BBC getting ready for iPhone/iPlayer? Update - Beta

[breadesign]

was just looking at the new BBC home page source and noticed an interesting line of code in the metatags...

<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/home/beta/iphone_icon.png"/>

the 'icon' itself is a bbc logo, but it doesn't appear to be on the main page itself... it might be a precursor to the iplayer content for the iPhone or even an iPhone specific page that they are preparing... (I read somewhere on here that this was planned)

what can it mean?

 

[alFR]

It means they've put a webclip icon in place for their homepage, that's all.

 

[arkitect]

Isn't that the icon that appears if you make a web link on the iPhone?

I hope it means more… but…

 

[sadsack]

Isn't that the icon that appears if you make a web link on the iPhone?

I hope it means more… but…

Well the bbc.co.uk/iplayer site is down right now. So maybe they are linking up with Apple today to launch iphone streaming.

 

[arkitect]

It was down for maintenance last week and the week before as well…

But here's hoping today is the day.

Edit:
iPlayer site is back online. The wait goes on!

 

[ert3]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

yeah they have actually had that home screen icon for a while now.

 

[sparkyms]

It would have been more telling if the icon was on the iPlayer page, rather than the BBC home page..

 

[donnie3000]

iPlayer iPhone Beta site!

Navigate to the iPlayer site on an iPhone now and the front page shows a little pink label in the corner stating 'Beta BBC iPlayer for iPhone'

I've clicked on a few programmes, but it just comes up with 'Sorry, ______ is not available Please select another programme and try again' it no longer says you need flash!!!!

 

[arkitect]

Looks like progress.

Also if you save as a webclip it has a little iPlayer icon.

 

[dalvin200]

Navigate to the iPlayer site on an iPhone now and the front page shows a little pink label in the corner stating 'Beta BBC iPlayer for iPhone'

I've clicked on a few programmes, but it just comes up with 'Sorry, ______ is not available Please select another programme and try again' it no longer says you need flash!!!!

yup.. just tried it.. but like you, no programmes are available yet..

 

[Hudzilla]

yup.. just tried it.. but like you, no programmes are available yet..

Try again at around 6pm UK time tonight!

 

[arkitect]

Try again at around 6pm UK time tonight!

Do you know something we don't?

Ahhhhh… *lightbulb* maybe linked to Apple's SDK announcement ~ 6'ish UK time?

 

[sparkyms]

sweet, ill take back my comment then. haha.

 

[Pennine]

Wonder if it's going to cost us anything

 

[The Phazer]

Wonder if it's going to cost us anything

It'll be free for seven days after broadcast, same as the Flash version.

Phazer

 

[Pennine]

It'll be free for seven days after broadcast, same as the Flash version.

Phazer

I mean will we have to purchase an app of I Tunes ?
or will it just work

 

[The Phazer]

I mean will we have to purchase an app of I Tunes ?
or will it just work

No, it should just be Safari based AFAIK.

iPlayer is run by the public service BBC rather than BBC Worldwide, so they can't charge for an app under UK law if there is one, but I think it's very unlikely they'll be one.

I should note that as far as I'm aware the beta isn't supposed to launch until the last week of April and people shouldn't get their hopes up, but it's possible it'll be sooner and it's just been kept *very* secret.

Phazer

 

[arkitect]

I mean will we have to purchase an app of I Tunes ?
or will it just work

Right now it is anyone's guess as to what will happen.

However judging by the way the iPlayer site functions right now it would seem no extra purchase would be necessary and it will "just work".

 

[The Phazer]

What is worth noting is that the iPlayer page now has it's own "BBC iPlayer" webclip icon, and it's different to the rest of the BBC site...

Phazer

 

[Pennine]

What is worth noting is that the iPlayer page now has it's own "BBC iPlayer" webclip icon, and it's different to the rest of the BBC site...

Phazer

What do you mean " it's different ?"

 

[arkitect]

What do you mean " it's different ?"

It is different to the icon used for the main BBC site.
This icon is specifically for the iPlayer.

 

[Pennine]

It is different to the icon used for the main BBC site.
This icon is specifically for the iPlayer.

Yeah see what you mean "cool "

 

[redgaz26]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A102 Safari/419.3)

this looks brilliant. Surely this will be up and running tonight. There not going to have the iPhone beta sign up and not have it up and running!!!
I take it us Brits will be the only ones who can watch stuff. And will it work on edge?????

 

[joshysquashy]

I think this should be on either the front page or page 2!

I'm confident this will be comming soon, screenshots held as evidence!

How exciting!

In the screenshots you see:
1. iPlayer Page
2. Closeup on new iPhone tag
3. iPlayer Bookmarklet
4. This flashes up momenteraly whilst loading, but it isn't flash - that wouldn't show up, it is either an image placeholder, or it is some other technology!
5. Video page fully loaded, doesn't mention flash. It is as if the content is not yet available! They just need to upload it in this new version, presumably H.264 Quicktime (mpeg).

 

[Pennine]

Edge????????