The BBC could soon be selling shows – both old and new – to the British public who originally funded the making of this content in the first place. A good idea, but not a wholly moral one.

BBC & The iPlayer

The BBC is responsible for some of the best television content on the planet. Shows such as Doctor Who and Top Gear have millions of fans around the world. And with the iPlayer it also provides one of the best catch-up TV services on the planet too.

However, there is an opportunity being missed here; to sell content to the public after transmission. According to paidContent, the BBC is now developing plans to rectify that situation.

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The BBC has announced plans to release its global iPlayer app on the iPhone and iPod Touch. It is currently an iPad exclusive. More countries will also be added to the list of territories where the global iPlayer app is available.

Global iPlayer App

Pretty much as soon as the BBC rolled out the iPlayer in the U.K. international viewers declared they wanted in, even if it meant paying to watch the shows on offer. The BBC is known and respected around the world, and some of its biggest shows are worldwide hits.

It took a long time to happen, but in July 2011 the global iPlayer app was released in 11 European countries including Germany, Italy, and Spain. The one caveat (other than the price of subscribing) being the need to own an Apple iPad, the only platform the global iPlayer app was available on.

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Life In A Day was a spectacularly well-made look at how different people around the world lived their lives on one day in 2010. But could the same work on a country-specific basis? The BBC intends to find out with Britain In A Day.

Britain In A Day

You will hopefully have watched Life In A Day by now. I’ve watched it twice, once on YouTube and once on the BBC. After it aired on the BBC a trailer for a British-only version was shown. Titled, rather predictably, Britain In A Day.

The BBC is inviting everybody in the U.K. to video themselves on (Saturday) November 12 and upload the results to YouTube. Director Morgan Matthews will then sift through the footage before cutting it into a feature-length documentary film that will be shown on BBC2 prior to the 2012 Olympic Games.

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As an avid user and fan of the BBC iPlayer, and someone who accesses it regularly through a PS3, I’m pleased to see iPlayer for TV getting a much-needed and long-awaited upgrade. This is no paper thin makeover, instead this is a feature-packed update.

BBC iPlayer

The BBC introduced the iPlayer, its magnificent television-on-demand catch-up service, more than three years ago now, and it has grown both in stature and usability massively in that time. Thanks to regular updates it is now intuitive and easy-to-use, yet offers a lot of features.

As well as being available on computers, the iPlayer can be accessed on a wide range of devices, including connected-TV platforms and mobile devices such as the iPad. The latter now has an international version, and the former has been given a plentiful upgrade.

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BBC Worldwide has finally deigned to bring iPlayer to more than just those of us in the U.K. Unfortunately it hasn’t got the licensing in place to bring it to the United States quite yet.

Global iPlayer App

There has been talk of an international version of iPlayer for some time, with viewers in the U.S. being particularly keen on the idea, even though they know they’d have to pay for it.

America is going to have to wait a little while longer (the US, Canada, and Australia are expected to gain the app within months) but 11 European countries have now been blessed with iPlayer for the Apple iPad. This is seen as a year-long experiment to see how successful a wider and longer rollout would prove to be.

For 6.99 Euros-per-month or 49.99 Euros-per-year iPad owners can gain on-demand access to 1,500 hours of content which includes both new and classic shows. Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, and Sherlock are just some of the shows featured.

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Well here’s a turn up for the books. BSkyB, one of the BBC fiercest critics and a former protester against YouView, suddenly wants in on the action alongside other interested media companies. I think I’d tell Murdoch Jr. where to go, personally.

YouView

YouView is the connect TV platform and associated set-top box which was born at the BBC from the ashes of Project Kangaroo. Kangaroo was a joint venture between the main British television networks which would have seen their catch-up services rolled into one. It was killed off by the Competition Commission after complaints from rival broadcasters Virgin Media and BSkyB.

Those same companies also raised objections over YouView, but failed in their bid to see the project halted. And now one of them seems interested in coming on board…

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YouView is turning into a bit of a nightmare, with objections from rival broadcasters, budget concerns, and continual delays. Who can possibly sort this mess out? Lord Alan Sugar, of course, a man known for taking no prisoners.

YouView

YouView is the BBC-backed set-top box and connected-TV platform that rose from the ashes of Project Kangaroo. In essence YouView will combine the existing Freeview with on-demand and social networking elements to bring TV bang up-to-date. If it ever arrives, that is.

February of this year brought news that YouView was being delayed until 2012, possibly even after the Olympic Games in London. For a product that was originally due to be released in 2010, this is bad news, especially as the reasons for the latest delay were “technical problems and rumored discord between the partners.”

Still, there’s always hope, right?

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