Recognition of Final Gear by Top Gear production team

[yusha]

Originally Posted by upyourego

The iPlayer IS being implemented and will be launched in the UK in a couple of months. However I don't think the BBC will push for removal of torrents until the the international version is launched.

The international version will give you the chance to pay for the shows instead of getting them for free - putting something back into the BBC and giving something to the people that made the show.

I hope you are right. I have no problems paying BBC to watch TG. Its fair.

[bone]

Originally Posted by upyourego

So if the BBC makes content available, content they've had to PAY to make, content that costs money to make happen and content with copyright owners you WOULDN'T pay for it if it's made available and easy to get?

I stick to a personal code that, if something isn't available commercially then torrent isn't that bad but as soon as it's available to buy then it's only right and fair that I should pay the content creators for their hard work.

i pay me TV fee in belgium, don't gonna pay them in the UK as well

i invite every brit to download belgian TV shows

[upyourego]

Yes but that isn't paying towards the BRITISH TV LICENCE that pays for the BBC and the production of shows like Top Gear.

The BBC doesn't get any money from the Belgium TV licence so your not contributing anything towards the cost of the show - so in turn if it's made available for a fee you should be prepared to pay that fee.

[Deckard]

Originally Posted by Chupacabras

Well said Deckard - and hey, im not the only Nanaimoite (or is it Nanaimontonian?) on this page!

Nanaimoite. And it's a small world! lol...

And I just watched the road trip episode (been working all week), and it was hilarious. And, at times, sobering. Another brilliant film...

[AstonMartin]

Congratulations to Viper & Co. for their incredible work!

[Hidden_Hunter]

our public broadcaster sucks ass, they only show crappy shows that always seem to focus around horses or some lame ass villian...

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by upyourego

Yes but that isn't paying towards the BRITISH TV LICENCE that pays for the BBC and the production of shows like Top Gear.

The BBC doesn't get any money from the Belgium TV licence so your not contributing anything towards the cost of the show - so in turn if it's made available for a fee you should be prepared to pay that fee.

I'm pretty sure you're wrong. Belgium TV can't just broadcast BBC programs because they want to. They have to pay the BBC for permission to air the programs, and I'm pretty sure some of that money finds it's way into the TopGear budget.

[upyourego]

It may find its way into the budget indirectly but thats about it.

They would pay the BBC for the rights to air the shows and that money would go into the general BBC budget - that's it. Money made from showing Top Gear worldwide doesn't go into the Top Gear budget - they get a set budget and that's the end of it.

Same applies to Doctor Who - money made from selling DVDs and other bits of merchandise will first go to BBC Worldwide who will re-invest some and then the BBC will be paid a chunck of money that will go into the general budget.

Doing well on DVD or worldwide doesn't mean you'll get a higher budget from the BBC. Doing well in the UK (audience share, audience appreciate, buzz) could lead to a higher budget but DVD sales doesn't mean a thing.

[TomCat]

The BBC pays TopGear's budget. It doesn't matter where or how BBC gets the money, as long as they're getting it. Selling DVD's could only help TopGear and the BBC.

[Whitey Ford]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Well, to be frank, if the BBC ever makes it available, $10 says it'll be full of DRM, it'll be 50MB/episode, and horrid quality.

Until / unless the quality is on par with the rips we have here, I won't be buying them.

I find it hard to believe that any online supplier would provide (for a fee) the same quality that come from the current rips. The bandwidth costs would make the cost of each episode unreasonable for consumers.

Perhaps someone should start a poll on how much people would be prepared to pay to download quality rips like we currently see?

[upyourego]

Originally Posted by TomCat

The BBC pays TopGear's budget. It doesn't matter where or how BBC gets the money, as long as they're getting it. Selling DVD's could only help TopGear and the BBC.

The BBC gets something like £3 billion a year from the licence fee regardless of whether it sells DVDs, Magazines or sells shows outside of the UK.

The money is there for Top Gear no matter what because the British public pay a compulsory licence fee to cover its costs.

[upyourego]

Originally Posted by Whitey Ford

I find it hard to believe that any online supplier would provide (for a fee) the same quality that come from the current rips. The bandwidth costs would make the cost of each episode unreasonable for consumers.

Perhaps someone should start a poll on how much people would be prepared to pay to download quality rips like we currently see?

The BBC iPlayer uses p2p technology and I used the trial version - the quality was fantastic - average of 350mb files.

The final release of the iPlayer, from what I've heard will be even better quality. It won't be available commercially (outside the UK) for at least a year as they want to make sure the FREE UK version works first.

[yusha]

All this talk about the license fee has made me curious. How much does a TV license cost?

[Peter3hg]

Originally Posted by yusha

All this talk about the license fee has made me curious. How much does a TV license cost?

Currently around £135. Just to clear this up slightly, you need the licence fee is required to watch any TV channels or record and TV whether on a TV, VCR or Computer. You can own a TV without one but you cannot have any method of receiving any TV channels in place. It isn't like a subsciption fee to receive the BBC channels.

[upyourego]

Pretty much spot on Peter - you pay the licence fee for the right to watch television - regardless of whether you watch the BBC or not - you still have to pay it.

The government COULD decide to give the licence fee funding to another broadcaster but it's the case that since its existence it has gone to the BBC.

[TomCat]

Wow, that sucks. No wonder the BBC doesn't care about complaints. You guys get no say.

[mgkdk]

Originally Posted by Peter3hg

(...)You can own a TV without one (...)

You're lucky, here you can't even own a TV without having to pay licence fees, and they just passed a law that says you have to pay another licence fee if you have internet, and therefor can watch the channels via that