BBC iPlayer to Get an Upgrade
The immensely popular BBC iPlayer is about to get a make-over. With over 100 million requests to view programmes since it launched and the site averaging 700,000 requests per day to view the BBC have recognised the public’s desire for such a media format and have invested some serious time and money in developing iPlayer 2.0.
The Player gets a fabulous new look but open the bonnet and you can find some serious enhancements over the last version. Users can now listen to Radio programmes as well as watch TV episodes with the added advantages of fast forward and rewind added across both formats and also a degree of personalisation for the individual will be coming in the next couple of months.
The iPlayer site will be clever enough to remember which programmes you last played and where you got up to. If you don’t have time to finish an episode, no problem: when you next go back to the iPlayer site, it will be right there on the homepage, ready to resume from where you last left off with just a single click. Taking a leaf out of SKY+ ’s series link: not only will the iPlayer remember which shows you have recently played, but when new episodes of those programmes become available they’ll automatically show up in the Last Played widget for you.
One of the main gripes with the iPlayer from the Apple fans was its lack of support for Macs – well the Beeb has addressed part of the problem and confirmed that the iPlayer streaming service works on a Mac and the downloads service for Macs is “work in progress”. The new-look iPayer will be available on other platforms for TV catch-up, including the Apple iPhone & iPod touch, and the Nintendo Wii.
The simplicity of the iPlayer is one of the attractions that have made it so popular and the second generation looks like it will continue along that trend. Try out the BETA version of the iPlayer for yourself.
There’s no excuse to miss a BBC episode in future!
Posted by admin on Thursday, June 26th, 2008
