To mark 100 years since the Easter Rising, the BBC will unveil a virtual reality documentary. Credit: Rafael Valentim / Flickr
“Imagine a world where the narrative, background music, colour grading and general feel of a drama are shaped in real time to suit your personality.” A tantalising invitation from the BBC’s technology boffins reveals the early stages of a personalised viewing revolution that promises to transform the relationship between licence-fee payers and the corporation. Whatever size BBC emerges from the government’s Charter Renewal process, the days of a suite of channels pumping out programmes to a passive living room audience, in the hope that some of it sticks, are over.
The BBC of the future will be much more personalised and responsive to individual tastes and viewing habits. It will deliver not just programmes but short-form content to an on-the-move audience, juggling viewing between tablets, mobile devices as well as the multi-purpose big screen in the corner of the room. Closing the loophole that allows viewers to watch catch-up programmes on iPlayer through mobile phones or tablets without paying the licence fee, is the first step in a new bargain between the BBC and its audience. Viewers who have paid for a digital licence fee will “sign in” to services, using an ID and password. As a result, the BBC will know more about us and our personal viewing tastes.
