Cory, I think you are missing a fair bit about the iPlayer project.

The iplayer project is a solution which will work on tvs, mobiles and other pc technologies (including flash). It isn't just a wmv only solution that will never change.

An interesting read is over at groklaw with the head of FM&T at the beeb. He points out quite clearly that DRM isn't the future and that he would like to see it removed. He also mentions why you are in the vast minority in regards to content producers. They have no idea what the internet holds.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20071118205358171

I also think you might want to give the VCR comparable a bit of a rest. Today if the BBC released a drm free file out it can be illegally across the world in a matter of seconds via p2p. In the 80s there was no international peer to peer VHS sharing system.

In my opinion the DRM are the arm bands for content people. They won't swim fast, or make any real progress in the big internet pool, but its a vital start to get them in the pool. Just as we see the music business paddle around today thanks to DRM, some, such as EMI have shed their armbands and gone DRM free after finding their bearings. Perhaps this will happen to TV.

Or we could just make the Peer to peer VHS sharing system over post ....

PS. keep your ranting up, it helps spread the word that there is a wonderful life without DRM

Oh that does look wonderful. I can heartily recommend British Sea Power, they sing about the countryside and is the only band (I know of) whose online store stocks Brilliantine, an old fashioned scented hair pomade.

Their latest EP is available as mp3s from rough trades digital site, if anybody is interested.

Cory, that title was very misleading, something that even the BBC kitty-name-fakers wouldn't get away with.

Now I would love it if they went DRM free on all their content. The stuff they broadcast everyday is amazing, let alone what sits ready digitized in their archive.

However, the BBC don't exclusively own all the content they broadcast, as such cannot do this without the independents (and all artists) consent. Which lets be honest isn't forthcoming without a massive bill.

Plus you never seem to mention how making content DRM free would impact the BBC's DVD or international sales. Something that you may think is wrong considering the license fee, however, pays for about 1/3rd of the BBC. A DRM free option will certainly cannibalize this to some unknown extent. This is a massive concern for the BBC, (even more apt considering sweeping job cuts are expected to be announced tomorrow).

So less of this sort of post, perhaps a nice critique looking at how perhaps the BBC would survive on the net DRM free?

Plus this post suggests that the flash version or iPlayer will be worse than the downloadable version ... something which I question considering we haven't seen the light of day of the later.