Channel 4 programme downloads

[RogerS]

In todays news this service has been announced but I can't find any links to it on their website.

Does anyone know if it is going to be available to the cognoscenti (sorry, Mac community) ? :wink:

 

[George_N]

Channel 5?

 

[RogerS]

No definitely Channel 4

But just checking the Channel 5 link I see that they don't support Mac users. This is probably tied into the fact that Windows Media Player for the Mac does not support Digital Rights management. Smacks to me of competitive shenanigans and I'm wondering (hoping) that there is some EEC Directive that prohibits this commercial policy. rant over.

EDIT: OK - thank you Microsoft. I'd forgotten just how much I hate you :twisted: They won't support DRM for Windows Media player on the Mac.

I'd be grateful if anyone with an Intel mac and running Parallels can check if the DRM in Windows Media Player works OK.

 

[Alf]

No definitely Channel 4

At which link there's a link to the relevant bit of 4's website... :wink: And it's Mac-unfriendly. :roll:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Jake]

Comfort yourselves with the thought that there's no danger of you getting a virus.

 

[Alf]

Well I dunno about that; I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately... :-k

 

[mr]

No virii (?) for the mac? Here's a handful.
http://www.macvirus.org/
Mike

 

[Scrums]

Hmmmm.... on the 'Channel 4' link above you can download stuff for 99p - and it disappears after 48 hours? What clown thought this up?

Chris.

 

[RogerS]

No virii (?) for the mac? Here's a handful.
http://www.macvirus.org/
Mike

Oh dear...here we go again. Yes...there are some 'proof of concept' viruses. Yes - you might get infected if you are sufficiently dumb to unpack the compressed file, click on the request to load the program, enter the Admin password when prompted....but then if you're that dumb you probably haven't bought a Mac...

...running for the bunker.............................. :lol: :lol:

 

[RogerS]

Hmmmm.... on the 'Channel 4' link above you can download stuff for 99p - and it disappears after 48 hours? What clown thought this up?

Chris.

It will be part of their digital rights management and probably the only way that the program copyright owners would agree to them making their programs available by this method.

 

[Jake]

No virii (?) for the mac? Here's a handful.

My point was more that if he can't use Channel 4 he isn't going to catch anything from it. With the number of things that Macs are incompatible with, that must be a helpful contribution to their fortress-like immunity.

 

[mr]

Best thing you could do with a mac is put linux on it, or use it as a pretty doorstop
Mike

 

[ByronBlack]

The new intel macs can comfortably run Linux, Windows and the mighty OS X. So I never find myself out in the cold or have a problem with things not being compatble with the mac.

What exactly jake are the number of things that the mac is incompatible with other than proprietory software?

 

[Jake]

What exactly jake are the number of things that the mac is incompatible with other than proprietory software?

I have no idea, I just hear their owners moaning quite frequently about being overlooked and maltreated by the big bad world all the time, when they can't use stuff.

 

[RogerS]

What exactly jake are the number of things that the mac is incompatible with other than proprietory software?

I have no idea, I just hear their owners moaning quite frequently about being overlooked and maltreated by the big bad world all the time, when they can't use stuff.

Which brings us back full circle to those egregious malcontents in Seattle who won't port their DRM over to the Windows Media Player on OSX. If you want to download or watch anything that uses Microsoft's DRM then you MUST use Internet explorer and Microsoft OS.

Since the European Commission has been gunning for Microsoft for a long time I've written to voice my concern about what is effectively restrictive practice.

If any other Mac owners wish to write then the URL is here

 

[Taffy Turner]

Oh joy - yet another post has descended into an argument re the benefits or otherwise of the Mac V PC!

I'm off!

Taffy

 

[RogerS]

ha ha! Actually I thought we were being quite well behaved. Actually it's not an argument about PC vs Mac per se but about the policy of Microsoft and third parties only supporting a DRM that was PC-exclusive.

 

[Jake]

Oh joy - yet another post has descended into an argument re the benefits or otherwise of the Mac V PC!

I'm off!

Taffy

Didn't know you were here!

It's all mild teasing, really.

 

[ByronBlack]

I'm confused, since when was this thread another pointless PC vc Mac argument? I don't believe that subject has come out from anywhere.

I was refuting the notion that macs are incompatible with a 'number' of features - didn't mention anything about windows.

With regards the windows DRM - to be honest, i'm not really that bothered if I can't view the material. If the companies are so controlling and so money motivated that they can't see the benefit of easily accessible content, then i'll go look for other content.

There's a lot of really good independant and DRM free stuff on the net, the more we support the independant artists the more controll we as people we have over our own media.

 

[MikeW]

Which brings us back full circle to those egregious malcontents in Seattle who won't port their DRM over to the Windows Media Player on OSX. If you want to download or watch anything that uses Microsoft's DRM then you MUST use Internet explorer and Microsoft OS.

Since the European Commission has been gunning for Microsoft for a long time I've written to voice my concern about what is effectively restrictive practice.

But...who should care?

Is this the fault of a company who has put the expense into developing an electronic widget which does not operate on a platform which is not theirs, or the content providers who have in turn limited your ability to view thier content by choosing the comany's electronic widget to format their content in?

Why the heck should MS--or Apple--develop software which benefits the other company?

How many Apple or Linux applications are incapable of being used on the PC? Talk about protectionism. Shouldn't they make their software compatible with the PC?

But the point here is it seems you have a problem with the BBC for choosing to limit your ability to view their content. Why not take it up with them instead of pushing for unfair punitive action against MS?

Take care, Mike