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Re: [LUG] another waste of time for computers

 

On Friday 09 March 2007 10:05, Mark Jose wrote:
> On Friday 09 March 2007 08:58, Tom Potts wrote:
> > First we have MS office wasting PC time now this:
> > http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6430000/newsid
> >_6 432800?redirect=6432893.stm&news=1&nbwm=1&bbram=1&nbram=1&bbwm=1
> >
> > Now if they knew how to make it taste nice so you don't have to freeze it
> > then you wouldn't need all that rubbish.
> > Poor computers - slaves to idiots!
> > Tom te tom te tom
>
> Ah - the good old Beeb Media Selector!
> As a regular listener to the local BBC station, I had some correspondence
> with the Beeb about their "choices" as far as media players are concerned
> some time ago.
> They claimed that they offered the Windows Media but also offered Real
> Player format for those non-Windows users (or indeed people with Windows
> who preferred not to use that player). They claimed - quite correctly -
> that Real Player is available for Linux. Surprisingly, they even pointed
> out the Helix player as a possible alternative, being based on Real.
> I explained that I have an aversion to Real Networks stuff, based on
> experiences in the mid to late 90's, but they had no intentions to
> introduce other players.
> Although I am sure the Beeb don't care less, they lost a regular listener
> over that.
> Another site which offers the same "choices" is the NASA website. We love
> to watch the shuttle missions in real time here, but have to use the
> Windows laptop which the wife uses for some of her OU stuff.
I went to Linux World in London the year before last and met someone from the 
BBC who was working on something GPL for this sort of thing. I guess a few 
backhanders soon put an end to that!
There is http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ which may play the bbc stuff as 
standalone - I've not tried it as I've got the other stuff working and I'm a 
great believer in not fixing things wot aint broke. 
Though on my next install....
Tom te tom te tom


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