BBC's iPlayer adds support for Firefox

by Jason Harris Feb 2nd 2008

Rumors have been swirling for months that the BBC was going to allow users of their iPlayer service to access the popular player on a computer or platform other than Internet Explorer for Windows. Well today British citizens are part way there as the BBC has announced their support for the Firefox browser. Mac and Linux fans are out of luck as iPlayer still demands Windows, only now you can view iPlayer content in the alternative Firefox Browser.

The popular iPlayer is a service that acts as an on-demand viewer of BBC content. Similar in functionality to a web based TiVo. The BBC is very happy with this new development and proclaimed, "It's good because it's the first real non-Microsoft thing we've been able to do with the download iPlayer".

What's the hold up with bringing iPlayer to Mac and Linux? None other than our old favorite acronym DRM. BBC's iPlayer relies upon Windows Media Player and it's related DRM to enforce the BBC's viewing policies.

Are there any Brits who have used iPlayer? What are your thoughts on the service? Please share in the comments.

[via Afterdawn]

Tags: bbc, drm, iplayer

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Stuart Halliday said 4:58PM on 2-02-2008

Odd. I've been using Firefox for weeks with iPlayer...

It's a nice service, a little bit buggy as sometimes it refuses to play if you skip forward.

The lack of bookmarks is a sore point. some of us UK citzs. would like to stop watching and come back to the same point at a later time.

Philip Morton said 5:05PM on 2-02-2008

Yeah, I've been using iPlayer with Firefox on my Mac for well over a month already. This is nothing new.

john poulter said 5:27PM on 2-02-2008

this is the ability to download the programmes through firefox, not just streaming which is why you can use it on mac etc. iplayer is amazing in my opinion comes in very useful

maryann said 5:31PM on 2-02-2008

lol, I think an old post just got added by mistake. I've also been using iPlayer in both Firefox and Safari on a Mac since Christmas. It doesn't like being in full screen mode for me, but I think that's the fault of my old iBook.

RazorD said 5:53PM on 2-02-2008

Uhm. Definately late with this guys.

This change went live on 25th December (Christmas Day) 2007, and also includes mac and linux users - Anyone with a flash supported browser.

Mark Dean said 5:55PM on 2-02-2008

I think the term n00bs would be approiate here (apart from John)

Basically with Windows you can download the full versions of the program on to your computer, with a decent resoloution. Before you could only download through Internet Explorer due to Active X, but now you can download through Firefox as well.

Get Windows you stupid mac fanboys, it just works with other systems.

keeves said 6:04PM on 2-02-2008

One of the problems i have with the iplayer is that it does not make it at all that it uses p2p as a way of distributing programs... gave me quite a shock when i realised i was sending out 20Gb+ a day over my supposedly 2Gb limited uni account. I doubt many less computer literate people would ever realise this.

thehoodie said 7:41PM on 2-02-2008

I really wish that more TV networks would do stuff like this. It would make the world a better place.

BouncinDave said 8:40PM on 2-02-2008

iPlayer has to be one of those great inventions. Especially for students.

We can now tune into our favourite shows from our laptops! :D

michael said 9:04PM on 2-02-2008

I've had this for quite awhile on IE7. :)

Dave Rock said 8:10AM on 2-03-2008

nothing new here been using bbc iplayer for a while now on firefox, haven't boverd downloading the download manager as it all streams at a ok bit rate, as its British licence payers that paying this service, i don't think it should be available to everyone for free, though ive herd they are planing or making a service for ad support for non British licence payers, bbc do have top class news and (ok entertainment) stop paying the soaps stars so much maybe we have more,better documentarys

Sam said 12:43PM on 2-03-2008

I have been using the BBC IPlayer on linux, using firefox. On mac with Camino, Firefox and Safari, along with one or two random browsers on Linux, Mac, Windows and BSD since IPlayer was launched.

Troy said 2:23AM on 2-04-2008

How can I use I player from Australia?? If there is no way when will it become readily available outside of the UK??

Marky said 12:16PM on 2-04-2008

I've been using Opera to view the iPlayer on OpenSUSE and OSX Leopard since Xmas too. How is this story new?

ignovakovic said 5:41AM on 3-29-2008

I have used iPlayer on a Mac for a while and I keep having many problems. Primarily it seems to short circuit my wireless connection from time to time and when it starts happening then it renders the service unusable as it keeps doing that every 10 minutes or so. I have BT broadband with the white home hub.
Then there are also problems with the streaming at certain points on the day when the traffic seems to build up.

I pay a hefty TV license every year and would like to be able to get more out of this service which to me is more important then the live telly as it gives me the freedom to watch programmes when it suits me. I just wish BBC would make lives of mac users easier even if it meant compromising their DRM security level - as long as the security is same as on TV channel (low) what is the point of making things more complicated in the digital world?????

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