It’s Your ABC download – but only if you use Windows

9:08AM March 13, 2008 | Sarah Stokely

Yesterday the ABC announced a swag of new digital services including online TV channels and the addition of digital downloads to the ABC store – but unfortunately it has confirmed that ABC Shop video downloads will have DRM, and they’ll be confined to the Windows Media Format.
While its downloadable audio books and music will be in Mp3 format, with no DRM attached, a PR person for the ABC has confirmed it’s a different story for the ABC Shop’s video downloads. Video will be in Windows Media format, playable either through the ABC’s Media Player or in normal versions of Windows Media Player.
Video will also have DRM, she confirmed:

"The DRM license will vary according to what the customer purchases but for launch we are 'renting' download titles for a period of 7 days after which they will not be playable." 

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"The DRM license will vary according to what the customer purchases but for launch we are 'renting' download titles for a period of 7 days after which they will not be playable."

This is disappointing news – surely our national broadcaster should be aiming for accessibility, so why lock their downloads to Windows users only? Sorry Mac and Linux users, no love for you! And as for DRM – it might be understandable if the ABC had to use DRM as part of licensing agreements with content producers, but if the it is using DRM on content it owns, that is a real shame.

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Comments

Idodialog

March 13, 2008 at 9:09 PM

Well it’s a dogs breakfast. The postview site requires registration and then an invite (in April), the local radio websites are a mix of boxes, buttons, sliders, scrollers, 13 (yes 13) colors, non-fitting rectangles – oh it’s a joke surely.
I was going to have a look at all of this new stuff but i’m exhausted already.
Very unappealing.

Simon

March 14, 2008 at 12:36 AM

Yeah, what a pity. The preview you linked to yesterday looked excellent (as well as using Mac in almost every shot). Today I can’t even find any of this stuff on their website. Note to ABC: have stuff ready before you announce it.

Benno

March 14, 2008 at 8:19 PM

You would think they may learn something from their British sister BBC???? Here I was thinking the ABC was actually being modern

Stephen Lark

March 15, 2008 at 8:03 AM

Here’s what’s happening with the BBC’s equivalent service (iPlayer) . iPlayer uses copy prevention (DRM), and whatever DRM is implemented is being repeatedly defeated. Whatever restrictions the ABC puts on operating systems and/or file formats will also be defeated.

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