BBC iPlayer (BBC iPlayer)

Member Name: chris212

Product:	BBC iPlayer
Date:	16/07/09 (149 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Watch programmes after they have been shown on TV

Disadvantages: When streaming dependant on internet speed

The BBC iPlayer is the BBC's own version of the latest revolution in television of putting programmes from both television and radio on to the internet for viewers that have not watched the programmes when they originally aired.

The BBC iPlayer was originally started by the BBC around 2005 / 2006, but only came out of beta mode on the 25th December 2007. This meant that the BBC was heavily criticised about the long delay of the iPlayer. Last year, 2008, the iPlayer underwent a redevelopment, to make programmes more accessible for the user. There are two ways in which a person can access the programmes, either through the menus system or through search box. I prefer the seaech box, as it is the easiest methods, although it is also simply through the menu system, as you can either look through the channel that it was broadcast on or the type of programme that it is, such as comedy.

There are two ways in which a person can watch programmes through the iPlayer, this is either streaming straight from the site or by downloading the programme. There are many pros and cons for the use of either method.

If you are going to stream a programme over the internet, it is very much dependant on the speed of the internet the quality that you will receive. As what I have found is sometime at peak time I have had to turn down a notch the quality to be able to watch the programme, otherwise the picture and sound stutters; this can also occur if more than one person is accessing the internet and use the internet heavily. Another problem that I have encounter is that so far I have not been able to watch any programme in High Definition, as at no point has my internet been of a speed that is fast enough. Another point that should be made to watch the amount you are streaming, by this I mean how much is being sent over the internet. The reason that I point this out is because people have a limit on the amount of internet usage, and if you watch a couple of programmes it can quickly eat up this allowance.

In terms of the download section, what it allows is for you to download the programme at its highest quality, as you are not viewing it over the internet, just downloading. The problem that this causes is, the download amount that is required for a High Definition programme can be quite a lot, meaning if you do not have a fast internet connection it can take a long time. Which is not what you really want: as when I go to the site I want to be able to watch the programme there and then. Also if you download the programme, you only have 30 days on which to watch the programme and if you have begun to watch the programme, for even a second, then you have 7 days before the programme will become locked and you will not be able to watch it. The BBC also include DRM (Digital Rights Management), which means that they control when you can and cannot watch the programme.

Another point to make is the way that the programmes are downloaded, by peer 2 peer method. This means that you are not actually downloading the whole programme from the BBC, but from other users that have downloaded the programme; this also means that you are also sharing the programme as you download it.

So how good is the iPlayer. The best way to do this is compare it to some of its rivals, such as ITV's and Channel 4's version. When I first went to watch a programme on the iPlayer, I was surprised at how easy it is to search for a programme and to actually start watching the programme. In contrast, with ITV's player when I tried to stream a programme to watch, the programme took an eternity to load and I just ended up leaving it. As for Channel 4's version, the first time, I had to down load a piece of software to allow me to watch the programme and the programme was broken in to segments making it hard to watch. This was not the case with the iPlayer, as the interface with the iPlayer is as if you are watching the programme in a media player.

A point to make here, is that not all the programme shown live BBC channels and radios are shown on the iPlayer, so don't be surprised if a film does not appear in the site. As the BBC may have the rights to show the film on one of their television channels but they almost ways do not have the right to show it on the iPlayer. Which can be annoying, as I watched part of a film and was going to watch the rest on iPlayer, as I had something to do, but only then found out by looking at the site that it could not be shown?

Overall the iPlayer is not too bad and I would definitely recommend it, as it allows you to catch up with programmes that you may have missed: normally I use the service when there are two programmes on at the same and I can't be bothered to record one. I was also surprised at how good the quality of the programmes are, as they are of the same quality as if you are watching through your television. Also the iPlayer is no longer confined to the computer, as it is available through Virgin Media, the Nintendo Wii and PS3 and iPod Touch and iPhone; although so far the only way that I have accessed the iPlayer is through the use of a computer.

Summary: Overall one of the better on demand services

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