Digital TV News

BBC iPlayer now available on Freesat

Wednesday 13 January, 2010

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Freesat customers can now watch the BBC iPlayer on their television screens, if they have the right hardware.

The online catch-up service from the BBC, the iPlayer, has been launched on Freesat, however it is currently only available to customers with either a Humax HD or a Humax Freesat+ set-top box.

Freesat, the free-to-view satellite TV service, has confirmed that anyone with the correct Humax hardware will be able to access the BBC iPlayer. However, it has reiterated that a full version of the iPlayer will be available to other customers in due course, so there is no need to buy a new set-top box or hardware.

Users will need to connect their set-top boxes to their broadband router and then type the code 5483 in on the BBC red button page. Freesat has also written a set of step-by-step instructions to the iPlayer, for households with the Humax set-top boxes.

Beta testing of the BBC iPlayer service on Freesat was announced in November last year. The success of the trials has led to the full roll-out of the service for customers with the Humax HD and Humax Freesat+ set-top boxes.

Emma Scott, managing director at Freesat, said the feedback from the trials was positive. She said: “For many, it was the first time they had accessed BBC iPlayer on the television, and there were high levels of satisfaction with the service itself, as well how easy it was to set up and operate.”

“I’m really pleased that we can now expand the number of Freesat viewers who can now access BBC iPlayer,” added Scott.

The digital TV provider has also said it is working with ITV to launch a version of the ITVPlayer for customers in the first half of 2010, giving them a wider choice of on-demand content.

Freesat is the first subscription-free television service in the UK that has a full version of the BBC iPlayer, without requiring any extra equipment. Virgin Media customers already have access to the iPlayer, however it comes as part of their monthly subscription.