BBC iPlayer app for iPhone and iPad to be released in February

Paid Content:UK is reporting that the long-awaited BBC iPlayer app for iPhone and iPad is due to be released at some point late in February, almost a year after the app was first announced. It's expected the app will arrive on the heels of the departure of the BBC's future media and technology director, Erik Huggers, to Intel.

The extremely popular BBC iPlayer, an on-demand BBC program catch-up service for UK residents only, has been available on the iPhone and iPad as a web-app for some time now, but it's widely expected that a native-built iOS app would be unrivaled in performance and features compared to the current web version

What's next on the Apple-loving UK residents' wish list for the iPlayer? A full-blown version for the Apple TV. Although this is very unlikely to happen anytime soon, news of a native iOS iPlayer app is certainly a step in the right direction on the BBC's part.

[Via 3g.co.uk and tipster Cammy Campbell]

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Source: http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-bbcs-iplayer-app-finall…

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Paid Content:UK is reporting that the long-awaited BBC iPlayer app for iPhone and iPad is due to be released at some point late in...

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MikeWard1701

Great news!

I hope that the new app allows you to sign in to manage favourite TV/radio like you can on the iPlayer website from a desktop machine.

At present you have to maintain two separate lists of favourite TV/radio, highly irritating!

Regarding AirPlay and Apple TV, I think AirPlay would be much more useful and easier to implement, but an inbuilt Apple TV app would be convenient when you don't have your iPhone/iPod/iPad to hand.

January 29 2011 at 4:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kevin Davidson

The web version is all HTML5 and works well on iPhone and iPad (bigger screen different layout). Swiping through scroll lists up/down and left/right all works just like a native app. Add it to your homescreen and it fires up as a proper app with no annoying Safari toolbar.

Only downside is that it checks you are using wifi and refuses to run over 3G. Even if you're catching up a radio show.

Will the new app work on 3G? Let you download over wifi and cache programmes for viewing later?

What exactly is the point of the new app?

January 28 2011 at 4:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Craig

Combining this with AirPlay will undoubtedly make iPad/AppleTV the best iPlayer interface currently available.

Let's hope the BBC integrate with the new AirPlay features in 4.3 and set an example for other content providers to follow!

January 28 2011 at 1:54 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

alanhudson

AirPlay support please and I'll never complain about paying my UK TV licence again.

January 28 2011 at 1:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

John.B

Does anyone at the BBC realize (realise?) people outside the UK would pay a monthly subscription fee to get access to this?

January 28 2011 at 12:18 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

5 replies to John.B's comment

William Hook

Looking forward to this. The website is pretty good as is, but it's still a website.

I'm really hoping they'll be able to allow downloads though, that would be fantastic. Perhaps even the ability to sync (perhaps over WiFi) with the BBC iPlayer app on PC/Mac?

January 28 2011 at 12:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

If Airplay is used - there won't need to be an apple tV app. Just trow it from your iphone or iPad

January 28 2011 at 11:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

BigC

Assuming this supports AirPlay (please say it will....) then I won't need a native Apple TV app.

So, my feature list is for AirPlay, local download and play (rather than just streaming) and that's about it.

What we'll probably get is something that lets me share what I'm watching on twitter and Facebook :-(

C.

January 28 2011 at 11:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply