(Update – there is an official iMP message board in the works, but until it is released check out this interim thread)
I’ve just found out the BBC has (finally) publically announced the BBC iMP closed beta trial. The iMP (Interactive or Integrated, depending on who you ask, Media Player) service is the forerunner to the much-hyped myBBCPlayer that should be available for use this time next year.
I’ve been using the iMP client for a couple of weeks now whilst it has been in internal alpha and beta testing. But as I’m sure you’ll appreciate, I’ve been unable to blog about due to NDA.
So, what’s it like?
First impressions
Well, the first big thing you notice is that the iMP is an all-in-one download/playout client, similar to the more earlier P2P applications such as eDonkey and WinMX. You find, download and watch the programmes all within the same window. This somewhat departs from what I would say is the more “current” approach of doing things, which is building a lightweight download client (such as BitComet or Azureus) and relying on users to find the symbolic links to the programmes via a conventional website(s). For anyone who is a “seasoned” P2P TV user, this is perhaps going to be the biggest difference to how they do things at the moment.
The other obvious peculiarity of the iMP player is that it’s been designed to look like a futuristic TV or media player on your desktop. Personally, I’m not taken by it – I’d much prefer it if it had a normal window look and feel. However I believe the reason the BBC has taken this approach is to make it look as non-threatening to first time would-be downloaders. As much as us early adopters might like to think we’re the target audience for iMP/myBBCPlayer, we’re not. It’s the average Joe who needs to be comfortable using iMP, otherwise the product is simply not going to be a success.
I’m not convinced that the thing has to look the way it does in order to feel “approachable” but I do agree that the interfaces on clients such as BitComet and Azureus can be off-putting to many.
Programme discovery
Upon opening the iMP player, one is presented with a tabbed interface – Home, Guide, Search, Your Downloads and Player. Home is the tab shown by default and displays the 3 most popular shows, a large and inviting search box and some promotional boxes that highlight programmes the BBC is currently pushing (what we tend to call “puff boxes” in other parts of the BBC)
The iMP interface itself is actually built in HTML and served from the bbc.co.uk webservers – in fact it looks like this. It appears inside the iMP player via an embedded Internet Explorer object. This is slightly frustrating as even on a 2MB ADSL line, the http request/response delay usually breaks Jackob Neilson’s 1 second rule (a UI must response within 1 second in order to appear to uninterrupted and realtime). This frustration is further compounded by the lack of spiny IE logo; between pressing a button and receiving the resultant page it’s not clear whether anything is actually happening.
Clicking the Guide tab displays the television programmes available for download from today’s schedule in alphabetical order, with options to flick to yesterday’s or tomorrow’s schedule and change the channel. There is also the option to drill down to a specific BBC TV or Radio station.
Instigating a one-off download of a selected programme is achieved by pressing a common “Download” button. Located above it is a similar button which will “book a series” – download all programmes made available in that series over time.
The BBC doesn’t have the rights to make everything it broadcasts available for downloading, with films being notably being absent from The Guide.
The Search tab unsurprisingly does what it says on the tin.
Downloading
The most apparent aspect of the download process is that you wouldn’t know it’s a P2P driven affair. Not only are you not explicitly told P2P technology is being used, but you are not even give the choice to set the desired upload/download thresholds. The only relevant piece of information displayed is a progress bar to display how much of the programme has already been downloaded.
The P2P technology within iMP is provided by Kontiki. I’m not exactly sure why the proprietary Kontiki framework is being used but my guess is that a “walled garden” P2P solution was desired that ensured only approved BBC content is available. Bit Torrent would have been my choice, but don’t forget this is a marketing exercise as much as anything else, and I guess Bit Torrent is too associated with the downloading of “illegal” programmes.
Playback
As already mentioned playback takes place within the iMP Player. This actually manifests itself as an embedded Windows Media Player object. Windows Media Player DRM is used to ensure that only UK users can watch the programmes, and that they may only be viewed within a 7 day window from when they were broadcast.
Many people will take issue with any DRM being used at all, but I can forgive the BBC with the UK-only aspect. Television programme distribution rights are dished out on a country-by-country basis – which means the BBC only has the rights to broadcast programmes within the UK. I personally think this concept will have to change in the future, but for the time being that’s how it is.
The 7-day limit does annoy me, as we all know that if you recorded the same programme on your VHS, DVD-R or PVR you could play it back when ever you like. The same is true if you download it via Bit Torrent. Considering iMP is up against all of these options, I can’t really see how the BBC can afford to be so picky. But again, my guess is that this is associated with the rights – the TV rights holders are still trying to hold on as much control as they can, despite the fact they risk being seen to be no different to the control-freak music industry.
Overall, What I like & dislike
Like:
- The fact the BBC is doing this – who else is?
- That it is being built to attract new users to the P2P/IP TV concept
Dislike:
- There is no alternative to the all-in-one approach
- The HTML driven interface
- No controls on the P2P aspect, especially no option to pause upload/download
Changes I would make
This bit is tricky, as I am involved in feeding back suggestions for the future of this project. So again, most of my specific ideas will come under NDA and not going to be repeated here (sorry). However, I think the following suggestions are obvious and would be shared by most people:
- Switch away from an HTML interface approach to a native windows UI (driven by XML, perhaps). Failing that, some visual acknowledgment that a link has been pressed would be useful.
- Alter the proposition so that it also appeals to the hard-core P2P fan (perhaps an advanced mode?). It’s important to bring these people “on-side” with a product that adds new value that cannot be derived from the existing Bit-Torrent/P2P options, otherwise it all seems a little futile. This is especially true when you consider that even ‘newbies’ become ‘seasoned’ over time, and begin to demand more sophisticated features that they see elsewhere (the AOL affect).
- Remove the 7 day limit.
Interesting post. I posted some additional thoughts here: http://www.frankieroberto.com/weblog/479.xhtml
Nice review Ben,
Such a shame you can’t reveal your suggestions for improvement.
I have been using IMP for the few days it has been live(I was accepted for the trial), and it is definately got potential. The interface looks ok – basically media player with firefox style tabs – and the downloading is quick enough if you remember to book downloads.
I like the concept and it’s great that the BBC are even thinking about doing this. Internet TV is the next step for TV and many, myself among them, have been enjoying it in it’s many forms for several years.
But…
The content is very restrictive. The whole idea of just supplying just the current BBC content is deeply flawed. The BBC is a public broadcaster, **This is very special**, I can’t understand why this hasn’t gone the other way? Why aren’t they just loading all BBC produced content?
It is public property in many cases, so why are we restricted to 7 days?
There is no real reason for DRM, in this specific context. I feel that people would immediately go out and buy a computer if they knew they could `cue up’ the hitchhikers guide! or The last of the summer wine. Not just the last week, but any episode!.
I really hope we get some clever people in the BBC, investing in massive Hard drive arrays so they can serve a full public archive. The technology is there if we would just set it free.
I don’t know what the security is like and it would be faster if there were some proper porting options. I know newbies will find it hard turning on a port on their new wireless base station but they have to learn sometime. Who better than the BBC helpdesk to set them on their way?
All in all a good start, but before it goes Live i hope the top lads and ladies have a chinwag about how much they can really serve people. You are still working for us guys, aren’t you?
More to come.
Mike
Doesn’t the use of Kontiki’s technology lock out the possibility of using 3rd party alternative P2P clients? I’m not on the trial but I would say that the heavy download statistics offered by such stuff as Azureus are probably overkill, but possibly useful for an Advanced mode as you say (does the current client show a download speed and/or ETA at all?0.
I suspect one reason for only making ‘current’ content available is that P2P only really ‘works’ (in the sense of faster downloads) when lots of people are getting pretty much the same content. As soon as you open it up to everything-the-bbc-has-ever-broadcast then it degenerates to a pure download from a single server/seeder. So not only would they have to have terabytes of storage but many many servers and Gbps of network interface. Having a lifetime of 7 days for the content also means the P2P benefit ‘window’ only lasts for that time.
Are clients able to delete the content at will – eg straight after acquisition and immediate viewing, or encouraged to keep it for the 7 days to seed for others?
Of course the BBC could offer some extra selected ‘classic material’ from time to time, but I couldn’t see the whole of the back catalogue being there permanently.
7 day DRM I would suspect will be there to stay, especially if the service is offered free (otherwise you kill the BBC DVD market at a stroke).
OK I am guessing the 7 day limit is basically the best they could get out of unions, rights holders etc… Still better than nothing.
Isn’t there also a time limit on the amount of time you are allowed to keep a video recording? If that is the case, and I may be wrong, the surely the same would apply here.
As for having everything available – isn’t that being looked at as part of another project – I like the fact that the iMP is what’s on now instead of everything that has ever been – but I’m sure that if the BBC could sort rights out without to much cost to the licence fee payer then they would supply the service.
As for not being able to play it outside of the iMP – that isn’t true – browse windows to My Deliveries – the files are in there – just load them in Windows Media Player – sorted.
I would like to be able to save them to a DVD though and watch on my TV.
I agree with pretty much everything you’ve said, though I’d stress the lack of options a little more. I can understand them wanting to keep it simple for people who just want to load it, choose something, wait and watch. The annoying thing is that there aren’t even optional settings. I’ve just moved to a 10mb cable connection and it still seems to trickle down rather than me letting it max things out.
I’d agree with the DRM (in this usage) but maybe extend the 7days to 14 or 21.
It’s a start though, I guess, and for that we should be hopeful.
2 Things.
1. BBC cannot give away there program for free without time limit because then they would lose on DVD sale.
2. Time limit and limited contant makes this project managable. As this is just a start in new direction management is very much important.
Also if I am correct this project is branded as “Catch up TV”, so that if you miss out on an episode because you were out at that time, you can always come home and enjoy the show at you own convinent time. Isn’t this going to be amazing? I just can’t wait for the trial to go public.
It certainly does sound very interesting. Thanks Ben and other for comments. Can i ask.. is this going to released anytime soon for members of the general public to test?
It would be interesting to see the bandwidth usage over at the BeeB once it is up and running with realtime public users hammering it for the missed episodes of “Little Britian” heh.
I can’t wait to give it a go.. i do think if it is user friendly it could become *Very* popular.
The general public is becomg more and more IT savvy these days.
how do i download bbc imp
The BBC’s IMP player, will be available to the public in 2006.
For more information check out the official bbc site.
The BBC is not a software development / technical solutions shop – it provides content and is bloody good at it.
Ashley Highfield, BBC Director of New Media & Technology is quoted as saying in a recent BBC press release “iMP could just be the iTunes for the broadcast industry –“ so Ashley, why not just use iTunes?
http://onehandshake.blogspot.com/2007/02/bbcs-interactive-media-player-imp.html