The BBC has clarified its plans for the release of its Android and iPad-compatible versions of its well-liked iPlayer application – the British Tv and radio service that delivers streaming content to the desktop and mobile devices – in light of a flurry of recent speculation. According to a post on the BBC.co.uk’s Internet blog, the media firm plans to have its new Android and iPad applications in their respective app stores by the end of this week.
There were a few caveats to the use of these new apps, nonetheless. And oddly enough, there was no mention of an iPhone application.
Key Improvements for iPad Users
According to the blog post, which set out to ”make official” the BBC’s plans in this region, the new native app for iPad is a significant improvement over the original iPad expertise – essentially just a website designed for the iPad. The new app takes far better benefit of the touchscreen user interface, says the BBC, which is a well-liked feature on the ”iPad-ified” web site.
Both the iPad app and Android app will supply live Television streams and radio, the latter which was never before accessible to mobile devices.
Mobile users can also access the full BBC catalog of ”catch-up” programs (Television you might have missed), seven days’ worth of Tv and radio on demand and the ”series stacking” feature that’s also accessible on the Web, this last item being a feature that permits viewers to watch older programs from selected series up until the series has ended.
On Android: Froyo-Only, Flash Needed
On Android, the iPlayer app will not be offered for all devices, only on those running the Android 2.2 (”Froyo”) version of the mobile operating program and Adobe Flash 10.1. This is because the player’s Flash streams need ”a effective mobile phone processor and a Wi-Fi connection,” says the BBC.
But as some may keep in mind, an unofficial iPlayer app known as myPlayer had arrived in the Android Marketplace (before being booted out), but it did not need Flash. The speculation is that BBC had to implement the streaming service in Flash since of content provider pressure, not technical requirements. Content providers are concerned about pirating – that very same fear is why the Netflix application for Android has not yet launched either. As stated by Netflix on its blog back in November:
”The hurdle has been the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism offered for Android. The identical security problems that have led to piracy concerns on the Android platform have made it challenging for us to secure a widespread Digital Rights Management (DRM) program on these devices.”
But rumor has it, Netflix isn’t going with a Flash requirement, but has been working with chipset maker Qualcomm on implementing particular technology like SecureMSM to get the Netflix app approved.
Where’s the iPhone App? And What About the Global Audience?
What’s odd about this iPlayer news is that the mobile applications will arrive for Android and iPad, but not the iPhone. For iPhone users, there is still the Apple-friendly HTML5 site. Of course, a native app would have its benefits. So, what’s the status of the iPhone application, every person wants to know? Here, the BBC clarifies nothing.
For those outside the U.K. pining for access to British Television, there is some great news. Even though not addressed via this blog post, BBC.com’s managing director Luke Bradley-Jones told the audience at the Digital Tv Summit that the business will launch a ”global” iPlayer this year whose content would be offered via subscription.
Hopefully, the BBC will consider a native iPhone application for that time, too.