BBC channels streaming online: PANIC!

BBC One and BBC Two are to stream online from this Thursday.  They will be joining their digital counterparts BBC Three and Four.  This is the BBC finally catching up with the technology that already existed as satellite streams have been illegally broadcasting since the bandwidth was capable.

Is this something for the masses to be getting hysterical about?  Could it be the end of the licence fee?  Well not really. People will still own televisions and as long as they do they will be pursued for the license fee like any other tax evader.  That infrastructure is there to catch.  Whether anyone can be bothered checking an internet search history is another matter.

Television is transforming as the technology converges.  People are upgrading to HD plasma screen televisions and home cinema systems.  It’s unlikely most will really want to swap to a lowgrade potentially jumpy streamed picture.  The content is out there, it is better for the BBC to retain ownership of it as they have with the highly successful iplayer.  The license fee is a secondary concern right now. 

Internet providers will of course have something to complain about.  A streamed video picture will take up 300 kilobits a second.  As more people adopt the technology then this could cause major problems.  Good!  Many users are given bandwidth limitations unless they pay a premium price.  This should not be the case for one of the world’s richest countries.  Investment in fibre optic cabling is beyond necessary with Asia leaving Western Europe behind in terms of bandwidth.  It is estimated by Ofcom that it would cost up to £15billion to lay a full network of fibre optics although others predict the real cost is much higher.  Rich content is possible and should be available.  Broadcasters are not dissappearing, they just need to offer choice.  People will be happy to pay for that choice provided they can see their hard-earned cash invested in the future of technology. 

The television as we know it is disappearing.  There will always be a screen in the corner but it will be connected and able to download.  Conventional broadcasts still have their place but content will also be available on demand from multiple sources.  Once all this is in place, the license fee will all seem worth it.  If not we may question what we are paying for.

An example of the kind of program the BBC will stream.