Embedded in an article BBC bids to lift standards with 300m bloodletting in the UK's Sunday Times today (5 December 2004 p7) there was a tidbit which suggests that the BBC has plans for a new service called 'Catch-up TV'. I assume this is similar in concept to their excellent established 'Listen Again' service for most of their radio broadcasts. So if you've got broadband then the previous week's material will be available for your delectation. I wonder if they'll avoid the criticisms about supporting only proprietary media players this time? I also wonder if the BBC's use of the term 'Catch-up TV' will annoy NTL who I understand offer a similar product also called you guessed it … 🙂
Now the BBC offers some excellent material beyond the crass 'reality TV' and it would be really good if we could get to the happy situation where we end up with the video equivalent of 'podcasting' which would contribute to the possible future I alluded to in my previous articles about a 'filling station' model of e-learning.
The dark cloud on the horizon is of course the the increasing trend towards capping so-called broadband services; this redefinition of broadband is far from the reality of the 2Mbps definition of the term when it was first mooted.
Apart from capping issues we shouldn't expect broadcast quality streaming, so whether you be an Eastenders or other soap fan (sad sad sad) or a Horizon science programme groupie, then it's likely to be watch on your computer small window stuff. But, of course, if it proved possible to capture or download the file, playing it on your PDA or portable multimedia device may be good enough for helping while away those endless hours commuting on the great British railway system:)
