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In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash Installed. Visit 麻豆社 Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.Back in April I explained how the 麻豆社 was shifting up a gear to get 麻豆社 iPlayer onto more TV screens, taking our popular on demand product beyond the PC and back to TV鈥檚 natural home. Today I鈥檓 delighted to return to tell you about the launch of a completely new version of 麻豆社 iPlayer for TV that鈥檚 much more fitting for this increasingly important audience. This one feels more like TV, is easier to use and is more personal.
Gideon Summerfield demonstrates the new iPlayer on connected TVs in the 麻豆社's Blue Room
Soon after we launched the 麻豆社 iPlayer website, we recognised an opportunity to bring the full richness of our on demand service directly to the TV, initially via the Web browsers that were being introduced on the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation3 games consoles. Believe it or not, it was nearly three years ago we first launched what we then called the 鈥淏ig Screen鈥 version of 麻豆社 iPlayer, adapting the website at the time to work on a TV screen.
Since then we have been working closely with the consumer electronics industry to get this product onto what is now a staggering 300 different models of TV device, including BluRay disc players; set-top boxes, media streamers and Smart TVs (what we used to call Connected TVs). With , the time is right to introduce a new version with a simpler, more TV-like experience.
You can tell, just by looking at it, that this is a TV product. We have returned to the 麻豆社鈥檚 long TV design heritage to create a visually rich user interface that delivers a high impact from the sofa. Every piece of content and function can be easily reached using just the four direction and Enter keys found on any TV remote.
As well as eliminate the sort of complicated page navigation that often comes with services that originate on the Web, we have minimised other limitations of TV devices. One example is how we鈥檙e bundling up episodes of the same programme to cut down lists and avoid scrolling. We鈥檝e also improved availability messaging. No longer will you waste time hunting for a programme which, , will not be coming to 麻豆社 iPlayer. We鈥檒l flag up if content is expiring soon so you鈥檒l never again have to miss a great 麻豆社 show.
Personalisation is a great tool to bring the most relevant nearer. If you鈥檝e already started watching something, you鈥檒l find it right there at the top level, under Last Played. We know searching is the preferred way to find content for many people and if you鈥檝e successfully searched for something before you don鈥檛 need to type it in again: its there under Previous Searches. But even if you haven鈥檛 searched for a programme before, the process is now a lot more intuitive. Results start to pop up quickly, based on any part of the title, taking into account factors like popularity and typing errors.
We鈥檝e also brought 麻豆社 iPlayer Favourites to the TV. Compiling a list of shows that you like best has proven popular on the PC and we think it will be appreciated even more on TV where getting around is that bit harder.
Wherever we can, we鈥檝e tried to avoid the need to run the entire length of the browsing process, such as the ability to with just one click find related shows and access your Favourites while you鈥檙e watching something else. It鈥檚 the on-demand equivalent of channel flipping.
While it may not look anything like a website, what we are unveiling today - initially on the PS3 games console - is built using the same technology: HTML and Javascript. The increasing use of standards for playing media, such as and (both elements of the the for hybrid TV devices in the UK) is making it easier for us to roll this out more widely. So, expect to see it come to other devices in the coming months. We鈥檙e also building a variant that will work on new TV devices that are integrating the latest technology from Adobe: Flash 10.x and Air 2.x.
In addition to helping to make development easier we think building standard products on these two widely understood technologies will be able to address the majority of connected TV devices that we see our audience buying for their homes. This way we can bring this new more TV-like, easy and personal 麻豆社 iPlayer experience to the TVs of more and more of the UK鈥檚 living rooms.
Gideon Summerfield is the Executive Product Manager, 麻豆社 iPlayer TV.
His team is part of Dave Price's TV & iPlayer department within Daniel Danker's Future Media Programmes & On-Demand group.
| 17:16 UK time, Tuesday, 30 August 2011
