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A new-look BBC iPlayer making television and radio programming available through a single interface will be deployed in beta tomorrow.
The current iPlayer interface, which will continue to run over the next few weeks while the new version is beta tested, provides access to television shows on demand but does not fully integrate the BBC's radio services into the same interface. The new version will provide access to live radio and audio on demand through a single, consistent player.
"The next generation of BBC iPlayer allows UK licence fee payers to catch up on their favourite BBC TV and radio programmes in one place - a completely unique on-demand service," said Erik Huggers, group controller for future media and technology at the BBC. "Audiences are now able to experience the full range of BBC content - some 250 TV programmes currently available each week as well as all the BBC radio networks - in a new and more accessible way, and all for free."
Huggers noted that the deployment of the newly-integrated service comes approximately one year after the first iteration of iPlayer - in a download-only, Windows-only guise - made its beta debut. Describing it as a "fantastic success story" for the BBC, he revealed that 100m videos have been streamed since the Flash streaming component of iPlayer had its full consumer launch on December 25, 2007, and added that today's announcement represented a further step towards the BBC's goal of making "iPlayer the place where you can find all of the BBC's television and radio programming".
The next-generation iPlayer will sport a redesigned interface aimed at providing audiences with much quicker access to key television and radio content. Navigation has been moved from the left-hand side of the screen to the top, permitting the entire central screen area to be used for show links and, on player pages, a larger 640 pixel wide video screen. The homepage will present two carousels of 16 programmes each, one for television and one for radio. Underneath that will be vertically-oriented panels showing key catch-up links, the most popular television and radio programmes, and a new cookie-based "last played" feature where users can see a list of recently-viewed content and resume watching programmes they have yet to fully complete.
Navigation by categories, channels and A-Z remain as drilldown options, but will offer the option to combine television and radio or browse the video and audio offerings separately. A new drilldown option offering a TV schedule-like page, allowing viewers to plan their viewing around if and when content will be made available online, will also be included.
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