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BBC launches online video services

The BBC's flagship online TV service will allow viewers to download their favorite programs from the last seven days.

Thanks to the huge popularity of YouTube, a whole generation is being weaned away from TV altogether and getting entertainment and news from social networks. To retain eyeballs, television networks have found it sensible to go online with their content.

According to Screen Digest data, 520.2 million pieces of content were streamed online in 2006, of which a majority was free-to-view. It forecasts this will leap to 2.3 billion by 2011.

Though delayed a bit, BBC has launched its flagship online TV service (a BBC spokeswoman attributed the delay to a Public Value Test, ordered by the corporation’s regulators). The service will offer viewers the chance to download their favorite programs from the last seven days with the BBC iPlayer. Some TV series can be downloaded and stored for 30 days and viewers will be able to watch shows streamed live over the Internet.

BBC director general Mark Thompson claims the launch of iPlayer is as big a milestone as the arrival of colour TV. However, open-source advocates are decrying the iPlayer, since it will only be compatible on PCs with the Windows XP operating system. Therefore the BBC Trust has told the corporation to widen access to iPlayer as soon as possible and has ordered a review every six months.

[ Via news.bbc ]