The BBC has unveiled a sneak preview of iPlayer 2.0, a major update to its catch-up service, which will launch in beta soon. The new version introduces a combined TV and radio interface, personalised features, and improved video quality.
Key changes include a unified page for TV and radio content, allowing users to browse comedy, drama, and other genres across both mediums. Users can also filter by TV only or radio only. The site now remembers previously played programmes and resumes playback from where users left off. New episodes of watched shows will automatically appear in the 'Last Played' widget.
A full schedule view indicates which programmes are available on iPlayer, coming soon, or not scheduled due to licensing. A dedicated widget simplifies catching up on the previous night's TV. Every page now offers RSS feeds, including for search queries, enabling users to receive alerts for favourite shows.
Video quality has been upgraded to a larger playback window of 640 pixels. The beta version is now available for testing. The BBC states that the new dynamic-page-rendering architecture allows for personalisation and adaptation to different display sizes, addressing limitations of the previous static platform.
