主播大秀

Hello, I鈥檓 Dan Taylor, Head of 主播大秀 iPlayer and today I鈥檓 delighted to share how we are evolving 主播大秀 iPlayer for the multiscreen world, starting today with the rollout of a new version for computers, tablets, mobiles and connected TVs.

Just over six years ago, on Christmas Day 2007, we launched 主播大秀 iPlayer, offering users the opportunity to catch-up with the last 7 days of 主播大秀 programming via their computer.

Fast forward to now and 主播大秀 iPlayer is available on over 1,000 different devices and serves 10 million programme requests a day. It now offers more than just catch-up, with , , and . We鈥檝e also introduced innovative new features such as , enabling you to watch offline and on the go, and , enabling you to jump back to the start of a programme while it鈥檚 being broadcast. It鈥檚 a measure of how loved 主播大秀 iPlayer now is that it鈥檚 the number one brand in the UK according to .

However there鈥檚 always room for improvement and following extensive research and user testing, we are today rolling out a new web version of 主播大秀 iPlayer (accessible via on computers, tablets and smart phones) and a new TV version (accessible via the existing 主播大秀 iPlayer app on a range of connected TV devices). The 主播大秀 iPlayer mobile and tablet apps will be updated with the new interface in the coming months.

The new iPlayer has been designed for a multiscreen world, so the experience is consistent, but optimised across PC, tablet, mobile and TV devices and we've built it in such a way that we can rapidly develop and release new features across those four screens.

The new web version of iPlayer has been developed using , which means we can deliver the iPlayer experience to multiple different screen sizes without building separate versions. It also means that if I share a link to iPlayer from my computer, it will work just fine if you open it on your mobile or tablet browser.

A major focus of this release is making it easier to find something to watch, helping you quickly and easily find the programmes you know you鈥檙e looking for and, crucially, helping you discover something new. The current iPlayer鈥檚 pretty good if you know what you want to watch, but we know that 42% of visitors are now coming without a particular programme in mind.

主播大秀 screen

With that in mind, we've created a brand new home screen that's simpler, more visual and easier to browse. There鈥檚 a consistent navigation bar along the top, providing easy access to channels and categories. There鈥檚 a 鈥楩ind tools鈥� panel, of which more later. However the majority of the screen is dedicated to an image-led browsing experience.

Hovering over a programme image provides a short description of the episode along with its duration and when it was first shown - simple information that users have told us they find useful in selecting a programme to watch.

Channels

It鈥檚 not just the homepage in new iPlayer which offers this new image-led browsing experience. We've also developed such pages for each of our TV channels, creating a place to discover and enjoy the best those channels have to offer even when they鈥檙e off air, complementing the more traditional schedule view.

Categories

We've created a similar browsing experience for categories and responded to user feedback by replacing the Factual genre with genres which users talk about when describing their TV viewing habits: Documentaries, Food, Arts, History, Science & Nature. These categories showcase the range of catch-up, archive, exclusives and premieres 鈥� all forms of TV content in one place.

And it鈥檚 not just genres. There are also categories for Audio Described and Signed content and for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, showcasing the best programmes from and about those nations. In addition to the highlights view, each category also offers a full A-Z list, which details every programme in that category.

Collections

Collections are a brand new addition to 主播大秀 iPlayer which aid programme discovery by grouping programmes by series, season, event or theme. 主播大秀 Four has been releasing for the last few years but they鈥檝e been difficult to find in iPlayer. The new iPlayer enables us to showcase those collections on an ongoing basis.

Playback

Of course, watching programmes is the beating heart of iPlayer and we鈥檝e optimised the new playback page for what users are looking to do before, during and after viewing.

Beforehand, we present all the key information you need to decide whether to watch and provide simple navigation to other episodes from the same series, in case you were after a different one. Once you hit play, we dim the lights and get out of your way.

The new web version of iPlayer makes use of the 主播大秀鈥檚 new Standard Media Player which, as well as providing our best ever playback experience across screens, also enables us to develop to enhance the playback experience.

For example, if you鈥檙e enjoying a programme and decide you don鈥檛 want to miss out on future episodes you can now add it to your Favourites without leaving the playback experience.

At the end of an episode, if the next episode in the series is available, we鈥檒l cue it up. We鈥檒l also always offer you suggestions of other programmes you may also like, powered by a new and improved recommendation engine.

This panel will also include onward journeys to other relevant content on 主播大秀 Online, such as .

Find tools

We've not forgotten about the 58% of users who arrive knowing exactly what they're looking for, with the introduction of Find tools.

First, we have the 鈥楩ind a Programme鈥� box, which not only remembers your recent searches, but also suggests what you might be looking for as soon as you start typing. So, if I type 鈥楨鈥� I can get straight to EastEnders.

聽Next we have the A-Z Programme List, which does exactly what聽it says on the tin. We know many users really value the A-Z as a simple way of scanning the full iPlayer inventory.

聽And finally, a Recently Watched section which remembers what you鈥檝e watched recently so you can quickly and easily resume watching a programme you were part way through or find new episodes of a series you've been enjoying.

Accessibility

Last but by no means least, we鈥檝e invested a great deal of time and effort in making the new iPlayer as accessible as possible. Pages are organised visually into sections with clear headings to ensure both sighted users and blind users with screen readers can navigate content across desktop, tablet and mobile seamlessly. There are also improvements to the Standard Media Player to support users with different set ups including keyboard-only users, screen reader users and voice input users.

Audio description, signed and subtitled content are at the heart of our offering. Subtitles are available on catch-up content via the media player itself (just click/tap the 鈥楽鈥� icon) and soon we will soon be adding support for Audio Described and subtitled programmes on mobile and tablet browsers. You can read more about this, and other updates, in our .

So, that's a whistle-stop tour of the new product. We've been busy testing it with users and I鈥檓 pleased to say that they鈥檝e been telling us its 鈥渟imple鈥�, 鈥渃learer鈥�, 鈥渆asier鈥�, 鈥渕ore expansive鈥� and 鈥渏ust better鈥�. Critically, they鈥檝e also been telling us that they鈥檝e been discovering programmes they wouldn鈥檛 previously have found.

I鈥檓 very proud of what the iPlayer development teams in London & Salford have built and as I mentioned, this launch is just the beginning. We've got ambitious plans for聽later in聽the year including extending the standard availability window from 7 days to 30 days and introducing new IP only channels (such as a Radio 1 video channel), subject to approval from the 主播大秀 Trust. We also have a raft of exciting personalisation features in mind.

Thanks for reading. Please do have a play with the new iPlayer and let us know your thoughts - we鈥檝e created

Also, do look out for blog posts from other members of the iPlayer team over the coming weeks explaining different aspects of developing the new iPlayer.

Dan Taylor is Head of 主播大秀 iPlayer, 主播大秀 Future Media