BBC HD Policy Beginning to Annoy Me (HD-DVDs)...

[Mor-Een]

Firstly, I don't have SkyHD as I am not going to pay their ridiculous hardware and subs cost, so this applies to HD discs only.

I have just done a search and can only find THREE HD-DVD products currently available from the BBC....Planet Earth, Galapagos, and Robin Hood. I assume it's the same on Blu-Ray.

Seeing as there have been at least a dozen big-budget HD series from the Beeb I'd like to know when we are actually going to be allowed to watch them, seeing as we pay for them in the first place.

Surely Bleak House and the rest could have been released for Christmas...I mean how on Earth does a ropey childrens programme like Robin Hood get a HD release and not a literary classic like Bleak House??? Does anyone have a possible explanation for the BBC's release policy, as it doesn't make any sense to me.

I realise the BBC website says they are 'coming soon', but they were saying that months ago.


So anyone else annoyed, or know what the release policy is?

[Roger G Cam]

Please could I just ask - how much did your HD Player cost?

Roger

[Duncan Harvey]

Originally Posted by Mor-Een

Firstly, I don't have SkyHD as I am not going to pay their ridiculous hardware and subs cost, so this applies to HD discs only.

I have just done a search and can only find THREE HD-DVD products currently available from the BBC....Planet Earth, Galapagos, and Robin Hood. I assume it's the same on Blu-Ray.

Seeing as there have been at least a dozen big-budget HD series from the Beeb I'd like to know when we are actually going to be allowed to watch them, seeing as we pay for them in the first place.

Surely Bleak House and the rest could have been released for Christmas...I mean how on Earth does a ropey childrens programme like Robin Hood get a HD release and not a literary classic like Bleak House??? Does anyone have a possible explanation for the BBC's release policy, as it doesn't make any sense to me.

I realise the BBC website says they are 'coming soon', but they were saying that months ago.


So anyone else annoyed, or know what the release policy is?

You paid for them to be made and broadcast - which they have been. You've not paid for them to be released on disc. 2e almost certainly have and they release what presumably they think will sell. Its still very early days, and Bleak House is scheduled for next month.

[andrew markwort]

I'd like to know when we are actually going to be allowed to watch them, seeing as we pay for them in the first place.

Large prestige projects cannot be funded simply by the licence fee, but need to done in conjunction with other TV companies. Take a look at any prestige project of the last few years and indeed the last couple of decades - they've all been co-productions, typically with American companies. The licence fee basically covers the run of the mill stuff like the endless dreary cookery and property improvement programmes that infest our screens.

In any case, licence payers do not 'own' the output - we are only entitled to receive the broadcast versions and there is no moral duty incumbent on the BBC to produce their programmes on DVD.

And the reason why there are so few (as yet) high definition DVDs is simple - it's still in many people's eyes an unproven medium. Paying for the preparation of HD and/or BR discs can bring the reaction from the same sort of people who think they 'own' the BBC of 'why oh why is licence payer's money being squandered on discs for a few rich gits and geeks?'.

FWIW, I agree that Robin Hood is not worthy of an HD release (I treasure the comments of one TV critic after some of the film from the first series was stolen necessitating a re-shoot, to the effect that it's a shame the thieves didn't steal every last reel). And yes, there are plenty of excellent HD programmes on the shelves (I for one would love to see Cranford and - from the sublime to the ridiculous - Rome). But we may have to be patient and wait for the medium to be taken up by a larger proportion of the population, simple as that.

[Duncan Harvey]

Releasing discs cant be a waste of license payers money as this is all done by 2e who fund everything themselves, and not from the license fee.

Robin Hood is an action series made in HD. Why not release it? It shows off HD very nicely and appeals to a broad demographic in terms of the buying public.

[andrew markwort]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Releasing discs cant be a waste of license payers money as this is all done by 2e who fund everything themselves

Not sure about this - I think it depends upon the way the contract is drawn up. In some cases it is the BBC itself (and hence, by tenuous connection the licence payer) who has commercial responsibility, not a third party. In other words, it's down to individual cases.

Robin Hood is an action series made in HD. Why not release it? It shows off HD very nicely and appeals to a broad demographic in terms of the buying public.

- missed a bit out of my post. I'd meant to say that whilst I personally dislike Robin Hood, there may be sound commercial reasons for releasing it(basically, as you rightly said, appeals to a broad demographic).

[Mor-Een]

Originally Posted by Roger G Cam

Please could I just ask - how much did your HD Player cost?

Roger

It was an EP-30 and it was £165 +7 'free' discs (which I have sold on eBay for £75+). So it cost me just under £100 for the player. I think it's the cheapest/easiest way to get access to HD material at the moment, and at least you know you're getting 'maximum' quality, as opposed to the sometimes questionable output from Sky.

[Mor-Een]

Originally Posted by Duncan Harvey

You paid for them to be made and broadcast - which they have been. You've not paid for them to be released on disc. 2e almost certainly have and they release what presumably they think will sell. Its still very early days, and Bleak House is scheduled for next month.

Well no, they haven't been broadcast by the BBC, as the BBC does not supply a HD service via their transmitters (which is what we pay for). Do you think it's acceptable they we have to pay several hundred pounds to view this material on a non-BBC service?

As for releasing on disc, well the BBC MAKES MONEY by releasing things on discs, so they should do it as soon as possible....perhaps the day after the initial broadcast, to cash in on the interest. But nooo, they would be too obvious for the Beeb, they'd rather release them randomly with no explaination.

[MikeC]

Mor-Een, you don't have to have $ky to get BBC HD content

Just get a satellite dish installed pointing at the $ky satellite. Then buy a set-top box (something like this) from Maplins.

This will give you the ability to watch the BBC HD channel (todays programs here)
Over Christmas, they had all Bleak House episodes in one afternoon and have shown most of the other HD series in full (e.g. Cranford, Mountain etc).

TBH it's a bit repetetitve after a while though.

If you are pc-wise, you could alternatively get a pc satellite card which should work ok in most recent pc's. This will give you the ability to record as-well. This will probably mean having a pc next to your tv though....

Something to consider also is that any satelitte receiver won't be FreeSat compatible (no EPG) when they get things sorted.

HTH

[Duncan Harvey]

Originally Posted by Mor-Een

Well no, they haven't been broadcast by the BBC, as the BBC does not supply a HD service via their transmitters (which is what we pay for). Do you think it's acceptable they we have to pay several hundred pounds to view this material on a non-BBC service?

As for releasing on disc, well the BBC MAKES MONEY by releasing things on discs, so they should do it as soon as possible....perhaps the day after the initial broadcast, to cash in on the interest. But nooo, they would be too obvious for the Beeb, they'd rather release them randomly with no explaination.

So you know more than the BBC do you? I'm afraid your tone suggests that you have very little understanding of the economics of business. Also as has been said before - its not the BBC that releases these titles, its 2 Entertain, who are a commercial company who have to make money on their catalogue.
Given the tiny numbers of users, I'm very pleased that 2e have decided to commence HD releases, and releasing on both formats is also welcome, although again is likely to increase costs and thus make them think very carefully about their release plans.

Furthermore, these shows have been broadcast in SD to the nation as a whole and on a trial service in HD. So the license payer has done very well out of this. The technological constraints that prevent terrestrial transmission of HD are well known, so I dont see how that can be used as a stick with which to beat the BBC.

[Sonic67]

Bleak House

February 11:
- Bleak House (2 entertain) [United Kingdom]

http://areahd.dvdtiefpreise.com/?p=109

[tedpon]

word of warning, dont buy fortecstar passion hd,..its no bargain,tedpon.