BBC Enters Second Phase Of Web TV Trial
The BBC has begun the second stage of testing for its online TV service, recruiting 5,000 trialists to evaluate the service and provide usage data ahead of a full roll out in the near future.
The service, which was first announced by the Corporation in May, will allow users to view television programmes and listen to radio shows for up to seven days after their original broadcast. The service will also provide live simulcasts of BBC1 and BBC2 (see BBC Media Player Paves Way For Legal TV Downloads).
Operating under the name iMP (integrated Media Player), it is believed that the trial technology will evolve into the Corporation’s MyBBCplayer, unveiled by director general Mark Thompson at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August (see Thompson Announces On Demand Programming From BBC).
Interest in the BBC trial has been high, with around 30,000 people requesting to take part in the Corporation’s testing period. Tony Ageh, BBC controller for internet, said: “This response has been fantastic. There was a sense from the first technical trial that a catch up TV and radio service would be extremely popular with people. This has been confirmed in these numbers; the public have been quick to realise the possibilities that iMP will bring them.
“It has the potential to truly revolutionise the way that people watch and listen to programmes. The BBC will phase roll-out the service to the shortlisted 5,000 over the next fortnight.”
Those taking part in the trial will be given a secure link to download the iMP application to their computers and have been selected as a representative sample of the UK.
The iMP application will enable users to search for programmes across schedules and in some cases collect and watch whole series.
The BBC expects to provide subtitles for downloaded programmes by mid-October and will be monitoring viewing habits and questioning users until the end of the year.
The information gathered will help the BBC Board of Governors to make an ultimate decision on whether to roll out the iMP technology into a fully fledged product for national consumption.
Yesterday saw MediaTel INSIGHT put several new television technologies under the spotlight at a morning seminar held in association with MediaGuardian. The event featured a panel of industry experts discussing the major technological issues facing the television industry, as well as the looming implications for the advertising world (see Emerging Technologies In The TV Marketplace).
MediaTel INSIGHT subscribers can view a complete breakdown of the latest technologies, with current penetration levels, forecasts and implications for the future detailed in the TV Technology Executive Report. Non-subscribers can purchase the report at MediaTel Group.
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk