BBC bumps up iPlayer quality

Watching telly on the web just got a lot more pleasurable - the BBC has increased the quality of its iPlayer streams, using more modern H.264 and AAC+ codecs.

It all sounds a bit techie, but what it really means is better quality shows.

See, previously the Beeb used the VP6 compression codec to squirt shows over the web. It was chosen as it worked pretty well at low connection speeds, and on older computers.

That’s now changed, since broadband and the computers on the end of them are faster. The transition to H.264 video and AAC audio began in March, catering mainly for viewers using an iPhone or iPod touch. Now, however, it’s delivering video at 800Kbps using the same technology to all viewers.

BBC director of future media and technology Erik Huggers said: “The advantage for the audience will be a noticeable improvement in audio and video quality. Furthermore, it should become easier for the media to simply work across a broader range of devices. While it’s not a magic bullet, it certainly is a significant step in the right direction.”

In the future more devices, such as PVRs, set-top boxes, games consoles and even TVs themselves will be able to tune into iPlayer.

Out now | £free | BBC (via Distorted Loop)

Related stories