BBC iPlayer adds HD content

Programming from the BBC HD channel have been added to the BBC iPlayer. Included are the three 2009 Doctor Who specials, the new series of Dragons’ Den, children’s show Kerwhizz, the BBC’s revival of classic sitcom The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin starring Martin Clunes and daytime drama Moving On, executive produced by Jimmy McGovern.

Programmes can be streamed for a period of seven days or downloaded within the seven-day period to be viewed up to 28 days after the original transmission.

Alongside the introduction of HD content, the BBC has also made higher streams of standard definition content available, using its new resizable media player that has previously only been accessible by signatories to BBC iPlayer Labs. Adaptive bitrate technology has been introduced to assist in the delivery of a constant video stream.

“Introducing BBC HD and other higher quality streams enables users to enjoy BBC programmes in HD without a set-top box, and also marks a significant milestone in boosting video quality over BBC iPlayer,” said Anthony Rose, Controller, BBC FM&T Vision & Online Media Group. “Alongside this, the new adaptive bitrate technology and speed diagnostics page help optimise the viewing experience, while the resizable window gives users flexibility to switch between different quality streams, hopefully leading to a more satisfying experience overall.”

The new large window size allows video streams to be provided in almost twice the standard of the previous High Quality format, which now becomes the default in the smaller playback window.