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BBC iPlayer favourites now sync across your devices
BBC iPlayer is a capable streaming service, but until now there's been little incentive to create an account. Setting up a BBC iD lets you "favourite" shows and save featured music with BBC Playlister, but there the benefits quickly dry up. Now, the BBC is trying to make its account system a little more useful and feature-rich. For starters, it's updating its iPlayer apps with the option to sync favourites between devices. So if you're digging the latest Louis Theroux documentary, you can bookmark it on your laptop and easily find the latest episodes on your smartphone. It's a small step for iPlayer, but one that hopefully primes the platform for other requested features, such as seamless cross-device playback.
New BBC iPlayer stats chart the rise of 'connected' TV viewing
Thanks to widespread adoption and excellent cross-platform availability, the BBC's ubiquitous iPlayer is the perfect gauge of online viewing habits. New usage figures for December throw up little in the way of surprises, but still make impressive reading. The good old computer remains tops-of-the-client-pops for Brits, but smart TVs are taking a bigger slice of the (187 million) total requests, 7 million in fact -- a 1,000% year-on-year increase. More mobile telly-addicts saw smartphone and tablet views rise to thirteen million and ten million respectively, a growth of 163 and 596 percent. With 2012 offering ever more top gear and phones to chose from, we're expecting this trend to continue for some time yet. Square-eye stat-fans can hit up the source for the full breakdown. Hint: lots of Eastenders.
BBC launches iPhone iPlayer app in the UK, adds 3G streaming to its mobile site
While international viewers have had around a week to play with the new dedicated iPhone app, the Beeb has finally launched its iPlayer in its native UK. Replacing the browser-based player of old, it now allows you to stream both radio and TV shows through a 3G connection. The new app also adds HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) which allows itself to tweak the stream quality depending on your signal strength and hopefully allowing you to catch up on Top Gear uninterrupted. Like its overseas version, the new iOS app also throws in AirPlay streaming to Apple TV. Android and Symbian fans shouldn't feel too overlooked; The BBC are promising to enable 3G to all compatible devices through its mobile web version very soon, with a dedicated 3G-friendly Android app being primed for the new year. [Thanks Michael]
Global BBC iPlayer app gets squeezed down to iPhone / iPod Touch size
While US viewers continue to wait for the expat-edition Global BBC iPlayer app, BBC Worldwide has announced a new version launching December 8th specifically for iPhones and iPod Touches. Like its big brother app for the iPad, this free download lets subscribers stream or download shows for offline viewing, as well as stream video to the Apple TV via AirPlay. Whole new categories of programming are coming online soon including music, arts and culture, and radio, and now it can all fit in one's pocket. Check the gallery for a couple more screenshots, or after the break for a press release with all the applicable pricing and regional information that's available. %Gallery-141137%
BBC's global iPlayer app adds AirPlay streaming, should just be on Apple TV
British expats and international fans of BBC television alike can now stream some Gavin & Stacey to their televisions (past season 1 anyway, which is on Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video), as long as they're properly equipped. The global iPlayer app for iPad has been updated with AirPlay streaming (those in the UK however, have no such luck so far) so once users update to iOS 5 and buy an Apple TV box, they're in business. Of course, this would all be much simpler if iPlayer were just available on the Apple TV itself (without XBMC or other hacks), but no one asked us, did they?
BBC releases iPlayer app in 11 European countries
The BBC has extended beyond the shores of the UK and is now offering its iPlayer subscription service in 11 other countries across Europe. The service will cost €6.99 (US$10) a month or €49.99 ($71) annually and will initially debut in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. The iPad app will let you watch all the great BBC shows including Fawlty Towers, Pride and Prejudice and the Doctor Who archive. One nice feature in the BBC iPlayer app that is not often seen in a video streaming app is the ability to download content for offline viewing. Folks in the above countries can download the app and sign up for the service today. Enjoy! [Via Engadget] Show full PR text BBC Worldwide Brings Best of British TV to European Fans with the BBC iPlayer App for iPad LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm, is from today offering audiences across Europe the first-ever opportunity to delve into a digital mix of classic and contemporary British TV programming with the launch of the new global BBC iPlayer app, available exclusively on iPad www.bbc.com/iplayer/tv. "Based on the soaring success of the UK's pioneering BBC iPlayer service, the app combines technical innovation with editorial creativity to transport users to the heart of the BBC and British television and on a journey of discovery, wherever and whenever they want" This brand-new video on demand subscription service, launching first in Western Europe, will deliver the award-winning programming upon which the BBC's history and heritage is built, to viewers in 11 markets. For €6.99 a month (or €49.99 for an annual subscription), the app will initially be available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Subscribers will be able to access a rich selection of captivating English language programmes across eight genres: News Specials & Documentaries; Entertainment; Drama; Comedy; Science & Nature; Family & Kids; Music & Culture and Lifestyle. The app brings together classic comedies such as Fawlty Towers and Only Fools & Horses, thrilling drama series Sherlock, Luther and much loved Pride and Prejudice, recent episodes of the UK's famous soap EastEnders, global motoring phenomenon Top Gear, the Doctor Who archive and the adorable children's show Charlie & Lola. Hours of new programming will be added to the service every week, along with imaginatively themed collections curated from the BBC's extensive archive, including David Attenborough and the story of the Royal Family. Designed to be intuitive and easy-to-use, a key feature of the app allows subscribers both to stream and to download shows for offline viewing for when they can't access Wi-Fi connectivity. The stylish and simple interface enables users to build a personal library of shows. John Smith CEO BBC Worldwide said: "I'm proud that we're one of the first international broadcasters to give access to our shows in a perfectly packaged app. This launch is an important route to market in our strategy of pursuing multiple platforms for our programmes and brands, taking British programmes to new digital audiences around the world. Today marks a significant next step on a digital journey that has already seen 12m BBC Worldwide apps downloaded across brands as diverse as Lonely Planet and Good Food." "Based on the soaring success of the UK's pioneering BBC iPlayer service, the app combines technical innovation with editorial creativity to transport users to the heart of the BBC and British television and on a journey of discovery, wherever and whenever they want," said Jana Bennett, BBC Worldwide President of Worldwide Networks and Global iPlayer "We have an exciting vision for what this service could become and will develop it based on feedback from within the markets." The global BBC iPlayer App is now available to download for free from the App Store in the launch markets on iPad at www.bbc.com/iplayer/tv. The global version of the BBC iPlayer app launched today marks the start of a pilot phase for the service.
BBC releases 'global' iPlayer app for European iPads, €7 per month
The wonders of iPlayer are no longer the reserve of the Brits. As of today, iPad users in 11 other countries across Europe can subscribe to the service for €7 per month or €50 per year. That equates to $10 -- just about living up to the Beeb's promised maximum price. The subscription grants access to a wealth of TV classics, like Fawlty Towers and Only Fools & Horses, as well as unwitting comedies like EastEnders. Some sort of motoring series by the name of Top Gear is also available, for those who like cars and middle-aged men in pointy shoes. The app will allow for downloading as well as streaming, and marks a "pilot phase" for the service, which should hopefully reach the former colonial outpost of America before too long. Full details in the PR after the break.
BBC iPlayer app coming to Android as well as iPad by the end of this week (update: iPad version live)
The British Broadcasting Corporation has made its iPlayer app plans that extra bit more official by announcing that iPad- and Android-specific versions of its software will be arriving by the end of this week. The iPlayer is a free TV catchup service hosting the best and most popular (those two being almost mutually exclusive categories) from the BBC's catalog of recent programming, and the new native apps promise to bring that to your portable device in a touchscreen-optimized format with a "simple and intuitive design." The finishing touches are being applied right now and the apps should be with us before the week is through, but the real cause for excitement is that the BBC plans to take the iPlayer out for an international walk, which will likely rely on such platform-specific apps for distribution and the collection of subscription fees. Then we can all watch Question Time together, yay! P.S. - Take note, Android users, that you'll need to have Froyo and Flash Player 10.1 installed on your phone or tablet in order to partake in the new app. Sort of a one step forward, one step back maneuver. [Thanks, Jules] Update: The iPad app is now ready to download in the App Store. Thanks, Tom!
BBC iPlayer app landing on UK iPads this Thursday, US in June
A BBC Interactive Operations Engineer has British hearts all aflutter tonight with a tweet announcing that the iPlayer app for the iPad is ready to roll out this Thursday, February 10th. It's specific to the tablet for now, so no iPhone, and will only debut in the UK, so no BBC America for you just yet, though this is the first step toward making that cozy dream a reality. Taking the BBC TV catchup service into international waters will be done on the basis of a paid subscription model, which should dissuade all the TV License payers in the UK from revolting, but do bear in mind that this upcoming tablet app will only allow content streaming over WiFi. You'll be able to browse the iPlayer over 3G, we're told, but will need to hook up to some roomier wireless pipes to sip the sweet nectar of BBC Entertainment on your iPad (in app form, browser-based options are a whole other matter). Stay tuned for the fully detailed announcement in a couple of days.
