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Forums - Microsoft - Xbox app announcements "very soon" BBC iPlayer, Skype rumoured

welshbloke on 25 August 2011
Reasonable said:
kowenicki said:
Seece said:
kowenicki said:
Mistershine said:
Seece said:
BBC CAN'T budge, so I dunno what Microsoft are expecting, better to have it than not have it at all MS??

Anyway the Dashbboard is early september isn't it? Not christmas!


True. BBC is not allowed to be behind a paywall in the UK, but they could make it free for UK users and gold only for EU/US, allowing an extra revenue stream for the BBC so they can keep F1. :)

which is odd when you think about it.... is the internet free now...? how else do you access BBC iPlayer?

I read discussions about trying to charge a license feee for online, dunno how it would work exactly. But I don't think Iplayer or anything is available outside the UK.


That already exists, I think.   I had a license questionnaire when I set up my business asking if anyone would be accessing web based TV.  If I had answered yes then a license was required.

I answered no.....

But that wasnt the point I was making really... you cant access the BBC online unless you have paid for an internet connection... whats the difference? 


The BBC doesn't view your ISP as a paywall, that's the difference.  They see ISP as a general fee covering use of infrastructure rather than a paywall- I guess a poor analogy is they see the ISP fee as similar to paying for a TV to watch their programs with.  Live Gold they do see as a genuine paywall and therefore they can't support it.

TBH so far as I know the BBC simply can't cut any slack here.  MS would need to either allow everyone with a 360 and an internet connection access, hence making iPlayer unique on the 360, or have come up with something very cunning positioning of how iPlayer would be accessed to get around this - or maybe MS is trying to tie into the possibility of a chargable iPlayer for outside UK - although I don't see how that would get around anyone in UK supposed to get access without any other payment.

Skype will arrive for sure, plus no doubt other services MS deem useful.  iPlayer is a bit of a unique case really, due to the BBC mandate and operation.


I think the "Paywall" argument is open to interpretation. I believe they can offer iPlayer through the Xbox for Gold users so long as they do not charge extra for the benefit. I get the BBC iPlayer on my BT Vision box and I pay for that service but I do not pay extra for it, I am not sure but I suspect it may be available on all levels but it still exists on a paid for platform. BT Vision do not supply you a box without subscribing to the service, so I would suggest a precendent already exists and why I think this is a matter of interpretation and could happen and in fact is happening.

Update: BT Vision Essential (Entry offering) £4 per month includes replay and iPlayer. So the precedent already exists as does approximate cost of entry.



W.L.B.B. Member, Portsmouth Branch.

(Welsh(Folk) Living Beyond Borders)

Winner of the 2010 VGC Holiday sales prediction thread with an Average 1.6% accuracy rating. I am indeed awesome.

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brendude13 on 25 August 2011
yo_john117 said:
brendude13 said:
yo_john117 said:
Well Skype is a given at this point.

I do hope the BBC player will be available for the US (with no extra fee) Then I could watch Dr. Who!

I hope it doesn't come to America, British TV is embarassing.

Dr. Who!!!!!!

Please no xD, that might not be one of the worst offenders but I still find it embarassing.



Ajescent on 25 August 2011
kowenicki said:
Seece said:
kowenicki said:
Seece said:

I read discussions about trying to charge a license feee for online, dunno how it would work exactly. But I don't think Iplayer or anything is available outside the UK.


That already exists, I think.   I had a license questionnaire when I set up my business asking if anyone would be accessing web based TV.  If I had answered yes then a license was required.

I answered no.....

But that wasnt the point I was making really... you cant access the BBC online unless you have paid for an internet connection... whats the difference? 

Yeah, that's a fair point. I guess the net is simply something the BBC can't really get around.

orr their list of rules doesnt mention the internet... they were probably written in 1948.

The BBC needs to wise up... why does it matter if a third party platform happen to have an access fee so long as the fee isnt only for the BBC content.

Cosidering the BBC gets scolded for blinking when they are not meant to, they are always looking for ways to cover their asses no matter how trivial the issue.



PS One/2/p/3slim/Vita owner. I survived the Apocalyps3/Collaps3 and all I got was this lousy signature.


Xbox One: What are you doing Dave?

Reasonable on 26 August 2011
welshbloke said:
Reasonable said:
kowenicki said:
Seece said:
kowenicki said:
Mistershine said:
Seece said:
BBC CAN'T budge, so I dunno what Microsoft are expecting, better to have it than not have it at all MS??

Anyway the Dashbboard is early september isn't it? Not christmas!


True. BBC is not allowed to be behind a paywall in the UK, but they could make it free for UK users and gold only for EU/US, allowing an extra revenue stream for the BBC so they can keep F1. :)

which is odd when you think about it.... is the internet free now...? how else do you access BBC iPlayer?

I read discussions about trying to charge a license feee for online, dunno how it would work exactly. But I don't think Iplayer or anything is available outside the UK.


That already exists, I think.   I had a license questionnaire when I set up my business asking if anyone would be accessing web based TV.  If I had answered yes then a license was required.

I answered no.....

But that wasnt the point I was making really... you cant access the BBC online unless you have paid for an internet connection... whats the difference? 


The BBC doesn't view your ISP as a paywall, that's the difference.  They see ISP as a general fee covering use of infrastructure rather than a paywall- I guess a poor analogy is they see the ISP fee as similar to paying for a TV to watch their programs with.  Live Gold they do see as a genuine paywall and therefore they can't support it.

TBH so far as I know the BBC simply can't cut any slack here.  MS would need to either allow everyone with a 360 and an internet connection access, hence making iPlayer unique on the 360, or have come up with something very cunning positioning of how iPlayer would be accessed to get around this - or maybe MS is trying to tie into the possibility of a chargable iPlayer for outside UK - although I don't see how that would get around anyone in UK supposed to get access without any other payment.

Skype will arrive for sure, plus no doubt other services MS deem useful.  iPlayer is a bit of a unique case really, due to the BBC mandate and operation.


I think the "Paywall" argument is open to interpretation. I believe they can offer iPlayer through the Xbox for Gold users so long as they do not charge extra for the benefit. I get the BBC iPlayer on my BT Vision box and I pay for that service but I do not pay extra for it, I am not sure but I suspect it may be available on all levels but it still exists on a paid for platform. BT Vision do not supply you a box without subscribing to the service, so I would suggest a precendent already exists and why I think this is a matter of interpretation and could happen and in fact is happening.

Update: BT Vision Essential (Entry offering) £4 per month includes replay and iPlayer. So the precedent already exists as does approximate cost of entry.


That's not the same thing.  With BT Vision every owner gets iPlayer.  The issue is having a selective paywall that excludes some customers - i.e. Live's Gold and Silver tiering.   Your example is another vairant of mine, essentially so far as I can see.  The bottom line from my understanding of BBC policy is that MS strictly speaking would need to make it available to ALL 360 owners.  MS want to tie up what are essentually free services for paying customers - such as Facebook.  Companies such as Facebook can agree to that.  The BBC doesn't have the freedom to make that choice hence the deadlock.



Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...

yo_john117 on 30 August 2011
brendude13 said:
yo_john117 said:
brendude13 said:
yo_john117 said:
Well Skype is a given at this point.

I do hope the BBC player will be available for the US (with no extra fee) Then I could watch Dr. Who!

I hope it doesn't come to America, British TV is embarassing.

Dr. Who!!!!!!

Please no xD, that might not be one of the worst offenders but I still find it embarassing.

:o