iPlayer

Six 'iPlayer' stories December 2011 - April 2016

BBC launches iPlayer Kids, a child-friendly version of its popular iPad app

Ben Lovejoy Apr 12 2016 - 5:14 am PT

iplayer-kids

British parents have long known that handing your kids an iPad full of children’s TV shows is a good way to keep them ~~quiet for a while~~ appropriately entertained and informed. The BBC has made that job even easier today by launching a special iPlayer Kids app. The iPad app, which has a user-interface suitable for young children, features only age-appropriate TV shows.

The new child-friendly app is safe and easy to use. With over 10,000 episodes being made available this year alone, it has all of BBC Children’s world-class content in one place, allowing kids to discover and enjoy both new and old CBeebies and CBBC favourites including Wolfblood, Blue Peter, The Dumping Ground, Topsy & Tim and Go Jetters.

Each child in the family creates their own profile, complete with their age and a cartoon character to represent them, and the app them automatically filters the shows offered.

Pre-school children (under five) are only shown CBeebies content, while children over five are shown both CBBC and CBeebies content (customised to be suitable for their age).

The BBC says it created the app in recognition of the fact that children’s programs are the most popular genre watched through iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer iOS app updated to support Spotlight search and Handoff between devices

Ben Lovejoy Feb 5 2016 - 5:53 am PT

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The BBC has updated its iPlayer app for iOS to support Spotlight searches and allow Handoff between devices.

Spotlight support means that you to search for BBC TV shows by swiping down from the homescreen, while Handoff allows you to seamlessly pick up where you left off when switching between devices. The BBC notes that it has also fixed a nasty bug.

In addition to all that good stuff, we’ve also included a fix for a particularly nasty crash on launch, and last but not least, you can now find an entire catalogue of iPlayer programmes for a channel via the A-Z option in the channel page.

The iPlayer app made it onto Apple TV back in December.

BBC iPlayer is a free download from iTunes, but licensing restrictions means that content is limited to UK viewers.

BBC iPlayer coming to the new Apple TV

Cam Bunton Oct 29 2015 - 2:08 am PT

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Fellow Britons, the wait is almost over. iPlayer is finally making its way to the Apple TV. The BBC announced via its official Twitter handle that its popular catch-up and live-streaming service is making its way to the brand new Apple TV in the coming months. The company didn’t confirm exactly when the iPlayer app for new Apple TV would arrive, and from the looks of things, it won’t be coming to the current Apple TV. Although it doesn’t say explicitly that iPlayer won’t be coming to the 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TVs, the fact it states ‘new Apple TV’ suggests pretty strongly that it will only be on the new, 4th gen model.

[tweet https://twitter.com/BBCiPlayer/status/659641075624226816 align=’center’]

For UK Apple TV owners, the lack of a native iPlayer app has been a constant source of frustration. Right now, customers are forced to use AirPlay from their iPhones or iPads if they want to view iPlayer content on their Apple TVs. Once the app launches for tvOS, we’ll be able to put our iPhones and iPads down, and just watch great programming right from the Apple TV. More important than the convenience is that we’ll undoubtedly save precious battery life.

Watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup on your iPhone or iPad

Jordan Kahn Jun 12 2014 - 1:25 pm PT

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World-Cup-BBC The 2014 FIFA World Cup is officially kicking off today and, while Google might have you covered for updates through search or Google Now, you’ll need one of a few other iOS apps if you plan on streaming live audio or video of all the upcoming games. Head below for our full list of options for video and audio including options for both those in the US and abroad. Most on the list below have streams on TV and online, but you’ll need to download some apps if you want to tune in on your iPhone or iPad:

US: For video you’ll need to download the WatchESPN apps, which will require you to sign into a supported cable provider to access all 64 games being streamed live on the network. That includes streams in English, Portuguese and Korean, but for a Spanish broadcast Univision has streams also available through its app for iPhone and iPad. Support cable providers for Univision include AT&T, Bright House, DirecTV, Optimum, Cox, Dish, Time Warner Cable and Verizon.

If audio will suffice, iTunes Radio is live streaming games from the ESPN station and TuneIn Radio is aggregating all 64 games from ESPN Radio in its iPhone and iPad app.

UK: The BBC and ITV will be broadcasting the games in the UK, which will also be available in their iOS apps including the iPlayer BBC app and the ITV Player app for iPhone and iPad.

Australia: SBS On Demand will have the games to watch in its iOS apps for Australia, but it doesn’t appear to be offering live streams.

Canada: CBC has all 64 games live through its iOS app and doesn’t require users to sign into a cable provider.

A full list of who has broadcasting rights in which countries this year is here. If there are streams in your country, they will likely be through the broadcaster’s iOS app. FIFA has a full match schedule on its website here.

Apps & updates: Podcasts, AutoCAD WS, Opera Mini, BBC iPlayer, more

Jordan Kahn Jul 25 2012 - 12:07 pm PT

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We already had a number of updates to Apple’s own apps today, including iWork for iOS, Apple Remote Desktop, iTunes U, Xcode 4.4, Safari 6, and OS X Server, but below is our usual list of popular apps and updates hitting the store today:

Update: Apple has now updated its Podcasts app with the expected bug fixes. Release notes below:

What’s New in Version 1.0.1

Podcasts 1.0.1 provides a number of improvements, including:

• Significant improvements to performance and stability
• Podcasts in your library now show the number of unplayed episodes
• Top Stations now show the podcast title if artwork is missing
• Playback speed is now remembered when playing the next episode
• Fix for a problem where the Subscribe button is inactive
• Resolution of an issue where Top Stations artwork may not appear

Podcasts: If you have experienced issues with Apple’s Podcasts iOS app that released last month, as many have, you will be happy to know Apple plans to release an update today that brings a number of fixes to common bugs. According to a report from AllThingsD, “Apple has been hard at work tweaking the app to fix the problems that currently plague it” and the update expected today should “vastly improve it.”

AutoCAD WS version 1.5: Autodesk’s app for viewing, editing, and sharing AutoCAD drawings on iOS devices was updated today with two new “powerful collaboration tools that transform design creation, review, and approval into a social experience.” The two features include:

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BBC iPlayer app lands on iPhone and iPod touch with 3G streaming

Jordan Kahn Dec 12 2011 - 6:49 am PT

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We heard at the beginning of the month that BBC’s iPlayer iPad app would be getting an iPhone and iPod touch version in the coming weeks and today the app has officially landed for UK users. To accompany the release, the app will also be able to stream content over all 3G networks and now officially supports AirPlay on iOS 5.

The company’s blog post notes a ‘Live Channels’ feature will allow you to quickly switch between BBC channels just like on radio and TV, and all BBC national radio stations support background audio for multitasking. They have also made improvements to streaming by introducing HTTP Live Streaming using adaptive bitrate technologies, allowing the app to adjust your streaming quality based on your connection speed. The web version of the app accessible at bbc.co.uk/iplayer will also soon get 3G streaming capabilities.
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