Mark Thompson, the BBC’s Director General, has revealed more details of the international version of the BBC iPlayer – the corporation’s streaming video on demand service – at this year’s FT Digital Media & Broadcasting Conference in London.
Topic: BBC iPlayer
BBC to restructure online offerings, axe 360 jobs and 200 sites
The BBC, one of the most recognisable names online, has announced that it will restructure how it offers content online.
Its budget being cut by 25 percent, 200 sites being shut down and at least 360 jobs being cut from the public broadcaster over two years.
BBC to make iPlayer worldwide “within a year”
Mark Thompson, the Director-General of the BBC, has revealed that the broadcaster is currently at work in bringing its popular BBC iPlayer to licence payers while they are abroad and also creating a commercial version for worldwide audiences via BBC Worldwide, the broadcaster’s commercial division.
BBC to launch applications for BlackBerry, Android and iPhone
The BBC has announced that it will be producing two new applications – one for its News division and another for its Sport website – for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry platforms in a bid to rival other news organisations that offer similar applications.
BBC looking into global iPlayer catchup service
The BBC is said to be looking into offering a global service to its iPlayer service, currently available to the UK market only, with the help of its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. However, unlike the iPlayer in the UK, you are likely going to be charged to watch one single episode.
Hulu, YouTube to negotiate with UK broadcasters over TV shows
Several sources are claiming that both Hulu (owned by News Corp., NBC Universal and now Disney) and YouTube (owned by Google) are talking separate deals with UK broadcasters the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV to allow their shows to be on demand on their respective websites.
BBC iPlayer brings in HD downloads
The popular BBC iPlayer is now bringing in something that users will be happy to use – and will be painful for the ISPs to carry – you can now download and stream your favourite BBC shows in high definition, allowing the picture quality to be better.
BBC iPlayer download feature now supported on Linux, Mac machines
The BBC has created a version of the iPlayer, with its download functionality, that works on both Linux and Mac computers. After being allowed to watch the programmes that aired on the BBC online, users on both machines will now be able to download the programmes – however, they will still be encoded with DRM, but different than what is found on the Windows version.
BBC considers offering iPlayer tech to rivals ITV, Channel 4
The BBC may consider offering free and open use of the technologies that make up the successful BBC iPlayer in a way to prevent Channel 4 to gain a stake in the profitable commercial arm of the BBC, BBC Worldwide; forming part of a response to a public service broadcasting review by Ofcom, according to The Guardian.
UK: BBC iPlayer goes on the Wii
Using the Opera-powered Internet Channel on the Wii, the BBC has announced a version of its popular iPlayer website to the Wii.
It will offer the same content as what you will get on the site, with the 7 day content expiry on content. The BBC promises that additional features will also come in the next few months.
1