iPlayer - the future is on demand! (BBC iPlayer)

Member Name: topherbenn

Product:	BBC iPlayer
Date:	24/02/09 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Don't miss your favourite shows! Grab them up to seven days later.

Disadvantages: Maybe the 30 day download limit? Sometimes the delay in which programs are uploaded to the service.

The days of watching live TV are slowly but surely diminishing; it started with VCR's, next came DVD HDD and SkyPlus... now it's all on the internet.

The BBC's iPlayer service went live in December 2007, and since has provided the last seven days of BBC television to all, through a streaming and download service on their website in both standard and high definition.

It's huge platform base of Windows, Macs, Linux, Nintendo Wii and iPhones is ever expanding, reaching out to thousands who share the need for the BBC's great television.

If seven days wasn't enough time for you to watch last nights episode of Casualty, then their download service offers a 30 day limit before the program is gone forever, due to it's DRM restrictions, keeping you from copying the media for any other use. Just make sure you have the space on your hard drive, as the average 1 hour program is around 300 MB at the standard definition.

So who benefits? Of course, home's with a television who are paying for their TV license can benefit if they've missed a favourite show or news feature; this was the intended purpose of the service. However, due to the iPlayer not needing the user to have a TV license, University students take full advantage of 'free' TV. Also there's those without a television in their home that can catch up; the only way of accessing the BBC's media content.

If you haven't yet tried it out, what are you waiting for? Catch up! The future is on demand.

Summary: Watch the past seven days of the BBC's variety of channels.

Reliability:
Ease of use:
Installation:
Noise:
Speed:
Variety of features: