HDTV/3D TV News
In order to get BBC content in front of as many people as possible, the Director General Mark Thompson is said to be in talks with Eric Schmidt of Google with a view to taking the iPlayer international.
How this would work is not yet known, but the BBC has already tied up a deal with YouTube to provide BBC content in full on the video site.
The BBC iPlayer works well for the corporation, helped by the seven day limit to shows.
Viewers are able to watch programs that they have missed, but not record them, therefore the service doesn’t affect the sales of the BBC’s DVD boxed sets of popular series, which bring in extra revenues.
However, this will not work on YouTube and how the iPlayer will fit into Google’s business is still yet to be announced.
I doubt this would actually happen since the BBC has been toying with the idea of charging for using the iPlayer. Simply because people without TV licenses are watching programs online for free.
They’ve restricted access to the UK for this reason as well. Only TV license holders are in the UK — and that money goes directly to the BBC.
It’d be nice if this did happen though as I could share my favourite programs with my friends around the world.
Thanks,
Adam