BBC Keeps Android Flash Alive In the UK 102
judgecorp writes "Although Adobe wants to can mobile Flash, the Android Flash app has returned to the Google Play store in the UK after disappearing earlier this month. It has come back because of pressure from large organisations, in particular the BBC, whose popular iPlayer video on demand service uses Flash. The Android app is back, apparently for as long as it takes the BBC to move to HTML5."
Re:Get rid of it (Score:5, Interesting)
Crap them they did.
The BBC bet their house on Flash. Their entire internet video delivery strategy relied on it. Not only the iPlayer and the various mobile apps but also the interface in what has become YouView the common IPTV platform they helped develop.
Much back peddling and redevelopment had to be done and is still going on now. All on the licence payers dime.
Why is this even an issue for the BBC? (Score:4, Interesting)
Here's my fix (Score:5, Interesting)
It's a pain but you can get around it. You need to use the xscope browser and the flash apk. Works a treat on BBC and Channel 4 OD . Video I made about how to do it on a Nexus here [youtube.com]. Should work with other 4.1 devices.
Personally this really sucks. The internet is playing catch-up to a forced move away from a technology. It's not that the device cannot run flash, just made it slightly annoying. Google's decision not to put it into Chrome is annoying at most :(
Re:Get rid of it (Score:3, Interesting)
What else should they have used?
The Dutch broadcasters chose to use Silverlight. That is an even bigger disaster.
At least in Flash there is some compatability and cross-platform availability, aside from the mobile platforms who seem to want to kill it.
But Silverlight is only available on Microsoft Windows.
(don't talk about Moonlight, the apps they use don't work in Moonlight, only in Silverlight)