BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO USING THE BBC IPLAYER
Create a to-watch list
Step one of organising the iplayer’s embarrassment of riches is to sign in – something you now have to do before it’ll let you watch anything (see box below). You can then turn the iplayer’s homepage ( www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer) into your personalised TV hub. The ‘Continue watching’ section remembers where you stopped watching shows; ‘Recommended for you’ offers content to fit your viewing habits; and My Programmes is your private to-watch list. To add a show to the list, click its thumbnail, then click Add at the bottom right of the player window (see screenshot right).
Download shows to watch offline
Most BBC shows are available to watch for 30 days after they’re broadcast. Downloading them to your PC doesn’t extend this deadline, but it does let you watch without being online, so there’s no buffering. To download a show, click Download (just below Add), then click to launch or install the free iplayer Downloads tool ( www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ install). You can also download shows to your phone or tablet using the iplayer app for Android and IOS ( www.snipca. com/25348, see screenshot left). As with PC downloads, the files disappear 30 days after broadcast (see page 56 for more on the Beeb’s mobile apps).
The only way to keep a BBC show forever is to use a third-party tool – and break the iplayer’s terms of use. You could either use a screen-recorder such as the powerful but tricky OBS Studio ( http://obsproject.com), or a downloader such as Get_iplayer ( www.snipca. com/25351). These are free and safe, but many similar tools are not, so be cautious.
Automatically download entire series
To ensure you never miss Sherlock or whatever floats your BBC boat, first download an episode, then click Series Record in iplayer Downloads. New episodes will be delivered to your PC as soon as they’re available. If you’d rather get a memo about new episodes without having to download anything, use Notifications. Click the bell next to your sign-in name, then click ‘OK, I’m in’. You’ll now see a dot on the bell when there are new episodes available for any shows in your My Programmes list.
Switch off HD – or go ultra
The iplayer now uses high definition (HD) by default. HD makes everything look as sharp as a tack but eats up bandwidth, so it’s not suitable for streaming on slow internet connections. To switch to SD (standard definition), click ‘Turn HD off’.
If, on the other hand, you prefer your HD to be as ‘H’ as possible, you’ll be
pleased to hear the BBC is trialling ultra-hd 4K. The catch is the 4K content – a few minutes of footage from Planet Earth II – is currently only available on certain smart TVS. To see if your TV is supported, visit www.snipca.com/25370.
Make shows easier to see and hear
English subtitles are available for most iplayer shows, including live broadcasts. To see them, hover your mouse over the player window to show the controls, then click ‘S’ at the bottom-right (see screenshot right). Many shows also have signed versions, using British Sign Language ( www.snipca.com/25367). In the BBC’S online archive is a guide to finding signed and subtitled video across the web; it’s no longer updated but the links still work: www.snipca.com/25368.
If your vision is more of a problem than your hearing, summon a narrator to describe what’s happening on screen. To switch on Audio Description, click ‘Watch with AD’ (just below ‘Turn HD off’). For a full list of current audio-described shows, see www.snipca.com/25365.
Rewind live TV
Missed the first half of the big match or the crucial opening minutes of tonight’s drama? Turn back time using the ‘live restart’ feature. First click TV Guide to see all shows currently being broadcast, click the one you want to watch from the beginning and then click ‘Restart the current programme’. Live restart is now rolling out to set-top boxes, starting with Freesat ( www.snipca.com/25366).
Watch films in iplayer
Roughly 95 per cent of everything on BBC TV makes it on to the iplayer. Film and sport account for much of the missing five per cent but a surprising number of films do make it online and stay there for a long time (see screenshot left). For an A to Z list of movies you can stream right now, go to www.snipca.com/25372.
Films are generally stream-only. Current exceptions include archive horror documentary Fear Itself ( www. snipca.com/25373) and political feature Hypernormalisation ( www.snipca. com/25374), both free to download.