BBC iPlayer launch date named

The BBC has announced that its iPlayer, an on-demand service, will launch on 27 July. The iPlayer service will allow you to catch up with BBC programmes you may have missed or wish to see again. You will be able to download the programmes for free and watch them within a time limit of 30 days. Jana Bennett, director of BBC Vision, said: "This is a significant moment, as it heralds a new era when viewers will have the freedom to watch programmes from the BBC's linear TV channels when they want. "It's a revolutionary service which offers audiences more value, because from now on they never have to miss out on their favourite programmes – or those that they didn't previously have the opportunity to try," said Bennett. But criticism surrounding the impact the service will have on competition in the market has begun already. The Open Source Consortium (OSC), a body that promotes the use of open source software, has written to industry watchdog Ofcom, and the BBC Trust questioning the BBC's decision to tie the service to Microsoft's Windows Media Player. OSC Chief Executive Iain Roberts said: "It is very disturbing that the BBC should be using licence payers' money to affect the operating system market in this way. "Imagine if the BBC were to launch new digital channels, but only make them available on a certain make of television - there would be uproar," Roberts continued. The OSC believes that Ofcom and the BBC Trust, which had already undertaken a market assessment of the service to ensure that it would be in keeping with the BBC's role as a public service broadcaster, have made a big mistake in giving the project the green light. However, the BBC's Ashley Highfield attempted to play down the OSC's concerns and emphasised that it aimed to make the iPlayer available on as many platforms as possible. "We are committed to making it as easy as possible to use BBC iPlayer. Developing a version for Apple Macs and Microsoft Vista is absolutely on our critical path," he said. "We're also committed to making it available on the television screen, which is why we are delighted to be working with Virgin Media towards a launch on cable later this year," said Highfield. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer www.opensourceconsortium.org

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