NEWS: BBC to develop its iPlayer download video service for Apple Macs

By Andy Clough
published

BBC Director General Mark Thompson has confirmed the Corporation will develop its iPlayer online video service for Apple Mac users by the end of 2008.

At the moment Mac users can stream content from the iPlayer, but can't download it to watch later, and this led to controversy when the service was launched last year.

"I hope this good news is evidence of the hard work that the BBC is committing to support other platforms," says Thompson.

At launch, the iPlayer was designed only to work with Windows. It allows users to download a selection of programmes from the last seven days to their PC, and watch them for up to 30 days afterward.

Explaining the decision to launch for just Windows users, Mr Thompson said it had been about "making the service available in the shortest time frame to the greatest amount of users".

Technorati Tags: Apple Mac, BBC, BBC iPlayer, IPTV, PC, streaming

Andy Clough
Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.