BBC iPlayer For Mac And Linux

By Digital Trends Staff December 18, 2008

BBC iPlayer For Mac And Linux

The BBC’s iPlayer is incredibly successful in Britain, reportedly responsible for 10% of bandwidth as people stream or download programs they’ve missed on the company’s channels since its debut in July 2007.

But those with using Macs or Linux have only been able to stream shows.

iPlayer users can stream shows for seven days after they’ve been aired, or download them, which offers them 30 days in which to watch the program before it disappears.

The new version, which the BBC created with Adobe, is known as BBC iPlayer Desktop, and uses Adobe’s AIR technology. The beta version was released yesterday and a full version should appear in February.

The BBC has also been working with Velocix to address the bandwidth problem, which ISPs claim has been straining networks. It will put servers in ISPs to cache the most popular iPlayer programs so they can be streamed from within the ISP’s network.

The BBC’s head of digital media technology, Anthony Rose, said:

"The BBC is not building its own content delivery network. But we can help move the market in this area."

Editors' Recommendations

Digital Trends Staff

Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…

Computing

The 5 best iMac alternatives in 2024

Best iMac Alternatives

The iMac is potentially one of the most well-known all-in-one desktops and probably launched the whole concept of having a full desktop tower contained in a tiny little thin device. Of course, the issue with going with an iMac is that you have to be in the Apple ecosystem, or you'll have to pay a pretty penny to get one of the newer iMacs. Luckily, the all-in-one market has boomed in the last few years, and there are a lot of great alternatives outside of Apple that you can pick from. To that end, we've gone out and scoured all the major manufacturers out there and found our favorite all-in-one picks for you below to save you a bit of effort, although if you don't find what you're looking for below, you may want to check out some of these other excellent desktop computer deals as well.
The Best iMac Alternatives in 2024

Buy the if you want the best overall iMac alternative
Buy the if you want the best 27-inch iMac alternative
Buy the if you want the best small business iMac alternative
Buy the if you want the best touchscreen iMac alternative
Buy the if you want the best budget iMac alternative

Computing

I was wrong about using Stage Manager on Mac

Stage manager in macOS Ventura.

Stage Manager is one of those software features that has had a rather bumpy road since Apple launched it in 2022. The unique multitasking feature has landed itself in a heap of criticism over its short lifespan.

I, however, was not one of these critics. I was super excited by Stage Manager and the promise it contained. It was something new and shiny, here to shake up macOS in a fresh and different way. Even after using it myself, I foresaw it fundamentally changing the way I used my Mac.

Computing

I’m worried about the MacBook’s next big rival

The MacBook Air on a white table.

MacBooks have dominated the laptop landscape over the past few years.

As good as Windows laptops are, they just haven't been able to compete with MacBooks in terms of efficiency or performance-per-watt. It's what allows modern MacBooks to be thinner, quieter, and longer-lasting, without losing performance. They're so efficient that you don't even lose performance when on battery.