BBC Trials Downloading To Freeview Recorders

The BBC has just finished a trial involving the automatic downloading of 50 hours of its programmes on to Freeview digital video recorders.

According to reports in the press, the corporation’s future media and technology director, Ashley Highfield, said in his keynote speech at MipTV in Cannes that such a service on Freeview would be an entry-point for audiences new to on-demand content.

“Its advantage over a personal video recorder is that you don’t have to remember to record your favourite BBC programmes and that at any one moment, in addition to all the linear channels, there is always a freshly-prepared up-to-date carousel of 50 hours of on-demand programmes,” he said.

However, he added using push-VoD to get on-demand programmes was “great”, but still will not fulfil the BBC’s end ambition of one day enabling any viewer to access any BBC programme ever broadcast via their television. “This will require an internet connection,” he said.

Highfield also confirmed the BBC is to start a limited six-month trial of BBC Archive on its website www.bbc.co.uk next month.

He said the purposes of the trial was to inform the BBC’s future proposition for a public service on-demand archive service on the website (subject to approval from the BBC Trust) and to see “where we should draw the line between a licence fee funded service and a commercial service”.

Highfield also highlighted the importance of building relationships if the BBC is to make a success of its planned BBC iPlayer. “Partnerships with platform owners such as Virgin Media and 02 and with ISPs are critical,” he said.

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