needed is a remote control device that can drive a Windows GUI type interface. Step forward the Weramouse (strange name!). This is a handheld bluetooth device with a trackball that emulates a mouse. Could this be the answer?

http://www.weramouse.com/

Now the reason I started this blog was in the hope that other people would write in with the answers. So if you can help with any of the following do get in touch.

- Have you tried using a PC as a media server? If so was the audio and video quality any good?

- Have you tried driving a PC without a desktop interface (ie keyboard/mouse) and was it workable?

- Have you got a Weramouse and if so is it any good?

- Are there any other remote control devices that will work (for example the programmable types)?

The comment thread is open...........

System Architecture

Nomad has been industriously creating verbiage since he began this blog. Sometimes a picture works better though. If you do need some words to go with the diagram then try "basic techy stuff" which was posted back in March.

The Royal Prerogative ?

Yesterdays FT carries an article in which an all out fight is promised in response to David Camerons attempt to cap the licence fee.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f66227ac-4300-11de-b793-00144feabdc0.html

Nomad had imagined that 'the trust' was originally set up to represent the interests of the average viewer and ensure that 'the corporation' provided value for money. Clearly this is not the case and instead the trust sees itself as the guardian of 'the corporation' against outside attack. It must therefore extract the maximum possible funding from the taxpayer. Is 'the trust' also funded from the licence fee one wonders?

Sir Michael Lyons appears to share a delusion, common to other employees of 'the corporation', that they are part of a great and noble calling which is beholden to no man. Perhaps he should try reading Bagehot to understand how the constitution works (I include a link below). The Privy Council exists to advise the Queen and comprises for the most part government ministers. I dont know when a monarch last ignored the advice of the Privy Council but it seems fairly certain that the present monarch has never done so. Therefore if a future goverment decides to replace Sir Michael, make no mistake that he will be replaced.

Obviously this is shaping up as a rather interesting knivefight. Camerons move may is unlikely to get anywhere in the short term; but Nomad thinks it should be read as a statement of intent that a future Conservative goverment will be less sympathetic to 'the corporation'. Bear in mind that the present goverment could remain in power for up to a year and could impose some real damage in the meantime. The White Paper will be an interesting read. Hopefully the significance of Camerons proposal is that he will not consider himself bound by what the White Paper says.

Interesting times lie ahead for licence fee rufuseniks.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Constitution-Walter-Bagehot/dp/1602062552

Here in South Bend ......

If you wander round the forums discussing the TV Licence fee it wont be very long before you find an exchange that goes like this.

Lisa, Basingstoke: The BBC is a disgrace and the licence fee is a complete waste of money. Why should I be made to pay when I only ever watch Sky?

Jack, Indiana: Here in South Bend, Channel 83 shows repeats of Monty Python every Friday evening. The BBC is a marvelous organisation and I would be more than happy to pay a licence fee if we could get more shows from the “beeb”.

There are two points to make about Jacks position. Firstly he claims to be happy to pay for the service but clearly is not actually putting his hand in his pocket. Secondly his admiration of 'the corporation' is based on a programme that was made over 30 years ago.

In the past 'the corporation' was run by gentlemen intent on public service; Alistair Cooke narrated Letter from America and Kenneth Clarke produced Civilisation. Nowadays its greatest achievement, in a mindset which is fixated on ratings, is Jonathon Ross. Need I say more.

The reason I mention all this though, is that I am not sure how a group of american open media enthusiasts would react to learning that their software (see previous post about Miro) is part of a plan to undermine ‘the corporation’. These guys are probably intellectual democrat types who think that Fox News is a spawn of the devil and the “beeb” is just marvelous. I had best just keep quiet about what I am up to.

Miro

If there is one media product that Nomad has found that he likes then it is Miro.

Miro is developed by a non profit organisation based in Massachusetts called the Participatory Culture Forum. In thier own words the mission is "to create a more open and democratic video space." In other words they dont want Apple taking over the world and look to provide an alternative to iTunes.

For my money Miro is far more intuitive and easy to use than iTunes. It takes about 10 seconds to work out how to drive Miro whereas I am still struggling with iTunes. The best thing about Miro is that it is free to download. However those nice people at PCF deserve your support so consider adopting a line of code at $4 US a month. It is a whole lot cheaper than subsidising 'the corporation'.

Miro does have some bugs but you can download updates for free and the current version (2.0.4) seems pretty stable. I leave it running continuously on my machine and have not had to restart it for 3 weeks or so now. The last time I had problems, it appears to have been due to my inadvertently running 2 instances of Miro.

Miro comes complete with "The Miro Guide". This is actually a web page which is constantly updated with the latest feeds to become available. They seem to be fairly strict in deleting anything which might be construed as pornography. This will obviously disappoint some people; however I think it makes sense to deny critics easy ammunition. Bypassing the mainstream media obviously encourages freedom of expression but failing to have any values will not make the world a better place.

The major gripe I have with Miro is that some of the feeds fill up rapidly. The Sky news headlines for example are updated 4 times a day. After a month this results in a lot of files. Since I have little interest in looking at last weeks news I would just like them cleaned out. Unfortunately this needs to be done manually. A feature to delete everything over a week old would be very useful. Obviously this needs to be selectable for each feed as some feeds only provide new items once a week and I may want to watch the edition that came out while I was on holiday. If you agree with me then please log in to the bugzilla system at Miro and vote for bug 9784.

The major factor behind the creation of Miro is that broadcast television in the US is very low quality. The NTSC standard (derided as Never The Same Colour) has only 525 lines. Unlike the UK where you get all the channels from a single mast; every station runs its own transmitter. Adjusting your antenna for an optimum picture is not easy if it has to be done for 20 stations. Of course Obama has promised to fix this and will provide digital TV once he has finished closing Guantanamo and curing cancer, etc. In the meantime the internet is being seen as a way of providing HDTV in the US. However Miro say that they now have more users in Europe than in North America.

The question worth asking then is this: if there is an open source application like Miro available, why has every broadcaster in the UK decided to launch its own platform?. Why do we have iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Sky Player? It seems to me that download on demand will eventually move to a common platform (or platforms) with an open source interface. The RSS podcast interface is likely to be that standard. Surely 'the corporation' as a publicly funded body should be supporting an open standard and not trying to carve up the market with its own proprietary version? A couple of years ago 'the corporation' ran a trial of video podcasting. Why did they give up? My suspicion is that iPlayer is designed not to support open standards so that licence restrictions can be imposed on it at some point.

http://www.getmiro.com/

Internet Tax?

The corporation (as we call them here) seems to be slowly waking up to the threat. See this story.

Notice the mention of "something we currently call TV Licensing". In others words he wants to expand what you need a license for. Internet tax anybody?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/14/hugger_licence/