BBC iPlayer iPad App – The Real Review
Today, the BBC iPlayer launched in the UK Apple App Store. I must admit I’ve been using the Beta web version of this app on my iPad for a while now but this brand new dedicated iPad version is really something else. It allows you to watch and listen live to over 400 hours of programs from the past 7 days, this is either TV or radio programs and it works great.
Read this review to learn how to maximize your pleasure with this app.
Home Screen
Firstly and importantly, this app is free, although you are meant to have a UK TV license in order to watch it. So once you have downloaded it you will see the Home Screen, which highlights, visually, specific programs you may like to watch, it also gives three categories to select from at the bottom of the page, TV, Radio and Favorite. You can scroll to the left of the home screen and see further programs with their respective dates that you may like to watch.
Selection
When you select a specific program, such as Madagascar above, the iPlayer also selects similar programs to this that you may like to watch too. If you look at the bottom of the screen you can see Human Planet, Little Human Planet etc. When you click on the Play icon on the actual Madagascar program it starts to play.
There are various options you can choose, such as whether you want to watch the program in high quality or not. If the program is subtitled and you want to use that facility you can select the S icon to incorporate this. The subtitles work well and are color coded to help you identify who is talking.
Search & Categories
If you are looking for a specific genre of program to watch, just select the Search & Categories icon on the top right of the screen. A list will appear, as above, with options like Children’s, comedy, drama, entertainment, films etc.
Selection Process
When you select one of the options, in this case Films, a further menu will show you films from the past 7 days that you may like to watch. Again, it is very simple to use, just select the film by clicking on it, and then press play and again, select options such as volume, high quality and subtitles and then sit back to enjoy it.
Recordings
Some review sites are complaining that you can’t actually record the programs to watch later. This is true but to be honest it would take up a huge amount of the ‘relatively’ small memory of the iPad if you tried to do this and the whole point of this app is more of a ‘catch up’ service.
If you’re not able to watch a program when you want to you can add it to your favorites, by way of a location reminder, and then watch when you do have time. It won’t be saved past seven days so you do have to watch it within that time frame but then it keeps the app fresh with lots of new programs always ready to watch.
Restrictions
If you’re in the UK and have an iPad then you’re laughing all the way to the bank with this one. You can watch as much BBC TV as you can stand or listen or the numerous BBC radio stations, including The Archers, The Chris Moyles Show, The Chris Evans Breakfast Show and many more, all for free, whenever you want to.
If you are in the US then things get a little more complicated as the point with the iPlayer app was that as UK citizens you are already paying for a TV license so can watch programs on this app for free. In the US obviously you are not paying for a BBC TV license so it appears the plan is to make this app a paid for app around June time in the US App Store. So, if you want to get your fix of Top Gear, EastEnders or Casualty the way it was intended to be broadcast and you’re in the US you may just have to wait a little longer. In addition, there is not an iPhone version of this app yet, but again this is imminent and should be with us soon.
Enjoy, what’s not to love?
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
One Comment
Christopher winterbottom
Thank you for a well written article. If I buy an Ipad in the UK and watch it in the US for BBC would that work? Thanks in advnce. Christopher