BBC iPlayer on iPad: how to get it

The iPad getting some Beeb-love
The iPad getting some Beeb-love

UPDATE: BBC iPlayer is now compatible with iPad. Simply go to the iPlayer site from your iPad.

For those of you getting ready to queue for an iPad on the day of launch but gutted about the lack of Flash: the BBC is coming to the rescue (sort of).

Erik Huggers, director of BBC future media and technology, has apparently confirmed that the BBC iPlayer will be iPad friendly by 28 May - the day of launch.

But Mark Prigg of the Evening Standard (who tweeted Huggers' original comment) has confirmed that the iPlayer is now up and running on the iPad - so if you were lucky enough to get it early, check it out.

Like YouTube but not

This means it will be working in the same way as the YouTube Widget, not using Flash (obviously) but still working as a web-only version.

We assume that there won't be any program downloading allowed, and for all we know 3G streaming won't be allowed at the start.

But given that apparently 40% of people would be ready to ditch a dedicated PC for a tablet according to Kelkoo (according to 950 people surveyed), it seems likely that this iPad-friendly version of the BBC iPlayer could provide yet another boon for Auntie's online service.

Via TechWatch

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.