The Beeb’s confirmed that announced it’s offering high-definition content over their hugely popular BBC iPlayer service. This will offer an experience with twice the quality compared to the previous version of the iPlayer.
Shows due for the iPlayer HD experience include Doctor Who, Kerwhizz and Dragons Den.
The updated iPlayer makes use of adaptive bitrate technology and speed diagnostics to optimise the viewing experience based on the bandwidth available. There’s also a resizable window which allows users to switch between different quality streams. From what we’ve been told, the new high-definition streams will be provided in 720p, 3200kbps (H.264).
Broadband users should note that streaming or downloading high-definition content will affect your broadband download allowance – an issue if your broadband service has a capped monthly download allowance.
