The BBC iPlayer : Users to pay for TV Licence from September 2016

[Alan E Hill]

I know, it's not strictly an internet radio matter, but it's close.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/01/bbc-iplayer-tv-licence-iplayer-loophole

Most iPlayer users I know from abroad would happily pay the annual fee. I mean it's way less than my monthly cable bill.

However, I wonder how they're going to regulate it ...

[Dogmatix]

At the moment, there don't seem to be any plans to regulate it; the BBC seem to be happy with this step - but that could change - the suggestion flying around is that access could be tied to the license number, which would put the iPlayer behind a kind of geo-paywall. This would have the "benefit" of excluding those who don't/can't have a license for geographical reasons, whilst allowing those who do have licenses to access iPlayer whilst on short trips abroad.

The result would be a sort of black market for license numbers coupled with VPN services (so that licensed address area and apparent internet access area match). Otherwise, there's always FilmOn.

[Alan E Hill]

Well, if anything's going to happen it's going to happen soon.

I've been having issues with Netflix too. Netflix will no longer work via proxy server, although it will when I VPN to the UK, which seems strange.

But back to the Beeb ... I'd pay if there was a way of doing do.

Maybe now I'll have to check out SlingBox?

[Dogmatix]

According to http://www.skyinmadrid.com/pages/news.html,

"There has been a BBC ID login box for some months at the top of the iPlayer window. Login will become compulsory from 1 September. The BBC iPlayer will cross-reference the UK's national TV licence database. "

I can find no other source to confirm this, though, and BBC News does mention having to log in: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37226030

FilmOn still works for live BBC: http://www.filmon.com/tv/bbc-one.

[Alan E Hill]

Well, this morning using iPlayer via VPN before a programme starts you get a box that asks if you have a TV Licence.

Say "Yes" and the programme plays.

Don't know if the response is linked to BBC ID.

Not certain how they might log me tracing back through VPN.

Hmmm ...

PS:

[Dogmatix]

The object of the exercise is to extract licence fees from UK residents who haven't paid. Since they cannot get us to pay (even though we'd be happy to), I don't think they're too bothered about us. Blocking all VPNs is possible but only with a lot of bothersome chasing around new VPNs every time they spring up (like those folks at TVCatchup do). And whilst the BBC could instigate some sort of login tied to licences, that, too, would be bothersome, as there would also be data protection rules to be complied with.

[Alan E Hill]

Well, atm, it seems to be an "honour" system.

Tick the box and say you've a licence and that's it.

Nothing else appears to happen. And it's hard to know how a trace could be made back through VPN and PeerBlock.

Okay, now I'm going to roast in Hell, but, as I've mentioned before, Mrs Hill and I - especially Mrs Hill and she's an all-American gal - would cheerfully pay if there was a mechanism.

[Paul Webster]

Been has said that they have been asked by government to look into costs and ramifications of an authentication system but have no results yet (and no timeframe acknowledged).

I wonder what will happen to smart TVs that have iPlayer support? Implication is that BBC will have to have put something in place for a while so that TV suppliers can get it working (login once and save it) looked they do with Amazon etc.

[RufusA]

Implication is that BBC will have to have put something in place for a while so that TV suppliers can get it working

Like they did when they made changes to the (catchup) radio streams.....

Hmmm...

[Alan E Hill]

Things are getting a little hot.

When I invoke vpn it's a 50/50 chance that the Beeb will now detect a "foreign" interloper.

I'm now getting to the iPlayer through a bizarre combination of proxy server AND vpn which I resorted to in exasperation, which means, I don't know exactly what I've done, and got my best results ever!

However, I'd prefer to be above board, but unfortunately, there's no morally acceptable route.

So.

To hell with morals. I'm just following orders.

[BobShanghai]

Yes, the vpn provider I use, many (but not quite all) ip addresses are blacklisted by BBC now. I suspect they are getting hotter on this.

Therefore, I have set up my router in the house in UK to act as a vpn server. This works fine for placing me in UK, but the archaic internet services in UK make for very poor upload speeds. For example, in UK my upload speed is about 800k and download about 15 meg. This costs 25 pounds or so per month. Here in Shanghai, my upload speed is 15 megs and download is 150 megs. This costs the equivalent of 10 pounds per month.

But at least a private vpn server seems to work.

The West is falling seriously behind in technology. We gave everything away.


I do pay a TV licence in UK because I have some slingboxes attached to the antenna and satellite dish. But as you say Alan, there is no way yet to use iplayer legally out of UK. It's a pain in the backside. It's a bit of a difficult proposition for the BBC I suppose on how to tie valid licences to numerous different devices.

[Dogmatix]

BBC: "BBC iPlayer login will be required from 2017"

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37477229

[Alan E Hill]

BBC ID already exists on iPlayer. I've used it for a couple of years since it originally appeared.

The requirement for postcode is new though.

[#6]

Here in the UK, I have just been logged out of my BBC ID and I logged back in with postcode.
Did it, initially, on my Windows phone and was then asked to log out and in again on Windows PC and iPad, but, using same ID, postcode had been stored, so did not have to re-input. Not sure if there is a limit on number of phones/tablets/PCs that can be used with any one BBC ID.
It seems that anyone (maybe in the UK), who knows my log in, can use any BBC services.

[Paul Webster]

Listening to Feedback right now and there was a mention of a comment made on the show last week (I did not hear the show last week) saying that BBC id usage will be compulsory from early next year, including for radio.
A listener from outside UK queried this and response from BBC did not address what should be entered for the postcode field. Perhaps they will add a "outside UK" option for radio or rely on IP address checks to not ask (but then it is not compulsory),