BBC brings iPlayer to the fourth-gen Apple TV in the UK
The BBC has brought its online streaming service, iPlayer, to U.K. owners of the fourth-generation Apple TV thanks to a promised app.
The app sports a look consistent with tvOS, and live streams of BBC channels as well as on-demand video. Access is restricted to the U.K. as a free perk for the country's TV license fee payers.
Different menu layers let users see highlights, popular choices, and show/genre picks, as well as switch between channels.
In October the BBC briefly hinted that iPlayer would be coming to the Apple TV, but at the time said only that it would arrive in "the coming months." The debut is particularly notable since previous Apple TV models lacked an iPlayer app, even if people could get around this to a degree by using AirPlay in the iOS client.
The fourth-gen set-top launched in late October. Since then the number of tvOS apps has grown rapidly, topping over 2,624 as of Dec. 3. Another recent media provider to jump on board was Pandora.
The app sports a look consistent with tvOS, and live streams of BBC channels as well as on-demand video. Access is restricted to the U.K. as a free perk for the country's TV license fee payers.
Different menu layers let users see highlights, popular choices, and show/genre picks, as well as switch between channels.
In October the BBC briefly hinted that iPlayer would be coming to the Apple TV, but at the time said only that it would arrive in "the coming months." The debut is particularly notable since previous Apple TV models lacked an iPlayer app, even if people could get around this to a degree by using AirPlay in the iOS client.
The fourth-gen set-top launched in late October. Since then the number of tvOS apps has grown rapidly, topping over 2,624 as of Dec. 3. Another recent media provider to jump on board was Pandora.
Comments
Probably because of licensing. The BBC does not produce all of its content in-house. It would be a much reduced product outside of the U.K., or whole new licensing agreements would need to be reached.
Plus, there are organizational challenges. iPlayer is a BBC TV product, but BBC TV only operates in the UK, outside is a whole different entity, BBC Worldwide. They are both owned by the Corp, but are very different organizations, as BBC TV is not for profit, whereas BBC Worldwide is a more regular commercial company. Also, the entire organization operates under a Charter, because of the way it is funded and governed, which limits it by law in what it is able to do.
The previous attempt to rollout a Global iPlayer got canned, probably for these reasons.
It's not a simple "they should just do it".
I would think that quite a few people own Apple TV 3s, and they're not going away anytime soon.
This is just the colo(u)r for that particular page - red distinguishing bbc one from other channels when browsing by channel. Most of the interface will be the iPlayer dark grey background with pink accents.
Good to see this arrive. I'm sure that previous Apple TVs would have sold better in the UK with more local content like this.
It would have been extremely successful if a small amount was asked per episode or view.
No choice? I can choose not to watch it, and I can choose not to pay. Currently I can even choose to watch it and not pay, and that's completely ok.
BBC iPlayer is free for everybody in the UK and has no adverts. A lot of UK TV, including BBC channels and Freeview, is 'free' providing you pay the £145 TV license which is required to watch any form of live broadcast TV, regardless of its source. Providing you don't watch anything live on BBC iPlayer and only watch catchup content - even just an hour old, there's no obligation to buy a TV license. I know people that only BBC iPlayer and nothing else.
The main reason for its popularity though is the fantastic content, covering a vast range of genres - documentaries, dramas, comedies, music, politics, entertainment etc.
BBC iPlayer is available on pretty much every device and service already, including iPod, iPad, iPhone, Sky satellite receiver, BT Vision, YouView, Virgin cable etc. and widely watched by kids, teenagers and adults.
Access is restricted to UK IP addresses for licensing reasons, as described above.
Having BBC iPlayer on Apple TV isn't likely to make people rush out an buy it but it does fill an odd gap - it's absence was inexplicable.
That's the "skinny content" that most people need in Blighty, nobody would need to buy cable subscription channels anymore.
Red is a great colour, its in both the English, Welsh, Northern Irish flags and in the Union Jack (British flag). Or are you saying because red is in the USA flag that the states is communist?
Plus for BBC 1 screen idents inbetweeners, its warm and friendly.
Ruling out not owning a TV (certainly a choice but my point), I don't follow. From the TV licensing site:
"You need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch or record programmes as they're being shown on TV or live on an online TV service. This is the case whether you use a TV, computer, tablet, mobile phone, games console, digital box, DVD/VHS recorder or any other device."
How do you watch and not pay?