BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

I love the BBC iPlayer function on my V Box and use it a lot, but I'm surprised that BBC radio is not included. Of course you can get "listen again iPlayer" on the computer, but sometimes it would be more convenient to have it on the TV menu.

Anyone know if this is being considered? :(

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

I hope it does. I think it would make an excellent addition to the on demand section.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

You're probably best off asking on one of the appropriate BBC blogs. There are iPlayer ones and people who work in tech in the BBC that would probably be able to tell you. I would imagine that the answer may be no though and that requests would be swamped out by the other addition people want to iPlayer on all platforms of high definition.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

I seem to remember it being a rights issue (as with the Olympics).

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

Why would a BBC blog know what VM plan to offer in the future? BBC radio is already available on iPlayer (no longer "listen again"), http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ so why not add it to the cable TV service too?

Also, ITV have a catch-up on demand service which is not yet available on VM.

Am I missing something? please excuse my ignorance if I'm being a donut! :dozey:

_JM

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

Why not, seems a perfectly credible suggestion to me? Virgin Media has been mentioned in the blogs before http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcintern...acking_on.html . Radio catch up existed before iPlayer, it's in there now. If they port it to VM or other platforms there will be people like this guy, someone somewhere working on it to make it happen. I would try there as the chances of being told something by virgin media themselves are practically zero.

Five have signed a deal for some kind of vod on BT Vision. Doesn't mean we'll get that either immediately. I expect we will get these services but they could be anything upto a few years away.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

The BBC iPlayer red button app is, AFAIK, written and maintained by the BBC, so, yes, they would be in a position to know what they will be offering on it in future.

As for why Radio is not on there, well, it could be a variety of reasons. It may not be technically feasible for the BBC to do it, or there may be licencing issues preventing it.

Having said that, I don't know what the reason is.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

@demented & Stuart C: Thanks for clarifying, I guess I'll just have to be patient then :(

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

the content of the menus may be written and maintained by the BBC, but the mechanism that plays the videos (and the media library from which it is played out) is the Virgin Media video on demand platform, which is supplied by SeaChange.

The reason why radio isn't supported is that the timing signal for the SeaChange VoD platform is carried in the video track - therefore it cannot play on demand standalone audio.

One option you may consider for standalone audio on demand is a Reciva compatible internet radio. I bought one for £35 that plugs into my hifi (It's a Logic IRMA-1, IIRC) that allows me to access on demand from the BBC.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

There's a relatively easy way around that. Send a video signal (even if it's just a blank screen or station logo).

---------- Post added at 11:04 ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 ----------

However, at some point, the BBC will provide the content. Therefore, they would be in a position to know what will be available in future..

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

It's not quite that simple - it would need to be tied and timed to the audio, not just a dummy carrier signal. This would introduce a substantial post processing load to the radio signal - I guess there isn't a huge demand for it, to offset the effort required?

---------- Post added at 11:13 ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 ----------

not sure what you are trying to say here - the BBC do NOT control, provide, support or maintain the video on demand platform. They are just a content provider. For much of the live stuff (like news) they don't even "provide" the content, it is captured from the broadcast feed and then post processed to add the iPlayer / BBC idents.

The BBC cannot play standalone audio content on the Virgin Media platform.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

Probably.. Although if the BBC themselves do the encoding (as they do for other iPlayer versions), then the way they have set up their server farm (as I understand it), it wouldn't actually be much effort.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

That's interesting, where did you buy it? Amazon UK are showing it as "currently unavailable".

I have also been thinking about investing in the Logitech Squeezebox, which would deal with playing my mp3 files as well as internet radio, but it is fairly expensive for what it is, any alternartive ideas for this? there seems to be a massive gap in the market at present.

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

I bought it about a year ago in Currys - it's the same as the Logik IR100 but without speakers (hence it needs to be attached to my hifi). I use it for streaming MP3's as well, but not as much as I thought I would, as I have really enjoyed the internet radio capability.

I'm no expert on the other internet radios / audio streamers - there is a good list of those that are reciva compatible here: http://www.digitalradiotech.co.uk/in...net_radios.php

and the IR 100 is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logik-IR-100...1248010&sr=8-1

Re: BBC iPlayer - is radio coming?
 

Thanks for the links, although I have looked at some of these already, there are a few I haven't seen before. Like you, I want something I can plug into my existing hifi. The IRMA-1 would have been worth looking at but it seems that nobody is selling it at the moment.

I'll probably end up getting the squeezebox duet as it gets lots of good reviews, and I like that it has a display on the remote. It's pricey for what it does, but maybe it's worth it if it ends up having the least amount of annoying features. :confused: