In my previous post about Foxtel’s new “Downloads” service, I mentioned that it was platform specific to Windows 32 bit operating systems.
Foxtel have since responded to my concerns with the following:
Unfortunately, at this stage, the Mac operating system doesn’t support Digital Rights Management (DRM), which is what we use to secure content. If DRM is supported for Windows Media Player on the Mac Operating System in the future, then we can begin to plan to offer the service to Mac users. Please revisit the FOXTEL website periodically to see if the system capabilities have changed.
Support for all users including Mac O/S users is included in the FOXTEL Download roadmap. At this stage we do not have a fixed timeframe or date when the service will be available for the Mac operating system.
If your Apple Mac can run a full Windows emulator that meets our system requirements then you will be able to access FOXTEL Download when in Windows mode. If your Mac can run a supported version of Windows simply go to the Download section of the FOXTEL website while in Windows mode and install the Player and register the computer as you would for a normal PC. You will then be able to download and play FOXTEL Download content on the Mac whenever you are in Windows mode.
Whilst most of this is typical marketing – I am concerned with the statement “Mac operating system doesn’t support Digital Rights Management”. This is an out and out falsehood. What needs to be said is “The Apple OSX operating system does not support Microsoft’s Silverlight Implementation of DRM“.
Foxtel is a private company, and as such – they are more then welcome to make business decisions. They even may have made a business decision that might well be misguided. It wouldn’t be the first time – and not the last. My concern comes from their customer / public facing staff being given inaccurate information.
To hear Foxtel tell the story, they would love to have allowed Mac (and other) users access to their “Download” service, but it’s Mac’s fault that they can’t. They need to stand behind their decision. They have chosen a platform dependent, non-standardised way of delivering their content – as is their right to do. But they should “own” that decision, not try and place blame elsewhere.