Five has finally introduced a full catch-up TV service to its website, the last of the major UK broadcasters to do so. Demand Five features a mix of free on demand content, rental and purchase options. The broadcaster previously limited its online portfolio to a handful of episodes from US series such as CSI.
The RTL-owned broadcaster has chosen a mix of free and pay options for its site, as opposed to terrestrial rival ITV, which runs a model that is largely ad supported.
Programmes ordered through the rental option must be downloaded within 14 days. The purchaser then has 48 hours to watch back the programme. There are no restrictions on how many times the programme is watched within the 48-hour period.
Five is using the Windows Media Format, which automatically bars Apple Mac users from using the site, though trailers can still be viewed because these are presented in Flash.
