BBC launches ‘social’ iPlayer
September 6, 2010
The revamped iPlayer service features a new design that makes it easier to find television programmes, personalisation tools, so that users can tailor-make their viewing experience, and social networking integration, to enable Facebook and Twitter.
“A main theme here is personalisation,” said James Hewines, iPlayer product lead. “Simply put, that means a way to get the programmes you love with less clicking. And we wanted to connect BBC iPlayer up with the users’ online interactions with friends – to bring a social dimension to watching and listening.”
The new version of iPlayer features a ‘pop-out’ TV player, so shows play in a separate window, and the process of integrating Facebook and Twitter accounts with iPlayer profiles has been streamlined.
Users can now download a television show before it is broadcast, so that it can be watched immediately after transmission ends without any delay, and can also create a list of ‘favourite’ shows. The site is also integrated with Windows Messenger, enabling users to chat to their friends online while watching the same television show.
More than 1.1 billion minutes of video are watched on iPlayer every month.