Virgin Media Player - why on earth Flash?

DaBoz · 01-10-2010, 18:43

Why did they choose Flash?! It won't play on iPhones, and many other mobile platforms. BBC iPlayer doesn't use flash, YouTube too, as does TVCatchup among many other streaming services, all of which work on most mobile platforms including the iPhone.

To exclude the iPhone market seems bonkers, and even with mobile platforms that do support Flash, very few support the version of Flash that can play streaming media, and even less that can play it with any reasonable level of performance.

Bonkers.

BenMcr · 01-10-2010, 18:56

iPlayer does use Flash, as does YouTube

They have to make specific streams available for non-Flash devices

DaBoz · 01-10-2010, 19:09

Exactly... so why not VM at this very late stage in the online tv game. Strange

BenMcr · 01-10-2010, 19:33

Sky don't allow their Player to be used on any Mobile device

They do however have a specific Mobile TV service - but for the iPhone that's Sky Sports and News only

v0id · 01-10-2010, 19:44

Apple to exclude flash from the iphone/pod/pad is even more bonkers

DaBoz · 01-10-2010, 20:57

That's a whole other argument touched on above. Regardless, iplayer and many others work fine multi platform.

As for Sky skipping all mobile platforms... No loss there. I tuned out after VM lost their channels and haven't missed them.

BenMcr · 01-10-2010, 20:59

What I was trying to point out is that there are likely rights issues that both Sky and Virgin have to deal with, as the content on their players is third party, whereas the BBC have the rights over most of what is on iPlayer, and Youtube don't really care.

As Flash has DRM, then it's likely that was chosen to order to protect the rights of the content owners

**Chris** · 01-10-2010, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBoz

That's a whole other argument touched on above. Regardless, iplayer and many others work fine multi platform.

It's not a whole other argument though - it's the flip-side of the same argument. Who exactly is bonkers here? Virgin, YouTube, the BBC and countless others, for building their online content delivery platforms around Flash, deviating from it only where necessary, or Apple, for deciding their mobile products were too good to have Flash on them?

I don't think Virgin is mad for choosing Flash. I think Apple is mad for barring it. The only thing left open to question here is why Virgin has not produced a version of its player for devices that don't support Flash - and there could be any number of commercial reasons why.

DaBoz · 01-10-2010, 22:15

Reasons I was hoping to be answered in this thread. I had asked VM direct, they hopefully will give their reason.

Andrewcrawford23 · 01-10-2010, 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBoz

Reasons I was hoping to be answered in this thread. I had asked VM direct, they hopefully will give their reason.

it comes to down to rights issues and why you want to watch it on iphoine??? it barely 4inch screen i really dnt get why people want ot watch from there phones

zantarous · 02-10-2010, 11:36

Don't believe the Apple hype, HTML5 is still in its infancy and the standard isn't even finalised. The browser companies are still fighting over which HTML5 container to use.

There is also a issue with mobile rights, most of these streaming sites are only licensed to be used on a PC. See the recent problems Boxee ran into when they started offering Hulu on their box.

Also the VM player is still in beta, once out of beta I would imagine there will be a iPhone app version.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrewcrawford23

it comes to down to rights issues and why you want to watch it on iphoine??? it barely 4inch screen i really dnt get why people want ot watch from there phones

Try it sometime, I watch a lt of stuff on mine, I am a shift worker (or was will be joining the 9-5 crowd from Monday) and used tow catch stuff on my night shift on my breaks. Even when in bed I can stream any video stored on my PC to my iPhone. It may be small if it was 8 feet away but when only a few inches away it is good enough for most stuff, although I do leave all the big shows for the big TV.

BenMcr · 02-10-2010, 11:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by zantarous

Also the VM player is still in beta, once out of beta I would imagine there will be a iPhone app version.

Theoretically it's now out of beta

Stuart · 02-10-2010, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrewcrawford23

it comes to down to rights issues and why you want to watch it on iphoine??? it barely 4inch screen i really dnt get why people want ot watch from there phones

It may or may not be rights, in answer to your question about why would people watch it on an iPhone. I can think of one answer. Travelling. Try carting even a portable TV on the bus and watching it.

DaBoz · 02-10-2010, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrewcrawford23

it comes to down to rights issues and why you want to watch it on iphoine??? it barely 4inch screen i really dnt get why people want ot watch from there phones

Maybe you have poor near vision or are spoiled with massive TV. I sit 10 feet from my 32" WS TV. We hold our phones approx 2ft from our faces. Guess what, the screens are the same relative size. Relatively speaking, an iPhone 4's retina display is higher res at that distance.

To not want to have the ability to watch any VM on demand content away from home, without lugging around a large screen device... that's what I don't get.

Graham M · 02-10-2010, 22:49

I suppose the only answer to your question is another question... why something else? When it comes down to formats, they are pretty much set in stone standards, so something that is compatible with X number of things will always be incompatible with Y other things