iPlayer + iPhone + TV = Cool
02.20.08 - 01:59pm
The BBC iPlayer has been used to watch over 17 million programs, no small feat as it was launched less than two months ago on Christmas Day, 2007. The BBC iPlayer is a broadband TV service. The only other broadband TV services that are offered are for Mac and PC computers. The iPlayer is the first mobile TV service.
The much lauded player will soon be available for the iPhone and the Touch. The BBC will begin transcoding their shows into MPED-4-based H.264. They also have Adobe’s Flash system but are considering dropping it altogether for the higher compressed, higher quality streams of the H.264.
“We have seen good and consistent growth in the daily consumption of programming and it doesn’t look to be in any way plateauing,” said Ashley Highfield, the director of future media and technology at the BBC. Last week the number of shows watched reached over 500,000 in one day.
The iPlayer has other developments on the way including; new branded highlights channels on Yahoo, Blinx and MSN that will link back to iPlayer, lists featuring most popular and recent shows, HD programs in the works, “bookmarking” system where shows will download immediately after airing, on Virgin Media next month, possible linking of iPlayer to Project kangaroo - a commercial video on demand service currently under construction.
The player will work only through wi-fi as Edge is too slow. The BBC has worked out a plan with The Cloud, a wi-fi hotspot firm covering Europe, to offer iPhone/Touch users free access.
“We’re looking at all options to provide best quality for the users and the lowest cost to us and the ISPs,” said Anthony Rose, the head of BBC’s digital media technology.
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