Technical Review of The iPlayer TV Landscape 

 

Decipher Media Consultants 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2011 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Executive Summary 

 

Decipher was commissioned by the BBC Trust to examine the technical issues raised by 
the Trust’s provisional conclusions on the syndication of BBC on-demand content, which 
were published in January 2011.1 In particular, Decipher was asked to examine the 
technical landscape within which iPlayer operates, and the ease with which the iPlayer 
could be rolled out to a range of TV platforms. Our report makes a number of findings; 

1 And on which the Trust consulted from January to February 2011. 

 

. The TV industry’s technology, which provides the backdrop to the iPlayer format 
evaluation, is itself undergoing a significant shift in capability. Software frameworks for 
TV systems are generally migrating from being closed, proprietary and UK focussed, to 
open, shared and based on global standards. 
. These evolutionary steps are not occurring at the same time across the industry and 
the fact that most device or platform partners for iPlayer are at different stages of 
evolution presents a fundamental challenge for the BBC in implementing iPlayer. 
. At the core of this challenge is the contrasting role of closed and open on-demand TV 
systems. Systems previously considered ‘closed’ such as the cable network, or the IPTV 
systems created by BT Vision and TalkTalk, have historically offered stability, reliability 
and consistency compared with the open web. However, a series of technological 
innovations including CDNs, progressive download and adaptive bit rate capability have 
brought the web nearer in terms of performance. At the same time, systems 
historically considered closed are integrating open web capability within the mix 
. It would not previously have been possible for the BBC to offer mass access to a TV 
version of iPlayer within the TV systems put in place in the 1990s. Increasingly now it is. 
Given that many TV platforms in the UK are making slow progress along the 
evolutionary curve, it may be that on some platforms the iPlayer gives a better 
consumer outcome than that available via the main VOD service offered by the TV 
platform itself; for example on BT Vision where the iPlayer now offers the first 
graphically rich ‘browse’ function on the platform. 
. Across all platforms in the UK, there are currently five different network topologies in 
use around BBC TV on-demand content. These vary from the closed, proprietary 
systems to open web browsers in simple, free set top boxes. Each of these offers a 
tangibly different consumer outcome. As these networks evolve, some platforms 
intend to move much further towards open outcomes than others, and this provides 
distinct differences in their ability and willingness to integrate a web based iPlayer. 
. The provisional syndication policy highlighted three iPlayer formats that are designed 
to integrate with these platforms: MHEG, HTML and Flash. In each case the format is 
more akin to a ‘family’ of implementations rather than a rigid format. This is because, 



within these families there are software variations, also a process of evolution and 
upgrade leading to multiple, varied versions of each format in use. 
. On top of this, the iPlayer functionality itself is evolving with the roll-out of version 3 
from PC onto TV and other devices. For the BBC, this overlapping array of iPlayer 
formats, standards and versions will present challenges in terms of continuing support 
for each. 
. Across the various platform partners there are a wide variety of ways in which iPlayer 
can be integrated into a TV device. These range from simple EPG listings which link 
directly to the iPlayer home page; to more complex integrations where a consumer can 
link to iPlayer from a broadcast channel, or a feature or menu item of the host 
platform’s EPG. The potential for these implementations varies by both device and 
platform. 
. Some platforms, such as Virgin TiVo, offer the potential for the most complete 
integration due to the flexibility of their middleware platforms. There could be up to 8 
different routes into iPlayer content from parts of the Virgin TiVo system. Other 
platforms, with a more proprietary approach to networks and software, such as BSkyB, 
offer only limited opportunity to integrate with iPlayer, even if it were possible to 
integrate it into the BSkyB middleware. 
. However, it is likely that, alongside the development of the TV platforms the consumer 
will have access to iPlayer content via a range of peripheral devices such as connected 
TVs and games consoles. 
. In recommending a Flash version of iPlayer as one of the standard formats to be 
supported, some stakeholders expressed concern that the YouView platform was being 
unduly favoured. This was not found to be the case; for example, the Virgin TiVo box 
(arguably a very strong competitor to YouView) features a Flash iPlayer. 
. In responding to another concern, we found no evidence that the adoption of the three 
formats hampered innovation among platform or device partners, with most 
innovation continuing on the major platforms ‘around and despite’ the BBC formats. 
On smaller platforms the availability of iPlayer integration appeared to at least support, 
if not promote innovation.