Countryboy1

I read there are plans under consideration to develop some form of charging system to access BBC programmes via the iPlayer. Mention has been made of perhaps encrypting the signal requiring a password linked to the television licence to enable viewing.
I wonder therefore if such encryption is introduced, would this make viewing, for example by satellite here in Spain a problem?

Fred James

I don't see why it needs to be encrypted. There are plenty of streaming services which require a username and password to access them, Netflix being the obvious example. All they would need to do is only allow licence holders to have access and give them a unique username and password and limit the number of registered devices. SkyGo do this quite successfully.

I don't see why satellites are involved as it is via the Internet.

Countryboy1

Only quoting from an article in the Sunday Times that some form of encryption is an option. Who knows though?

Horlics

Yes but there are two different methods. The iPlayer, which the BBC has been talking about this week, and then satellite which you also mention in your post.

What the BBC does to iPlayer will have no effect on you being able to receive by satellite.

A statement by the BBC makes it clear that they are determined to implement some form of authentication into iPlayer, with the result that you'll have to sign in before you can view programmes. You'll need a TV license in order to register for an account with which to sign in.

Countryboy1

Yes, just musing though on whether or not the BBC for financial reasons
could implement a form of encryption for all their output, in a way of raising revenue, not only for those accessing content via the iPlayer, but also those who are accessing it via other means without a licence.

MikeJ

I'd be happy to pay an 'overseas' license (within reason) if they put the BBC etc back on the European beam.

teuchterpete

As I see it iplayer is not available unless a licence is valid, therefore not available over the internet outside UK. I would miss the radio but not the TV. however licence not needed for radio so it would not bother me. A lot of past bbc tv available on you tube anyway.

Horlics

OK, so you mean like Sky, where a card is needed for the receiving box, in order to trigger the decryption.

I think the answer to your question is no. They can't easily switch to encrypted broadcasts because the majority of people who pay for the service receive it using TVs that don't have the capability to decrypt new encrypted broadcasts. Freeview and Freesat boxes would suddenly cease to work and we'd all have to go out and buy new boxes. A very unlikely scenario.

What's peeing off the BBC is that since iPlayer came along a legal loophole has enabled people to claim that they don't watch live TV and thereby stop paying the license fee. The same people can then fire-up iPlayer on their computers, SmartTVs etc. and use it to watch the live feed, whilst more easily being able to claim they aren't watching the broadcast because they will have removed aerial cables.

To see the problem in action, search for BBC Licensing to see how the BBC is dealing with it. You'll also find there are websites set-up by people getting together for advice in avoiding the license fee and dealing with the BBC when they come inspecting homes.

The BBC certainly hasn't said it is going to encrypt everthing it broadcasts, all they have said is that they want to add authentication to iPlayer.

Horlics

And BBC is available live on Filmon and other rebroadcast services.

bobd22

You can also get catch up TV outwith using Iplayer using a Kodi box as well, it is not as slick as Iplayer but does give you catch up.

Fred James

It's worth noting that originally all BBC satellite feeds were encrypted and you needed either a Sky card or a special BBC card to receive their broadcasts. They eventually gave that up because of the expense and moved to open transmissions, controlled only by limiting the coverage to the UK.

I cannot see any possibility of them going back to encryption. In the very long term, all transmissions will be via the Internet, which is much easier to control. For example, at present, the only way you will get the new Top Gear or House of Cards is to pay for a streaming service using a username and password and paying for the privelidge

Fred James

From today's DM. Those who watch BBC iPlayer on tablets will be forced to pay licence fee | Daily Mail Online

It confirms that it will be password protected and the user will need a licence.

Bearing in mind that they must accept that a licence fee covers an unlimited number of devices used at the licence holders address, it will be easy to "borrow" a device allocation from a friend/family member in the UK combined with a SmartDNS/VPN to get round geo-blocking.

uk_grenada

The bbc's charter says their job is to provide tv to the uk population, they arent allowed to even try to sell their services abroad [tv progs are different, they are sold company to company.]

The law says you dont need a license to watch a recorded program, and that hasnt changed, and the govt is quite anti bbc trying to shift its mission. They have been told before by govt to stop dicxxxx around with the internet and get on making better ptogrammes.

Technically they cant stop good vpn's though they could decide to block all vpn providers, but they change addresses like socks, and now we have personal cloud vpn, so we can all do it ourselves, not a chance of stopping that. Requiring a password - nah, just more fiddling at the edges, everyone will have a few logons shortly.

quiltman

The only options with Filmon are;
1. Stream live in SD or pay for HD streaming.
2. Pay, then record and download the programme.

I use 2 and have done for 3 years. Never miss a UK TV programme - well, unless I forget to set it to record! there is no catch up on Filmon like iplayer offers. None that I can find anyway!

bobd22

With a Kodi or xbmc set up you can get both Iplayer and ITV player easy enough. Used to be able to get 4od as well but there seems to be an issue with it at the moment so more research required. You can also get many TV programmes as catch up including sky only ones by using the TV program search ability in many of the Kodi video add one. No doubt the new BBC plan will affect the BBC on the Nowtv box? Won't be an issue for me as non resident with a tv licence. No doubt someone will get round this issue as they do with most things. Be easier surely for them to simply accept that technology has moved on and many people who want UK TV live elsewhere within the EU so just give them a legal way to view TV I.e. a simple way to buy on line a personal pin / licence to view !