The BBC has launched it’s online video service, iPlayer, that allows people to download a wide range of television programs for free from the last week. Viewers can choose from 400 hours of programs, between 60 and 70 percent of the total TV output, including hit shows as Planet Earth. The service, at www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer, is free.

A step by step guide to using the service can be found here.

The programs are stored on the computer to the BBC iPlayer Library, files will then be deleted after viewing or after 30 days. Copyright protection software prevents the copying of shows. This player only works with Windows XP, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player 10 (or later).

Sign up for this free service here.

The BBC will launch its on-demand TV service BBC iPlayer this Friday (27th July 2007), making the software available as an open public beta for the very first time.

The iPlayer allows Windows users to stream programmes for seven days after broadcast, or download them for viewing for up to 30 days. The corporation said today it is working on distribution deals with MSN, Telegraph.co.uk, AOL, Tiscali, Yahoo!, Myspace, Bebo and Blinkx. The development of iPlayer has been beset by controversy over strategy and delays and since it was first announced three years ago, however.

The broadcaster has faced harsh criticism of the service, because it is initially only available for Windows systems, though it doesn’t yet work with Windows Vista. However, the BBC has been ordered to prioritise developing a version of the service which will work with non-Windows systems, principally Mac OS X.

Under instruction from the broadcaster’s governing body, the BBC Trust, the company must develop the service to be “platform-agnostic”, though no time-scale for such development has yet been announced. But the move to support Macs is seen as essential, the BBC confirmed.

“We are committed to making it as easy as possible to use BBC iPlayer. Developing a version for Apple Macs and Microsoft Vista is absolutely on our critical path,” said BBC director of future media and technology, Ashley Highfield.

The BBC has been on the receiving end of some complaints from users of their iPlayer service, the online services that allows users watch and listen to BBC TV & Radio programmes up to 20 days after their original broadcast.

Users have complained to the European Comission that the BBC are in breach of EU anti-trust regulations because the system is currently only compatible with Microsoft technologies, the accusations against the BBC have been made by advocacy group the Open Source Consortium (OSC)

They argue that the iPlayer will force people to use and purchase Microsoft products because it will initially only work on Microsoft Windows computers. This would give the software company an unfair advantage and would be uncompetitive, they say.

The iPlayer makes use of Microsoft’s off-the-shelf Digital Rights Management (DRM) system that means the programmes are deleted after 30 days. All programmes, once downloaded, are only playable within iPlayer or using Window’s Media Player 10 or 11. The DRM also prevents them being copied to other mediums such as DVD.

A statement from the BBC read: “Our ability to deliver this open approach will be influenced by the availability of alternative DRM systems on the market. “In order to maximise public value, the BBC must balance extending access to content with the need to maintain the interests of rights holders and the value of secondary rights in BBC programming. Without a time-based DRM framework the BBC would not be able to meet the terms of the trust’s PVT (Public Value Test) decision.”

However, the OSC argue that DRM-free downloads would be in the “public interest”. “In an ideal world all DRM would be removed,” said Mr Taylor.

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