BBC iPlayer goes HD, time to drop STM

[BenMcr]

BBC actually say it's 3.2 Mbit

That meant using H.264 and an encoding bitrate of 3Mbps or greater (we actually settled on 3.2Mbps as our preferred HD bitrate). However, since many people won't have an internet connection that can stream 3.2Mbps reliably, we wanted to make HD available for download as well.

---------- Post added at 00:24 ---------- Previous post was at 00:22 ----------

Originally Posted by Gary L

I wasn't. I only got confused after you started changing it to different abbreviations.

They were different abbreviations because they were different things

But you used SD as an example earlier for 10MB that wouldn't be affected.

Yes I did. I was trying point out that for the majority of people on Virgin - who are on M or L - then streaming from the iPlayer won't be affected because the majority of content is in SD - at 1.5Mbit when their STM download will be 2.5Mbit

Not everyone is going to be able to stream the HD

[Jonathan90]

Ok i get you but why don't they limit to say 4 mbps instead of streaming at full whack you may not watch the whole thing.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Not everyone is going to be able to stream the HD

The thread is about HD streaming. and everyone is able to stream the HD. who is not everyone?

[DABhand]

Back to the subject at hand, I would normally be doing something else perhaps playing WoW etc, then any programs on C4 or BBC I could use Iplayer or 4oD. But with Throttling I have found that I now make sure I have a schedule to watch the TV show there and then rather at my convenience.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Gary L

The thread is about HD streaming. and everyone is able to stream the HD. who is not everyone?

BB M 2Mbit customers for a start because their connection speed is too slow

BB L (and BB M 10Mbit) customers on STM

any Virgin National ADSL customer that syncs slower thant 3.5Mbit

[Jonathan90]

BenMcr sorry but you must be mistaken i played a HD stream on a 2mbit connection i clicked play then pause waited 10 seconds then play again and wallah worked no buffering or nothing.

Saying that i only watched like 2 minutes or so maybe it would eventually catch up and start buffering again but meh another 10 seconds and your back lol.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

BB L (and BB M 10Mbit)

Why not?

customers on STM

Obviously.

[AndyCambs]

I think I'd re-word this thread. "BBC iPlayer goes HD, time to pay per amount downloaded"

[weesteev]

Why is nobody mentioning the download option? If STM is such a chore, even on the 2Mb service, then why not donwload the iplayer content and watch it at your leisure?

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by weesteev

Why is nobody mentioning the download option? If STM is such a chore, even on the 2Mb service, then why not donwload the iplayer content and watch it at your leisure?

Because some people like to use this as an excuse about STM perhaps?

[fizgog]

Originally Posted by AndyCambs

Because some people like to use this as an excuse about STM perhaps?

Or maybe people like to watch something there and then and not download it in the wee hours of the morning, to watch the next day.

[Stuart]

I am not defending STM, but surely the BBC putting HD streams on iPlayer would increase the bandwidth requirements of the network, when the idea behind STM is to reduce them, so, from Virgin's point of view, it would be more logical to increase the use of STM. Especially bearing in mind that they have iPlayer available through the DTV system.

[rogerdraig]

curious thier excuse and the watchdogs acceptance of the use of unlimited was that the stm only affects a small proportion of the users

would have thought that more tan 5% use these streaming services ( lol even my wife does and shes normally last to use things new )

so does that mean the word unlimited will now disappear ?

for me just an extra reason to finally dump virgin even for bb especially as sky are willing to pay a years line rental for me

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

I am not defending STM, but surely the BBC putting HD streams on iPlayer would increase the bandwidth requirements of the network, when the idea behind STM is to reduce them, so, from Virgin's point of view, it would be more logical to increase the use of STM. Especially bearing in mind that they have iPlayer available through the DTV system.

Just because a car is capable of being driven at 130mph - doesn't mean you have to.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by fizgog

Or maybe people like to watch something there and then and not download it in the wee hours of the morning, to watch the next day.

Even if BB L customers are on STM it will only take just over an hour to download an hour long HD program