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BBC boasts successful iPlayer launch

by Parm Mann on 16 January 2008, 10:57

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A million visitors access over three and a half million programmes

The world just can't get enough of digital distribution right now. If it's not Apple's iTunes, it's Microsoft's Video Marketplace and even the BBC are in on the act.

BBC iPlayer, a software application from the BBC, allows viewers in the UK to:

  • Find programmes you want to catch up on or watch again from the past seven days and watch them on the website through a method known as streaming.
  • Download and store them on your computer for up to 30 days if you have a Windows PC.
  • Play back high quality programmes on your computer as often as you like during the time that the programme is available

Having been in beta form for a few months, the BBC officially launched the iPlayer on Christmas day with a big marketing push that led to a tenfold increase in the number of visitors to the BBC iPlayer website.

Between December 25th 2007 and January 7th 2008, over a million users visited bbc.co.uk/iplayer who then, on average, downloaded or streamed an enourmous quarter of a million programmes each day. That's over 3.5 million programmes in total.

Ashley Highfield, Director of BBC Future Media and Technology, said:

"We are delighted with the public's response to the BBC iPlayer. Attracting a million visitors, who've accessed over three and a half million programmes, within just two weeks is a wonderful start."

 "Typically, people who use the BBC iPlayer are spending nearly half an hour a day watching streams of their favourite programmes, suggesting that it looks set to revolutionise the way BBC Television programmes are viewed in the UK."

The most streamed or downloaded programmes on BBC iPlayer between December 25th 2007 and January 7th 2008 were as follows:

  1. Doctor Who Christmas Special (25.12.07)
  2. Extras Christmas Special (27.12.07)
  3. Top Gear (23.12.07)
  4. The Catherine Tate Christmas Show (25.12.07)
  5. EastEnders (25.12.07)
  6. EastEnders (01.01.08)
  7. Sense And Sensibility (01.01.08)
  8. Robin Hood (29.12.08)
  9. EastEnders (31.12.07)
  10. The Best Of Top Gear (01.01.08)

One things for certain, we're all going to need faster broadband with much larger usage limits in the very near future.

Official website: bbc.co.uk/iplayer

HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Posted by Funkstar - Wed 16 Jan 2008 11:02
I've used it a few times now, and I quite like it.

The interface for finding TV and choosing it is a bit futery, but it has improved since the initial Betas.
Posted by Parm - Wed 16 Jan 2008 11:27
I used it briefly, but my fear of draining my monthly bandwidth allowance soon deterred me from using it. :embarrassed:
Posted by chuckskull - Wed 16 Jan 2008 11:35
I use this for top gear quite often, sometimes it'll go a bit flakey and not download at all for a few hours, and like funkstar said the interface is a bit awkward in places, but a step in the right direction for sure.
Posted by Funkstar - Wed 16 Jan 2008 11:43
With the shows i've downloaded, the estimated files size and the actual download are between half anf two thirds. Have I Got News For You, QI and Buzzcocks all said they were about 300MB, turned out to be about 150MB each.

Oh and it might just be my laptop, but downloads in the background crawl when you are watching a program. Does seem to hog my machine too.
Posted by gurpz1 - Wed 16 Jan 2008 16:12
i think its great, especially when you still have a vcr. Downloads at better quality than the recording