BBC announces 'simple and connected' iPlayer

BBC unveils new iPlayer features
BBC unveils new iPlayer features

The BBC has overhauled its iPlayer service to add in a whole host of new functionality, including improved quality and integrated social networking.

The UI has been revamped to make content easier to find and personalise - much like the main BBC website, with recommended content and shows your friends like all highlighted.

Twitter and Facebook support has also been added to let you post content to your wall or in your feed, as well as the ability to share and recommend content within the iPlayer itself.

An in-channel viewer has also been added to make it easier to channel hop whilst watching live streaming, so you always know what you want to see.

You can also set your favourite programmes to download ahead of time, with smart series linking making sure you can stay on top of your BBC favourites, with mobile remote recording on the way too.

Chat and watch

You can forward links to your friends while on Windows Live Messenger, allowing you to watch on demand programmes with your friends - with a time counter displayed to show where you both are in the show.

The BBC has promised that it will not be partnering with others in this venture, nor licensing out the technology either - however it will pushing viewers onto other on-demand services for shows.

So if you decide you like a Channel 4 programme you can add it to your favourites and when it turns up you'll get an alert from the BBC and then be sent off to the 4OD platform.

The new service is now live in beta form from a banner within the site, and will be available to all from late June or Early July.

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.