Feasibility Study of a Digital Platform for the delivery of UK ... - BFI

UK FILM COUNCIL
Choosing to make UKFC content available within the iMP would be an equivalent to operating a branded stream within a traditional cable
or satellite on-demand service. This would involve coming to an arrangement with the BBC to provide content that would become part of
the iMP on-demand library, but differs from using the iMP simply as the delivery mechanism of choice in that the BBC would in this case
manage the ingest and playout of the material.
2/ Make use of the iMP technology to launch a branded on-demand service
The BBC sees the iMP player as an open platform which can be used by others to bring their content into an online on-demand
environment. The corporation compares the development of the iMP to the development of colour television; that is the development of a
technology that the BBC will make available to the television industry as a whole as part of its public service remit. In this respect, other
content providers could make use of the iMP technology to launch their own on-demand offering with their own branding. While this
would provide a mechanism to distribute already digitised and encoded content to the consumer, it would still require development of all
the other aspects needed to run an on-line service.
3/ Practicalities
Choosing to work with the iMP offers a full range of options, from simply using the iMP player as a facilitating technology in a broadband
download service otherwise managed and operated by the UKFC or another party, through to acting as a content provider to the BBC in
order to broaden the breadth of content within the iMP environment. If the iMP is used simply as an enabling technology, then the UKFC
would have to manage all other aspects of running an on-line download channel, or farm out those aspects of the operation to a third
party. In a model where the UKFC acted only as a content supplier, the BBC would be in a position to handle all the practicalities of
content ingest and play-out.
Partnership potential
As a broadcaster with a developed online and on-demand presence, the BBC is a well positioned partner. It would also be a useful partner
if the UKFC chose to explore provision of content in a public service window towards the end of the traditional content exploitation chain.
Film Four
Feasibility Study for a Digital Platform for the delivery of Independent UK films and Specialised films to the Home
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