10/23, 3:05pm
BBC considering launching international iPlayer
BBC Worldwide, the parent company of BBC, is considering launching a premium version of its iPlayer online service that would be accessible by global audiences. Such a service would allow viewers from outside of the UK to watch popular BBC programs, such as Top Gear and Torchwood as well as listen to streaming BBC radio stations. BBC executives have yet to commit to pricing but suggest they could charge per episode, potentially as high as $10 depending on the content.
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04/16, 3:00pm
BBC cross-platform iPlayer
The BBC has released a completed version of the iPlayer Desktop, a cross-platform application that lets users download recent BBC programming, rather than simply view it on the web or TV. The app is based on Adobe's AIR platform, and is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux systems. Access is restricted to residents of the UK however, and files are set to expire and delete automatically after a given timeframe, no longer than 30 days.
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12/18, 4:30pm
iPlayer for Mac and Linux
The BBC has announced that the iPlayer Desktop will soon be brought to the Mac and Linux platforms. The upcoming player adds the ability to download content that can be viewed for up to 30 days, in addition to the streaming functionality that has been available on the current version. The broadcasting company has worked with Adobe to develop the update, integrating its AIR technology that will allow applications to be to be downloaded to the user's computer instead of just working with browser-based Flash presentations.
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10/08, 9:20am
Apple wins BTA awards
Apple has won five prizes at this year's British Technology Awards, sponsored by a regional publisher. Four of these are for the iPhone, which earned Apple Gadget of the Year, Best Mobile Technology, Most Stylish Technology and Technological Innovation of the Year. The fourth is for the iTunes Store, which won under the aegis of Best Music Technology. The distribution of awards was based on public voting.
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09/24, 10:00am
BBC radio on iPhone/iPod
The UK's official broadcaster, the BBC, has announced expanded support for the iPhone/iPod touch version of its iPlayer service. As of today the software now supports radio, allowing users to listen to episodes from a variety of programs up to seven days after the original airdate. The BBC's Mark Friend says that the option comes from adapting the network's normal digital delivery to suit the unique restrictions of Apple handhelds.
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08/13, 3:25pm
BBC upgrades to H.264, AAC
Later this week, the BBC will update its iPlayer streaming service with H.264 and AAC+ compression schemes, the UK broadcaster has announced. The move is aimed at supporting open standards, and additionally improving steaming quality, jumping bitrates from 500 to 800Kbps, according to Macworld. The compression schemes will offer improved visuals and sound for users streaming over Flash, currently the only way to access the BBC's media on a Mac. The network has already been broadcasting in non-Flash H.264 and AAC for its iPhone and iPod touch streams.
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06/27, 1:15pm
BBC iPlayer set-top box
The BBC is planning to build its own set-top box for iPlayer users, a report reveals. iPlayer is a free web service which allows TV license payers to stream the past week of BBC programming for free; it is typically accessed via computers however, with the exception of devices like the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. The new set-top will hook up directly to a TV, and feed data from a broadband connection to effectively create an IPTV link.
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06/18, 3:30pm
YouTube Full Length Videos
YouTube has begun letting companies offer videos longer than the official 10 minutes on its site, according to a memo allegedly being sent to these firms. The message gives those with official presences on the video website permission to post videos that fit within a 1GB file size cap as well as to attach advertising to those clips. The reported official move follows known experiments that have included both the release of an independent movie last year and the more recent promotional release of an episode of The Tudors.
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04/18, 10:35am
Hulu Mobile Talk
NBC's Hulu TV streaming service is likely to expand beyond its web-only presence of today, the service's CEO Jason Kilar said this week at the NAB video production expo. While not committing to any one format, the company head explains that cellphones and "anything connected to the Internet" would be an ideal platform for the feature, which allows users to stream (but not download) episodes of NBC and Fox shows.
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04/09, 9:35am
BBC iPlayer for Wii
The BBC today said that its iPlayer is now available through Nintendo's Wii, marking the first time the TV catch-up service can be accessed through a game console. Currently in a test phase, the feature is available from a dedicated channel and lets UK-based gamers watch episodes of recent BBC shows as much as they like while they remain available on the site, which often keeps content for one or more weeks before they are removed for copyright reasons.
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03/13, 9:55am
BBC halts iPlayer 'hack'
The BBC has put an end to an exploit which allowed people to download its TV shows permanently, according to the network's news agency. By altering the user string of a URL on a desktop system, people were able to fool the BBC iPlayer into thinking it was operating on an iPhone or iPod touch. While the latter devices are only able to stream shows from iPlayer, the exploit enabled Mac or PC users to save clips, which could then be played any time after the seven-day window the BBC sets for iPlayer material.
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03/07, 9:05am
iPlayer for iPhone active
(Updated with BBC commentary) The early indications of a beta iPlayer client for the iPhone have been confirmed. Beginning today, mobile visitors to the iPlayer website can now watch a limited number of BBC TV shows, such as Whistleblower. The video has been specially converted to cope with the limitations of Apple's Safari browser, which cannot play Flash; it is most likely then that episodes are being encoded in streaming QuickTime.
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03/06, 12:30pm
BBC iPlayer for iPhone
MacNN has discovered that the BBC is reportedly working on a version of its iPlayer software for the iPhone and iPod touch, which was spotted ahead of Apple's announcements at 10AM Pacific. When visiting the BBC iPlayer website through the portable devices, a small, inactive link appears in the corner of the main window, indicating that a beta version of the player software will soon be available. Details have not been released, but with the SDK event due any moment, the BBC will hopefully put an official spin on the find.
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02/20, 9:10am
iPlayer for iPhone/Touch
iPlayer software will eventually be available in a form for iPhones and iPod touches, the BBC has announced. Having just released TV shows to the UK iTunes Store, and confirmed the arrival of a Mac iPlayer client sometime this year, the network now says that it is developing a version for Apple's most advanced mobile devices. The software should in fact be available "within the next few weeks," according to the Guardian, meaning that it may beat the Mac-specific client to market.
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02/18, 9:25am
BBC on iTunes this week?
TV shows from the BBC may soon appear on the iTunes Store, reports claim. Cited is an anonymous source in the TV industry, who claims that BBC Worldwide will announce its plans on Tuesday. The source further suggests that Worldwide's digital media director, Simon Danker, has already contacted a number of third-party production companies to let them know of the new sales market. It is unclear whether shows would be available solely in the UK, or also on iTunes sites in Canada and the US; BBC Worldwide is said to be under pressure, however, to send more income from selling shows to the core of the BBC, given a dwindling benefit from TV license fees.
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02/07, 11:15pm
BBC iPlayer for Mac
The BBC will reportedly be launching its iPlayer online video web service for the Mac platform by the end of 2008. In a self-published article, the BBC acknowledged the desires of Mac users that the player is currently in progress, stating that the initial PC release was concocted simply to reach the broadest amount of users in the shortest possible time. The BBC iPlayer is currently only available in the UK, with an international version planned at some point in the future.
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12/13, 9:10am
BBC releases Mac iPlayer
The BBC today began official Mac support for iPlayer, the network's video distribution technology. The service allows residents of the UK to watch the last seven days of BBC TV programming for free; until today however, it was only available to Windows users, a situation which earlier triggered a petition claiming it was a violation of BBC policy. The ability to download shows remains restricted to Windows users, but Mac users can now stream video on their computers, as a result of a recent deal with Adobe for use of Flash.
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