BBC & ITV to trial multicasting

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...726285,00.html

ITV and BBC put main channels online

Julia Day
Wednesday March 8, 2006

The BBC and ITV have teamed up in a "multicasting" trial to broadcast
their main channels over the internet for the first time.

In the six-month technical pilot, the two broadcasters are making their
main channels available to a limited number of people who subscribe to a
group of eight broadband internet service providers, including Plusnet,
Cable & Wireless and Janet.

The trial is the first major test of multicasting, which is an
alternative way of delivering video and radio channels. The broadcasters
feed the pictures to the ISPs, which will then redistribute them to
their subscribers. In this way, the load is shared by the ISPs.

It offers higher quality broadcasts and more live channels for events,
such as the Olympics.

The BBC is multicasting its four main channels plus BBC News 24 and 10
national radio stations. ITV is making ITV1, 2, 3 and 4 available in all
areas, while the pilot service in Brighton and Hastings will also get
ITV Local.

Last October, ITV launched a pilot broadband TV service in Brighton and
Hastings giving residents the chance to access a range of local
channels.

The three-month trial was designed to move ITV into the local classified
advertising market for the first time by enabling people to buy and sell
online under the ITV Local brand.

The service offered local news, weather, films, an entertainment guide,
community video and classified advertising for Brighton and Hastings but
could be accessed online from anywhere. It was earmarked for national
expansion if deemed successful.

The new trial aims to test the "technological capability and effects of
multicasting some TV channels across the limited multicast-enabled
network" and intends to recruit a panel of 4,000 people to report on
technical issues and assess how the service affects their TV viewing
habits.

The trial follows the BBC's integrated media player pilot, which gave
users access to seven days' worth of archived programmes, and comes as
the number of broadband connections in the UK breaks the 10 million
households mark.

Users need a broadband connection and the latest version of a media
player to access the multicasting service. The media player sends out a
high-quality signal that many users tune into, rather than giving each
user an individual stream as has been used previously.

--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

Find the cheapest Freeview & DAB prices:
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/fr..._receivers.htm
http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/dab_radios.htm

On Wed, 8 Mar 2006, DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:

> http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...726285,00.html
>
> ITV and BBC put main channels online
[...]

http://support.bbc.co.uk/multicast/
http://support.bbc.co.uk/multicast/streams.html

A whole swath of radio channels, and one (News 24) with video.

On Wed, 8 Mar 2006, DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
> http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...726285,00.html
> ITV and BBC put main channels online
> [...]

Alan J. Flavell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> A whole swath of radio channels, and one (News 24) with video.

Actually, you need to be looking at these:
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/multicast
* http://www.bbc.co.uk/multicast/channels.shtml

Chris

DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:

> Users need a broadband connection and the latest version of a media
> player to access the multicasting service.

And the right router (which mine isn't) :-(

Tim

On Thu, 9 Mar 2006, Chris Davies wrote:

> Actually, you need to be looking at these:
> * http://www.bbc.co.uk/multicast
> * http://www.bbc.co.uk/multicast/channels.shtml

OK, ta....

But wait...

"Please remember, you must be using a version-5 or higher browser"

I was using it yesterday from Mozilla 1.7.12 , or I could offer
Firefox 1.5.0.1. What would those be on a scale of "version-5" then??

I know it's not your fault, but I couldn't resist a routine grumble.

Alan J. Flavell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> But wait...
> "Please remember, you must be using a version-5 or higher browser"

> I was using it yesterday from Mozilla 1.7.12 , or I could offer
> Firefox 1.5.0.1. What would those be on a scale of "version-5" then??

FF 1.5 is "Version 6", I believe. Presumably Moz 1.7 is equivalent.

I wonder how they'll be classed when IE7 finally gets released. FF 1.5
will perhaps be reclassed as "Version 7"?

I routinely ignore such comments on websites and use them anyway. If
they don't work I (try to) send them a message saying essentially "your
site's broken and doesn't work". Once someone answers the email I then
give them the firefox on linux treatment.

Chris

"Tim Downie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote, on Thu, 09 Mar 2006:

>> Users need a broadband connection and the latest version of a media
>> player to access the multicasting service.
>
> And the right router (which mine isn't) :-(

Nor mine (Draytek Vigor 2600).

I've been wondering if there is a way to get it working by setting up
multicast routing on a Linux box, and setting a static route on the
Draytek to send all packets for 224.0.0.0/4 to the Linux box.

Anyone here know enough about multicast to advise whether that is
worth trying?

--
Geoff Clare <(E-Mail Removed)>

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Geoff Clare <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> "Tim Downie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote, on Thu, 09
> Mar 2006:
>
>>> Users need a broadband connection and the latest version of a media
>>> player to access the multicasting service.
>>
>> And the right router (which mine isn't) :-(
>
> Nor mine (Draytek Vigor 2600).
>

So what exactly *do* you need?
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Please reply to newsgroup.
Reply address IS valid, but is disposable in the event of excessive
spam.

On Fri, 10 Mar 2006, Geoff Clare wrote:

> "Tim Downie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote, on Thu, 09 Mar 2006:
>
> >> Users need a broadband connection and the latest version of a media
> >> player to access the multicasting service.
> >
> > And the right router (which mine isn't) :-(
>
> Nor mine (Draytek Vigor 2600).

Well, I've got the BT Voyager 205 (currently on firmware 1.8), and
a web search brought me to http://www.kitz.co.uk/tute/multicast.htm

I tried what it said, and then I launched one of the BBC streams, and
then trying "get igmp groups" on the router showed that it was there.
But, as yet, no results were seen on the actual PC.

If anyone's got that to work and can fill in any blanks, it would be
nice. If I get any further myself, then I'll sure post an update.

It works great on the campus (via JANET), but I said that already.

> I've been wondering if there is a way to get it working by setting
> up multicast routing on a Linux box, and setting a static route on
> the Draytek to send all packets for 224.0.0.0/4 to the Linux box.

Here's my guesses. Unless you've got support for IGMP working, then
*either* nobody will send you any multicast, *or* (what's a lot worse)
you'll be deluged with all the multicast traffic that's around, and no
way to stop it. Talk about the Sorcerer's Apprentice :-}

On 10 Mar 2006 20:09, "Alan J. Flavell" wrote:

>If anyone's got that to work and can fill in any blanks, it would be
>nice. If I get any further myself, then I'll sure post an update.

You have to ask Plus.Net nicely, to be given trial access :-)

No, seriously, you do... But it's down at present anyway.

This gets asked now and then in p.s.c-f but there ought to be a
'status' indicator for multicast on the portal, and have some note
so customers can find out easily (rather than have to ask on groups
or web discussions and be pointed to old posts... I asked months ago
in p.s.c-f and people ask on ADSLguide, etc... Fortunately there is
now a page <http://usergroup.plus.net/bbcigmp.php> which tells about
the routers known to work, and the ones known not to. HTH. Peter.

--
UK ADSL <http://tinyurl.com/5jpa4> - Happy to save cash with Plus.Net!!