The BBC has done wonders with the iPlayer up to now, but it must be hoping the new interface and set of features – which are mostly built around social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter – take the service to the next level.
BBC iPlayer
The BBC iPlayer has been with us for almost three years now, and in that time it has served up content from the BBC’s TV channels to anyone who wants to watch them on demand. As long as they’re resident in the U.K. obviously.
The iPlayer has grown in popularity by a massive amount during its lifetime, with the turn of the year seeing more than 100 million requests.
There are ways the iPlayer could be improved, as is the case with all services. And the BBC has been working hard to deliver a new update which taps into the power of the Web in a bigger and better way.
iPlayer 3.0 Goes Live
The third version of the iPlayer was first teased in March and then entered beta testing in May. At that stage anyone could access the new-look iPlayer in order to report bugs and give feedback to the people charged with managing the site.
BBC iPlayer 3.0 has now gone live, with the site being switched over in its entirety. So what’s changed?
The basic layout has been changed so that it’s much more dynamic. A new ‘Featured’ section suggests shows for you to watch, while the ‘Most Popular’, ‘Channels’, and ‘Categories’ sections given a face lift.
The biggest improvement is in terms of personalization. After registering for a BBC ID, users can choose their favorite shows, add particular categories, and get recommendations via the new ‘For You’ section.
Conclusions
In some ways the site is more confusing than it was previously. But that’s only because there are new features that have been added to the mix.
I’ll be reviewing the new iPlayer once I’ve had time to use it extensively.
