Archive for the ‘iPlayer’ Category

BBC and Virgin Media have struck a new deal which will further enhance the user’s experience of the TiVo service.

An enhanced Red Button service offering extra interactive features, on demand video streams and BBC Online content will become available to Virgin Media TiVo customers in 2012, along with the BBC Sport and BBC News apps.

Viewers will be able to experience improved, varied and more detailed content during the major sporting events of 2012, including the London 2012 Olympics, Euro 2012, Wimbledon and the new F1 season.

The deal between the two heavyweights follows the successful addition of BBC iPlayer to Virgin Media’s TiVo service, which already offers a wealth of eye-catching features such as the ‘thumbs up, thumbs down’ option allowing you to rate shows you watch, and the impressive TiVo Search.

Jane Weedon, Controller of Business Development, BBC Future Media, said: “With its pioneering BBC iPlayer service now available on more than 300 different internet-connected TV devices, the BBC has successfully taken catch-up TV beyond the PC and into the living room.”

“Having partnered with Virgin Media to bring BBC iPlayer to TV back in 2008, we have since brought a vastly-improved, fully-integrated experience of BBC iPlayer to Virgin Media’s TiVo Service. With the addition of the BBC News app and enhanced BBC Sport services – all accessible via the Red Button – we plan to build on this partnership and continue to innovate in connected TV through 2012.”

New and existing Virgin Media customers can get TiVo, with current offers including free activation on the 500GB box. A 1TB box is also available, which can store around 500 hours of recorded standard definition content.

An agreement has been reached between digital TV heavyweights Sky and Virgin Media, which will see customers of the latter offered access to on demand service Sky Anytime.

Sky Anytime was originally available exclusively to Sky customers, but this deal will extend the service to Virgin Media viewers. With Sky Anytime, you can pick and choose content that is in line with your current subscription, and watch it at a time that suits you.

Virgin Media already boasts a huge on demand library of its own, including access to BBC iPlayer and 4OD, as well as a range classic and contemporary movies and TV shows. With the addition of Sky Anytime, Virgin Media customers subscribing to the full Sky Movies package will have access to an extra 500 titles. Combined with the titles available through FilmFlex, PictureBox and Virgin Media Player, that brings the total to over 1,000 on demand movies.

Virgin Media customers with the full Sky Sports package will also be able to view on demand sports highlights from the channels, including Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League football.

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Die-hard fans of The Doctor may need medical assistance when they find out that the Master (or the BBC) has called time on the show’s spin-off Doctor Who Confidential.

The behind-the-scenes show follows Doctor Who episode premieres every Saturday, with shorter repeats airing Sundays and Fridays. The programme offers filming footage and interviews, with the preceding Doctor Who episode usually providing the main talking points.

The Guardian has reported today that cost-cutting is responsible for the show’s axe, which follows a spate of culls which has included one-time favourite Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, as well as Coming of Age, Ideal and Hotter Than My Daughter.

BBC Controller Zai Bennett is believed to be looking at concentrating on new investment, whilst also balancing a rumoured 20% budget cut across all output.

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: “Doctor Who Confidential has been a great show for BBC3 over the years but our priority now is to build on original British commissions, unique to the channel.”

The final episode of Doctor Who Confidential will air on BBC Three this Saturday at 8.35, after the Doctor Who series finale at 7.05 on BBC One.

Channel 4 has tweaked its 4OD catch-up service, and officially launched the revamp today.

4OD can be accessed at any time online, but now users can activate ‘My 4OD’, giving them the option of adding programme preferences and creating personalised playlists. This new aspect of the website will send reminders to users of ‘My 4OD’, letting them know that their favourites are due to air.

In order to activate ‘My 4OD’, users will need to register various details including date of birth.

The revamp also includes improved full-page viewing and search, as well as a recommendation service.
Sarah Milton, Head of VoD at Channel 4, said: “We have refined and optimised the design to ensure viewers get the best experience from the wealth of content Channel 4 has to offer.”

“We have over 5,000 hours of archive programming available on the Channel4.com 4oD service, and the redesign makes it even easier for users to browse our offering.”

According to The Telegraph, Channel 4 is hoping to tailor the advert selection for particular demographics by utilising the information from ‘My 4OD’.

4OD is still operating in the shadow of BBC iPlayer, although The Guardian reports impressive viewing figures of 3.4m for Channel 4’s service, which offers on demand episodes of popular shows such as Hollyoaks, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and The I.T. Crowd. 4OD, like its BBC rival, can be accessed on TV at home through Virgin Media and BT Vision packages.

The hugely popular on demand catch-up service BBC iPlayer is now available in full to BT Vision customers.

Back in November last year, the BBC announced plans to bring the iPlayer to BT Vision, and TechRadar has confirmed the news that the complete service is now active. Some BBC content was already available through BT Vision’s TV Replay, but now the IPTV provider’s customers can access over 400 hours of BBC TV and 1,000 hours of BBC radio.

BT Retail’s chief exec of TV and online services said: “The launch of BBC iPlayer on BT Vision adds to the enormous range of quality entertainment already available to our customers.”

“We are really excited to be partnering with the BBC to bring BBC iPlayer to our customers.”

BBC iPlayer gives UK viewers the chance to watch the latest episodes of popular BBC shows such as Eastenders, Have I Got News For You, The Apprentice and Top Gear, as well as UK radio favourites including The Chris Moyles Show.

BT Vision provides digital TV through a BT Broadband connection in the home, and offers a wide range of Freeview channels, as well as the option to pay for movies and sport, and the catch-up service now includes programmes from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

The on demand service iPlayer from the BBC is now available on Freesat high definition set-top boxes manufactured by Bush, Grundig and Goodmans. Electricpig has confirmed that most models will have received a download application, providing that the box is connected to the internet. Give the red button a click, and after about 40 minutes you should be ready to start demanding your favourite BBC radio and TV programmes.

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Virgin Media will launch its own online, on demand service to rival Sky Player and the BBC iPlayer, and it will happen this year.

The Virgin Media service will be accessible through either the internet or mobile devices, and the availability will probably follow Sky’s current system; access would mirror the current package of any Virgin Media customer, whilst other programming would be purchasable separately.

There is no confirmation on whether non-Virgin Media customers would be able to benefit from the service, but considering Sky has made its Sky Player available to everyone through the option of mini-subscriptions, it seems likely that Virgin Media would follow suit.

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Electronics manufacturer 3View is following up news of its venture with Sky by taking pre-orders for its new internet-connected Freeview HD box. According to ElectricPig, the new Freeview HD box will have a massive 500GB hard drive and it will include two USB ports. Other benefits such as BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Sky Player are sure to have 3View braced for some excellent sales figures, and some very satisfied ‘Freeviewers’.

The pre-orders begin on April 7th, with buyers looking at a retail price of £299.

Digital Spy has added that 3View’s new box will be “pre-loaded with widgets for Facebook and Twitter”, whilst other widgets will become available at a later date.

3View managing director, John Donavan, said: “We tried to keep the user in mind throughout the whole design process by building a product that we would really want to buy ourselves.”

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Sky has announced that its video on demand service will become available through internet connected TVs and set-top boxes. The satellite giant has struck a deal with LCD TV manufacturer Cello, and set-top box provider 3View, which will see future products from both companies incorporating the Sky Player service.

Whilst Cello launched the UK’s first internet connected TV last year, 3View develops hybrid set-top boxes that merge digital terrestrial television with IPTV (broadband delivered video, or Internet Protocol Television). Sky’s deal with Cello and 3View will ensure that even more UK digital TV viewers will have access to its expansive choice of on demand programming. Cello was the first manufacturer to successfully integrate BBC’s popular iPlayer into its TV sets, whilst 3View has now achieved the same feat.

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Virgin Media has announced plans to utilise telegraph poles in an innovative move that will supply superfast broadband to rural areas, and places out of reach of the fibre-optic cable network. The Berkshire village of Woolhampton will be used in the trial that will enable residents to benefit from broadband speeds of up to 50Mbps.

The lucky villagers will also have the option to enjoy Virgin’s comprehensive digital TV service, with 5,000 hours of content on demand. This includes movies, music and the hugely popular BBC iPlayer.

Through utilising the telegraph poles, Virgin Media expects to increase actual broadband speeds by at least ten-fold, connecting homes directly to its fibre-optic network. This is in response to Ofcom’s report in July last year that average broadband speed was 4.1Mbps.

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