Category Archives: TV

BBC and a raft

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Came across a link at the BBC for ‘hi-res film downloads’ which seemed rather neat. Clicking around finds that I need IE to get it, WMP to play it, a ‘small download’ to get it too and just to be sure I won’t burst my HD it’ll delete the programs for me. How considerate! Keep reading …. it’s a download using a program called Kontiki. If you google ‘Kontiki DRM’ you will get “Gamespot’s “Download Manager” Hides Spyware, DRM” as #1. How reassuring! Reading around some more, it seems Sky have already tried this and effectively used paying customers bandwidth as a distribution mechanism – and some will not have known. How economic! And just to put the tin lid on it, if you want to get rid of the software, the BBC accept no responsibility at all if the nukes your computer even though they say you must have it to get the films. How …
So, would I like to download these short films? Yes. Will I? Not a chance. Will I keep an eye on the right places for a way to strip Kontiki’s DRM from these films? Hell yes. And would I then tell anyone about it? You can bet on it.

BB

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Bottom of the Barrel?
What a bunch of IQ-free goons this lot are .. maybe it’ll be compelling viewing in ‘car crash’ type of way? Or maybe it’ll just be total garbage.
Again.

Crystal Maze

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One link lead to another and at the end of the chain was the BBC page documenting The Crystal Maze. I’m fairly sure this image is from the later Tudor-Pole series but I didn’t mind either – I really enjoyed the whole lot and I wish someone would bring something similar back. But then could they ? It’s one of those “could it be as good” things. Like Creme Eggs being smaller these days, and Wagon Wheels not being as chunky, and sweets not being sold in a ‘quarter’ (I could go on a huge roll about this “When I was younger” stuff – I shall try hard to resist). So yes, while it would be nice and I’d love it to come back I’m equally sure I’d probably criticise it. I suppose some things are best left where they were.
There was something quite satisfying about that game though. When you saw who was nominated for a room and just knew they would screw it up. Or when the host said “They cannot hear you” but the people outside still yelled directions. And the very few times when the team actually did win the big prizes you knew they really had worked for it. Good program. Bring it back.

The Chef, the voice, the cult and His Glintness

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Isacc Hayes quits South Park. Sorry, that should read “Certifiable loon quits South Park” or even “Isaac ‘I want teeth like Tom’ Hayes quits South Park. Maybe “Isaac ‘scientology does not permit me to think for myself’ Hayes….”

Stone said: “In 10 years and over 150 episodes of South Park, Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslim, Mormons or Jews.

“He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show.”

WTF is it with this ‘slag all but mine’ off ? [Gratuitous link to South Park's Come out of the closet video] Thing is, this just shows that scientologists are just as screwed up and petty and vindictive and divisive and destructive and extreme as all the other religions out there. (I have a problem with scientology being called a religion too. It’s a frigging cult ffs).

So, Chef is voiceless. Kill Chef. Send him to hell.

‘I had a misfire’

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I don’t drive. I never have driven. I never want to drive. Cars bore me. I can’t quite understand people who love cars and engines and gears and … all that stuff. But I love Top Gear. If you saw tonight’s show you’ll know what the title is about and if you didn’t you won’t – and the best part about the program is that I couldn’t explain it either :)

Fee : a definition for the BBC

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From The Free Dictionary

1. A fixed sum charged, as by an institution or by law, for a privilege: a license fee; tuition fees.
2. A charge for professional services: a surgeon’s fee.
3. A tip; a gratuity.
4. Law An inherited or heritable estate in land.

Shall we try Tax ?

1. A contribution for the support of a government required of persons, groups, or businesses within the domain of that government.
2. A fee or dues levied on the members of an organization to meet its expenses.
3. A burdensome or excessive demand; a strain.

Get that ? Now I would say there is a difference and hardly a pedantic one at that.
Taking the word ‘fee’ though… now read this story from the BBC which is entitled “Fine warning over TV on mobiles”

 

No, there is no quote because on that BBC page the word ‘fee’ does not appear. The word ‘licence’ does though – quite a few times. But the word ‘fee’ does not accompany it. Why ? Because as I posted in January the licence fee is now a tax. However, in that story at the bottom it says ““We have a database of 28 million addresses that shows us who does and does not have a current TV licence,” the TV Licensing spokesman said.” Okay… so the line is still being followed. Until you go to the home of TV Licensing and check their ‘About Us’ page. The word ‘Fee’ is mentioned 6 times. The word ‘Tax’ is missing.

TV Licensing call it a ‘Fee’
BBC call it a ‘License’
and some buried piece of bureacracy calls it a ‘Tax’

It continues…..
According to the BBC, The BBC is paid for directly through each household TV licence. (did you notice the /licencefee/ in the url ?).
It repeats itself elsewhere on the site: “The BBC is financed by a TV licence paid by households.“.
The BBC are also keen that we know that the “BBC World Service is funded by Government grant and not your TV licence.” and that “Profits from separate BBC commercial services help to keep the licence fee low.“. Seeing anything odd yet ?

It also claims that the license fee “.. allows it to run a wide range of popular public services for everyone, free of adverts and independent of advertisers, shareholders or political interests.“. Hmm…

The vision:

Its [sic] vision is to be the most creative, trusted organisation in the world.

Well why not start by telling the truth about the Govts new tax then eh ?