Why does Sky not have BBC i Player

Hambi

So does anyone have the foggiest as to why Sky customers can't get BBC i Player, but Virgin Media customers can? Are sky missing a trick here? I would rather watch it on my TV than on my PC :cool:

stefano

HairyWalken wrote: »

So does anyone have the foggiest as to why Sky customers can't get BBC i Player, but Virgin Media customers can? Are sky missing a trick here? I would rather watch it on my TV than on my PC :cool:

Are you saying Virgin Media customers have Iplayer on their TV?

Hambi

Yeah Virgin Media customers can

jd87

It's because of the technology behind the two different systems. Something like iPlayer needs easy two-way communication between your box and the supplier - you need to be able to tell the system what you want to watch instead of just receiving whatever is being sent.

With virgin media this is easy, you can request a programme and it gets sent directly to you down the cable. With Sky they are using satellites - the dish on your house can only receive signals, it can't send them. And the satellites just broadcast the same signal across the whole of Europe and everyone picks up the same thing, the technology doesn't allow something to be sent specifically to you. They are coming up with ways around it though, using your phone line and broadband connection, so maybe iPlayer will be on Sky soon.

OK_Sauce

I can get the BBC iPlayer on my Panasonic FreesatHD tv, though not directly from the satellite. It streams via the ethernet connection plugged into it. Quality is pretty good. If you have a Wii you can also use the iPlayer provided you have a reasonable broadband connection.

sweep9

BBC iPlayer may be an option in the future on Sky (HD boxes with SKY BB Unlimited) as an upgrade to the upcoming Anytime+ feature

Elle7

OK_Sauce wrote: »

I can get the BBC iPlayer on my Panasonic FreesatHD tv, though not directly from the satellite. It streams via the ethernet connection plugged into it. Quality is pretty good. If you have a Wii you can also use the iPlayer provided you have a reasonable broadband connection.

You can also watch I player on a PS3, it's pretty good quality. This is what I do

almillar

If you want iPlayer on your TV, you can use Virgin Media, Freesat, PS3, Wii, or, you know, a computer! You need a broadband connection, which all of the above have, loads of sky boxes still only have a telephone wire connection for dial up data connection!

stefano

and if your tv has a VGA socket, you can plug your PC/laptop to your tv...

Hambi

Thanks guys, for all that, think i will just continue watching BBC i player on the thing in front of me now :rotfl:

afur

i have sky and the only way i can use bbc iplayer is via my wii or pc, but as sky cant improve on the measly 1.5mb connection i have it takes really long to watch anything, ie a 1 hour show takes 2 hours to watch when you factor in all the starting and stopping.