We’re already big fans if the BBC’s iPlayer service, so our bottoms almost squeaked with excitement when we heard that the Beeb is to start offering high definition streams and downloads of selected programmes.
The iPlayer has grown to be a true smash-ban-wallop hit, registering more than 387 million streams or download requests since launching on Christmas Day 2007.
Project Kangaroo, which was to offer video from a number of UK broadcasters, delivered over the Internet, has been blocked by the UK Competition Commission (CC).
Kangaroo was a joint venture with the BBC through BBC Worldwide, ITV plc and Channel Four Television Corporation.
The BBC is set to revolutionise radio listening with the introduction of a new “visual radio player” this month.
The technology is set to be trialed for a week on Radio 1’s Chris Moyles weekday mornings show (6.30am to 10am) and on the Annie and Nick show on Sunday evenings (7pm to 10pm), and will let users listeners head off to the DJs website and get a load of “complementary visuals.”
If you hadn’t noticed(!), today is iPlayer day.
The BBC Internet blog is covered in posting from various of the BBC bloggers, so many, that they run way over the front page.
Anthony Rose, Controller, Online Media Group and Vision, Future Media & Technology (blimey he must have a wide business card!), who oversees iPlayer, has recorded a video (not surprisingly playing in an iPlayer viewer).
He goes over his history with iPlayer and then projects forward into features and functions that he’d like to see incorporated into iPlayer in the future.
iPlayer 3, as it’s being labelled, will be available Q1 or Q2 in 2009 and will incoporate social features.
The BBC, ITV and BT have announced a proposal to create an “open environment for broadband connected digital television receivers.”
It’s an initiative open for all UK public service broadcasters, device developers and other ISPs, which they hope will lead to a new generation of subscription free devices, carrying free to air channels and a huge selection of on demand TV services like iPlayer and ITV Player, as well as the potential for films, shows and interactive content from a range of other providers in standard and high definition.
BBC’s hugely popular website is on course to become the Corporation’s second biggest property in just four years, according to their new director of future media and technology, Erik Huggers.
Spurred on by the success of their BBC iPlayer service, the BBC’s website has seen huge traffic rises and now looks set to be second only to their flagship channel BBC1 by 2012.
It’s only been four months that Ashley Highfield has been with Project Kangeroo, the UK independent TV answer to the BBC’s iPlayer, but it’s been reported that he’s leaving – before it’s even publicly launched.
The BBC is to continue to open up paths to make money from it’s car TV programme, Top Gear, via its commercial wing, BBC Worldwide.
The BBC Trust published their findings of the review of the bbc.oc.uk Web site.
This is the first time the BBC Trust had carried out its review, as it’s operating under new Charter arrangements. Previously reviews of BBC services were a job for the Secretary of State.
BBC and ITV are launching Freesat today, a new free-to-view satellite television service allowing viewers to gorge themselves on high definition television for nowt.
The two UK TV giants have teamed up to serve up a feast of 80 freebie television and radio channels which will be accessible to 98 per cent of homes.
The BBC have been talking about it for quite a while to the point where people stopped believing it would happen, through to a cautious ‘yes probably’ a year and a bit ago.