BBC releases iPlayer beta

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

Topics

iPlayer, OSC, BBC

NEWS

The BBC's online, on-demand TV iPlayer was released for public download on Friday following its launch a month ago.

The beta version of the service is available for Windows XP users, less than three months after the service received the green light from the corporation's independent governing body, the BBC Trust.

The BBC is requesting feedback from early iPlayer users to iron out any issues before a bigger marketing push is made in the autumn.

Read this

Leader
Leader: Digital rights mismanagement

The BBC is struggling to implement its DRM strategy. It is increasingly hard to see why it's bothering at all…

Read more +

The fact the iPlayer is only available for Windows XP has caused some controversy, with non-Windows users feeling they have been excluded.

The Open Source Consortium met with the BBC Trust recently to discuss concerns about the iPlayer's lack of compatibility with other platforms.

In addition, an e-petition posted on the 10 Downing Street website, asking the prime minister to instruct the BBC to make the iPlayer cross-platform, has clocked up almost 12,500 signatures so far.

The beta version of the service can be downloaded by going to the iPlayer website.

Talkback

Try to sign up and you get:
"Thank you for applying to join the BBC iPlayer Beta. If we're able to invite you to join the Beta we'll email you with your log in details and installation instructions shortly."

Its been like this for days.

Not exactly a beta test.

1000193068 30 July, 2007 09:44
Reply

Don't even get an automated e-mail confirming your request to participate has been received. Would that have been so difficult? A much hyped service that even the BBC failed to represent clearly in their own reporting. I get the feeling they're trying to build excitement and expectation. Why even perform a 'public' beta test? Didn't they have enough time to perform stress testing using a number of sample user profiles? Bah humbug. Guess I'll just carry on using my USB TV tuner and PC as PVR, get all channels and use digiGuide for listings for all freeview channels - I can keep the recordings as long as I like... perhaps it's time for me to build that mythTV box after all.

300118 30 July, 2007 14:26
Reply

Going to Google News this morning gives you 50+ articles about how iPlayer has been launched problem free (Telegraph) and cautiously welcome (BBC News).

This is in stark contrast to protests over the past month and the widespread belief that iPlayer is anti-competitive and breeches EU law.

Conspiracy theories have one overwhelming flaw - most people couldn't manage their way out of a paper bag let alone pursue world domination.

But with Mark Thompson now at the top of the BBC (famed for barely been able to control himself when he sat next to Bill Gates in Davos and a Blairite political appointee), Erik Huggers (former Director at Microsoft) now running the BBC's online media division and the new Prime Minister being behind Bill's honorary knighthood you've got to wonder.

1000193068 30 July, 2007 14:38
Reply

Wow - it used to be that we could tell who was on Microsoft's PR payroll by the numerical usernames - how on earth are we going to do it now...

Either that, or Microsoft (TM) PR aren't paying enough, or the chips have short circuited!

Either way - welcome to reality guys!

It's amazing that Microsoft, oops sorry, the BBC think that a bit of puff-PR is going to disguise the *stink* emanating from the iPlayer and the Microsoft, oops sorry, BBC management team behind it.

Sothis 30 July, 2007 15:55
Reply

The BBC's iPlayer message boards are stonewalling when it comes to DRM, saying "It's the Lawyers! The Lawyers made us do it!". Convincing them of the utter futility of DRM is going to have to be the OSC's job. In the meantime, I think Freeview and a Linux-supporting DVB-T device will replicate as much of the iPlayer's functionality as I am interested in.

Chris Rankin 31 July, 2007 08:55
Reply

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

kevinmchapman

"the very significant number of users" and "many (most) of us" - you have no evidence for these statements. It is a fact that most users are saying...

1 hour ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Marg Menzies Harrison

Another grammar faux pas is the improper use of "you". When sitting down down in a restaurant, for example, I get cringe when the waitress...

3 hours ago by Marg Menzies Harrison via Facebook on 10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid
zdnetukuser

And NOW, folks, for Canonical's next trick... Kubuntu is late. Here's a pencil. Draw your own conclusions. cf.:...

3 hours ago by zdnetukuser on Linux Minterface
Moley

@kevinmchapman. The discussion here reflects the very significant number of users who really do like the traditional menu system and who wish to...

5 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
kevinmchapman

Er, no... It is an efficient means of finding the application/file/setting you need in one place. The icons are a simply a fallback for when you...

7 hours ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
TerryRK

Isn't the provision of a text based search an admission by the developers that the mass of icons approach does not work? I don't need to use a...

8 hours ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
kevinmchapman

"Unity and GNOME 3 both abandon the old text-based cascading menus in favour of a graphical icon-driven system." Point truly missed. Both use a...

9 hours ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
TerryRK

whs001 - Thank you, I'm glad you liked the article. I absolutely agree with you on your first point. I should perhaps have made it clearer that...

9 hours ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Dennis Nilsson

If we allow corporate interest to dictate the way our government circumvents due process against foreign entities then we should accept the same...

10 hours ago by Dennis Nilsson via Facebook on ACTA stumbles in Germany
GHar123

I totally dislike pirating of works, I fear that artists will be deterred from creating works if they think that they are going to get ripped off....

12 hours ago by GHar123 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
JCB33

How dare film makers, artists or anybody that invests in creativity stop us pirating their works for free. I want to be able to walk into my local...

17 hours ago by JCB33 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
Moley

@GrueMaster. I prefer horses for courses rather than one size fits all. I, and I suspect most other computer users, do not really wish to have...

20 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
greycynic

The product that scares me every time I have to use it is the Office 2007 version of Excel. The first bug that I found was applying the median...

20 hours ago by greycynic on Ten flawed products that derail productivity
GrueMaster

Nice review and very informative. One thing I'd like to add (in reply to whs001's 1st question), the main reason to have the same interface from...

21 hours ago by GrueMaster on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Frederick Wrigley

I'be been using Mint 12 since the RC came out, and I am far more happy with the Cinnamon, the Mate, and, yes (with extensions), theGnome 3...

22 hours ago by Frederick Wrigley via Facebook on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
bdantas

Excellent article. One small correction, though--although a fresh installation of Linux Mint 12 will, indeed, provide the user with a version of...

23 hours ago by bdantas on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

23 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

23 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Moley

For Gnome 2 die-hards, it is possible to add icons to the bottom panel (or top top panel, if you prefer) which provide the exact Gnome 2...

24 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
ramwellian

Your comments would seem pretty naive and immature. Your 'solution' appears to be, "gee, let's all just give in to the hackers and give them...

1 day ago by ramwellian on Cloud computing security: no more oxymoron?