The BBC showed of the latest iteration of its iPlayer service today, dubbed iPlayer 3, promising better streaming capabilities, social integration and a general simplification of the service.
At the launch event, with TechRadar in attendance, the BBC's Anthony Rose called the iPlayer "more of an application than a website" and explained the many new features that make the iPlayer a more personalised service.
Below we highlight the main new bits of iPlayer 3 – bearing in mind that it is still in beta – which are set to make your VoD viewing experience that little bit more enjoyable.
New user interface
The new user interface is cleaner and is brought into the present with a TV listings page that tells you what's on now.
There is also new 'sliding drawers' options: Features, For You, Most Popular and Friends.
Live channel hopping
There is now a one-click window between channels, which means that you can essentially channel hop the iPlayer's live TV content.
To help you do this there will be quick links in the viewing window.
TV and Radio separate
The BBC has decided to make TV and Radio into separate things so that it is easier to browse through the categories.
Confusingly, Eric Huggers from the BBC says that they will be "separate but intermingled".
Twitter and Facebook connectivity
The social web has been integrated into the iPlayer, with partnerships with Twitter and Facebook announced.
This allows for some audience interaction when watching programmes, all within what the BBC is calling "a clean and intuitive user experience".
Friends recommendations
If you fancy taking a look at what your friends have been watching you can now do this through the Friends Recommendations section of iPlayer.
This is another social enhancement to the site, which obviously wants you to view as much content as possible.
Enhanced browsing
The browsing feature on the iPlayer has been significantly enhanced in a bid to make navigation of the service better.
You can now browse by popularity (there's a top-ten programme chart) and take a look at not only genres but sub genres too.
Windows Live Messenger integration
This announcement is a biggie for the BBC (so much so that they left it till last). Essentially using the new iteration of Windows Live Messenger, you will be able to synchronise watching shows with your friends wherever they are (through an on-screen minutes and seconds counter so you can see how far through the programme you both are) and live chat about the programme.
It sounds an awful lot like the Twitter and Facebook connectivity but a whole lot more intuitive.
Series downloading
Instead of just downloading specific episodes, users will now be able to batch record series, meaning that you won't miss any of your favourite shows again.
Third-party VoD love
The BBC has decided that it is to become a hub for VoD content from other broadcasters. Essentially on its BBC online homepage it will offer links to ITV Player, 4OD, Click, Demand Five and SeeSaw.
This is a significant step for the UK, offering a space on the web which houses all the significant long-form VoD content you need. Although it will just link out, it is a great move.
This also sounds achingly similar to what Project Canvas will be offering, albeit through set-top boxes in the future.
iPlayer 3 is currently in beta, with a full rollout happening in July. Because of this, some of the social-networking capabilities are not yet available.
If you want to try it out for yourself, go to http://beta.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/.
Your comments (9) Click to add a new comment
amit290
May 27th 2010
9. I agree with Paul on downloading programmes. I work for a TV production company. Its a bit like buying flowers from a supermarket.
Customer (BBC) goes to the supermarket (TV Company). They buy a flower (programme), they go home stick it in a vase and after 7-10 days they die (programme expires). Then they have to bin them.
Sometimes they can last longer say 30 days, but it depends what the deal is with the TV production company.
But back to the article.... I like the sound of the new improvements, and have taken a quick link at the BETA link and looks great. Looking forward to using these new features in the future.
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paul
May 27th 2010
8. nitro, it's not about off-shore users. It's that the production companies only grant the BBC a 7-day licence to show the programmes.
Legally, you are only allowed to record programmes for 'time shifting' - you are not allowed to record them to keep and watch over and over.
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barry98
May 27th 2010
7. I think I am going for the 3View box (if the move to another factory story is not an excuse for money/development problems) so the BBC iPlayer is interesting as a catchup device. BUT BUT - where is the content. The BBC have a huge back catalogue of ARTS programs. Surely the copyright has been sorted out by now. I know I am in a minority but I do pay a license so where is the Ballet & Opera. Also what is the point of the BBC & ITV etc trumpeting catchup services if some programs are denied - the latest South Bank Show with Judie Dench for example
Barry98
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bradavon
May 26th 2010
6. You could equally argue the BBC website isn't part of BBC's remit.
Given that BBC iPlayer is here, it's natural it will evolve and social networking being as popular as it is, it will get added at some point. Are you not missing the point of the popularity of it?
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nitrofan
May 26th 2010
5. @paul geolocking would deal with the offshore users and if I can DVD record it why not on my PC its b*****s!
@bardavon you are missing the point and Zattoo's interface IS remarkably similar to the new BBC layout IMHO!
As for Social nutworking...................
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paul
May 26th 2010
4. nitro, the reason you can't download programmes to keep is that many of the programmes are made by outside production companies. It's all due to rights issues, basically.
Also - it was argued that iPlayer wasn't within the BBC's remit when the beeb first started testing it. Interesting, eh?
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bradavon
May 26th 2010
3. Zatoo doesn't look anything like BBC iPlayer and is based in America. Where due to contractual reasons you cannot access BBC iPlayer.
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bradavon
May 26th 2010
2. Do these change also apply to BBC iPlayer's APIs? So PVRs like 3view will also be getting it.
@ Nitrofan: As you're not interested in social networking, I suggest you don't use it. Simple. Those of us who are, will find it useful to see what are friends are watching.
Agreed there's no reason they shouldn't be letting us keep the content on our hard disks permanently (just like we can record stuff off TV) but it's going to come with DRM anyway. So would be tricky to copy to another device etc... BBC aren't exactly going to give it to us without DRM, now are they.
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nitrofan
May 26th 2010
1. Interestingly Tech Radar ignore the key improvements in their strap line.
Preferring to focus on one small more trendy feature "Social integration" with all the other important features playing second fiddle! Grow up please and start focusing on the real tech issues of the day please, those being
Why cant we download programs to keep? after all we pay a license fee.
OR
Why did the BBC tell ZATTOO "Not to stream their material" then they blatantly rip off ZATTOO's interface!
And WTF are the BBC playing at? who asked them to get involved in the social networking hype? they are the state broadcaster for goodness sake! Not some hip Shorditch start up, this is not within their remit.
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