TopGear.com Makes Video Clips UK Only

[DarthBane22]

Must say its a bit of a slap in the face of all us non UK fans. this kind of thing pisses me off to know end, money grubbing buerocrats obbsessed with not letting anyone have any fun at all. i feel sorry for the UK with the recent death of any common sense and a sense of humor in the government and the Beeb. it seems that the only people in Britian that can take a joke are Top Gear fans.

Political correctness is destroying society everywhere and Top Gear is the last bastion of humor and "not giving a toss"ness in Europe.

people just take stuff too damn seriously, life is too short to be constantly concerned with petty shit. all the people that write in to complain to TG need to get out of the house and stop worrying about who else might get offended by a joke on a entertainment show.

wow, got off topic a bit, sorry for the rant.
hope they fix it

[meGrimlock]

it coincides with the launch of the topgear US site (and other localized topgear launches). royalties, intellectual property rights, etc, play a big issue when you license the show for a separate market or for emerging technologies--just look at what the writer's strike did only months back.

you cant forget revenue & ratings; who would want to watch/sponsor topgear US if topgear UK is a click away? topgear US visitors will not be permitted to watch topgear UK clips--at least thru bbc's website. its their website, its their rules. end of discussion, there is no "i hope producers fix this" or "its a bug that"

[Polish]

it coincides with the launch of the topgear US site (and other localized topgear launches). royalties, intellectual property rights, etc, play a big issue when you license the show for a separate market or for emerging technologies--just look at what the writer's strike did only months back.

you cant forget revenue & ratings; who would want to watch/sponsor topgear US if topgear UK is a click away? topgear US visitors will not be permitted to watch topgear UK clips--at least thru bbc's website. its their website, its their rules. end of discussion, there is no "i hope producers fix this" or "its a bug that"

The US website is rubbish.

[cookiebun]

[QUOTE=meGrimlock;854396]it coincides with the launch of the topgear US site (and other localized topgear launches). royalties, intellectual property rights, etc, play a big issue when you license the show for a separate market or for emerging technologies--just look at what the writer's strike did only months back.
Snip
I have no plans to watch the U.S. version of Top Gear. I'm only interested in the original, uncut U.K. version, including the web only content.
Yeah, we get u.k. shows here in the states but they've been butchered. I don't just mean BBC America either, Discovery, PBS, and History International are all just as bad. Last night I was watching some "Line Of Fire " eps I'd downloaded and was really annoyed to discover I'd burned poorly edited History International caps to permanent disc. I'd gladly pay my cable company for a premium channel of UNCUT, UNALTERED BBC/U.K. programing . Until I get that I'll be downloading the shows I like off the internet, preferably Usenet. Bittorent, p2p, & http sites are too easy to shut down.

American Tv sucks. The only "made for American tv" show I watch on a regular basis is Modern Marvels on the History channel.

[ckm]

Are you serious? Tell you what, go online and try to find where I can buy or gain legal access to buy the episodes, deleted scenes, etc that TG puts out.

Sure, fair point you fund the BBC along with the other license fee payers but they have put out a good product without allowing people a means for purchase. Its like Ferrari making the Enzo and saying, sorry we are only selling this to people living in Italy.

You clot!

I would definitely buy access if it were made available and I bet everyone else here would do the same. Until the Beeb does put in a system like that I will use a proxy and soak everything I want.

Years ago, when TG was available as a RealPlayer stream, I tried to pay for it. Because my CC address was not in Europe, they would not let me. So, for the last 3-4 years, I just bittorrented it.

I don't know about others, but I would gladly pay double the 'license fee' for access to BBC programming from the US. After all, it's only around $40/month, which is way less than what people pay for cable, for way better content.

Both the BBC and TopGear producers are extremely stupid about monetizing TG. If the estimates are anywhere near correct about viewership (e.g. 400 million +), then getting even just 10% to pay $5/month for online viewing would cover the BBC's entire yearly 'licensing fee' revenue. No matter how you slice it, any monetization of TG through online revenue would a huge dollar number. Hell, I'd pay a buck a month just for the outtakes....

As far as licensing et. al., that's really just a question of money. At 10%/$5/month, you could give the music companies $1 billion and still make a huge profit. I'm sure that that they would be happy to solve whatever licensing problems there were for their slice of that virtually free money.

/ckm

[MH07]

Must say its a bit of a slap in the face of all us non UK fans. this kind of thing pisses me off to know end, money grubbing buerocrats obbsessed with not letting anyone have any fun at all. i feel sorry for the UK with the recent death of any common sense and a sense of humor in the government and the Beeb. it seems that the only people in Britian that can take a joke are Top Gear fans.

Political correctness is destroying society everywhere and Top Gear is the last bastion of humor and "not giving a toss"ness in Europe.

people just take stuff too damn seriously, life is too short to be constantly concerned with petty shit. all the people that write in to complain to TG need to get out of the house and stop worrying about who else might get offended by a joke on a entertainment show.

wow, got off topic a bit, sorry for the rant.
hope they fix it

To be fair, Top Gear is bought by TV Companies around the world for a lot of money so that it could be shown on their channels.

The Series 12 stuff has only been shown in the UK, if they allowed people outside to watch all the outtakes, vids, etc, it means the TV companies lose that exclusivity and in turn, potentially, lose viewers.

A lot has been written, particuarly in Australia, about the imminent demise of Free to Air television for the simple fact the Internet is taking all their audience (Australians download the most TV Shows per head than anyone else in the world).

I've become used to a lot of BBC stuff I'm interested in not being allowed, I watch a lot of british football and would love to hear Five Live but I can't access it live.

Its quite similar, I know for a fact local broadcasters have paid an arm and a leg and a wad of cash to get the Premier League live, they can't have the BBC undermine that by allowing us live coverage for free.

[Woodoo]

Good news, I've found a fix (at least a temporary fix until they fix it) to get the video clips working

Simply create a bookmark to (yes that isn't an url in there, it's javascript code)

javascript:(function(){eval($('#mainContent%20.feature%20script').html().replace('config\.playerId','//').replace('config\.adServerURL','//'));})();;

click on the bookmark when you're on the video page and it's telling you that the video is uk only and the video loads :D.

btw. this also fixes issues when you've an adblocker enabled and the page tells you that you either have javascript disabled or an old version of the flash player).

[MWF]

Good news, I've found a fix (at least a temporary fix until they fix it) to get the video clips working

Simply create a bookmark to (yes that isn't an url in there, it's javascript code)

javascript:(function(){eval($('#mainContent%20.feature%20script').html().replace('config\.playerId','//').replace('config\.adServerURL','//'));})();;

click on the bookmark when you're on the video page and it's telling you that the video is uk only and the video loads .

btw. this also fixes issues when you've an adblocker enabled and the page tells you that you either have javascript disabled or an old version of the flash player).

Gutted! Read the "Good news," part and then found out this had nothing to do with the Dacia Sandero!!

[Polish]

Good news, I've found a fix (at least a temporary fix until they fix it) to get the video clips working

Simply create a bookmark to (yes that isn't an url in there, it's javascript code)

javascript:(function(){eval($('#mainContent%20.feature%20script').html().replace('config\.playerId','//').replace('config\.adServerURL','//'));})();;

click on the bookmark when you're on the video page and it's telling you that the video is uk only and the video loads .

btw. this also fixes issues when you've an adblocker enabled and the page tells you that you either have javascript disabled or an old version of the flash player).

Bloody Brilliant!!! It works like a charm! I was able to view everything.

[DarthBane22]

Good news, I've found a fix (at least a temporary fix until they fix it) to get the video clips working

Simply create a bookmark to (yes that isn't an url in there, it's javascript code)

javascript:(function(){eval($('#mainContent%20.feature%20script').html().replace('config\.playerId','//').replace('config\.adServerURL','//'));})();;

click on the bookmark when you're on the video page and it's telling you that the video is uk only and the video loads .

btw. this also fixes issues when you've an adblocker enabled and the page tells you that you either have javascript disabled or an old version of the flash player).

This is awesome. well done mate

[Scott]

I tried this in IE7, but it kept adding http:// at the beginning of the code, what the hell did I do wrong??

[Polish]

I tried this in IE7, but it kept adding http:// at the beginning of the code, what the hell did I do wrong??

What you will need to do is go to Organize Favorites, Right-Click on the favorite you added, and click properties. Here, you can edit the exact URL, and make sure it is put in exactly as it is above. I was able to do it and it works.

I also recommend you switch over to Google's Chrome browser or Mozilla FireFox.

[juniperberries]

Thank you! Works great

[GullWing]

Good news, I've found a fix (at least a temporary fix until they fix it) to get the video clips working

Simply create a bookmark to (yes that isn't an url in there, it's javascript code)

javascript:(function(){eval($('#mainContent%20.feature%20script').html().replace('config\.playerId','//').replace('config\.adServerURL','//'));})();;

click on the bookmark when you're on the video page and it's telling you that the video is uk only and the video loads .

btw. this also fixes issues when you've an adblocker enabled and the page tells you that you either have javascript disabled or an old version of the flash player).

Holy shit, it works! You are a computing God!
I'm throwing all the power of my +1 rep at you.

[logifuse]

As an Australian tax payer, I hope SBS (largely tax payer funded) block all access to TGA from the rest of the world. Not for any rights reasons, it's just too embarrassing to be seen.

[logifuse]

Good news, I've found a fix (at least a temporary fix until they fix it) to get the video clips working

Simply create a bookmark to (yes that isn't an url in there, it's javascript code)

javascript:(function(){eval($('#mainContent%20.feature%20script').html().replace('config\.playerId','//').replace('config\.adServerURL','//'));})();;

click on the bookmark when you're on the video page and it's telling you that the video is uk only and the video loads .

btw. this also fixes issues when you've an adblocker enabled and the page tells you that you either have javascript disabled or an old version of the flash player).

ROFL - what a classic! Well done!

[Ironlord]

just use a good proxy server in the uk. search google and you will find them. hopefully this doesn't get me banned because I love the show and share the info so other can watch too

Fear ye not the banhammer, because many people outside the UK will be grateful for this advice. Even though it's been suggested many times before, there's bound to be someone who'll have forgotten. This is the kind of post that results in a ban.

I was told by a Brit (and I am not anywhere near sure this is correct) that 'they' ride around in vans checking for a television signal and if 'they' find a signal coming from an address that has not registered & paid the license 'they' send a hefty bill with possible court action.

And what actually happens is: the collection of the licence fee is contracted out TV Licensing - a completely separate company with their own set of rules. They assume that every single household in the UK owns a TV and has someone watching it; the concept of even one UK resident not watching TV is so alien to them that they their threatening letters to every household that does not have a TV licence, and no matter how many times said household writes back to them saying "I do not have a TV, and you can send an inspector round if you like, I have nothing to hide", the letters will not stop. Ever.

A mate of mine has no TV, on the grounds that he considers all TV without exception to be prolefeed for chavs. Yes, that includes David Attenborough's nature documentaries, everything that has ever been broadcast on BBC Four, and Open University programmes. He's said exactly what he thinks to the TV Licensing people... and still the threatening letters come.

[skylock]

While it is unfortunate that the letters keep coming, if that is the only thing they do (send letters) just file them in the round file and forget it. I am assuming that if they wanted to get more agressive, it would be up to THEM to prove you DID have a tv. I know that they have equipment in my area that can detect if you have cable connected. My sisters neighbors were busted for sharing cable with their other neighbors.

While it is unusual for a household not to have a tv of some kind these day, I do know several people who do not have one for religious reasons, so it is possible. They also do not even have a telephone. Even more rare than not having a television set, but to be honest, I am surprised they use electricity.

[pebblepixie]

The TV licensing bods in the UK also have some kind of system in place with retailers so that whenever someone buys a TV the Licensing people are informed. But they haven't yet grasped the concept of seaching their database by address instead of by name. Consequently when my other half bought a new tv and they couldn't find his name on the database because the tv license is in my name, they sent him repeated letters demanding proof that the tv was licensed.... waste of time and money....

[skylock]

The TV licensing bods in the UK also have some kind of system in place with retailers so that whenever someone buys a TV the Licensing people are informed. But they haven't yet grasped the concept of seaching their database by address instead of by name. Consequently when my other half bought a new tv and they couldn't find his name on the database because the tv license is in my name, they sent him repeated letters demanding proof that the tv was licensed.... waste of time and money....

So, is the tv lic by name or per address?

Are you limited to the number of tv's you can have at an address? (I have 7 tv's but rarely watch any of them.)

If I pay my lic and you pay your lic, but then I come move in with you and bring my tv, do I get a refund?

What happens if your tv say falls off it's stand while watching formula 1 and you can not get it fixed or afford another tv. Any refund?