If you're one of the five people who didn't send us this tip and don't know what's up, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) announced today that their iPlayer, which allows viewers to catch up with BBC shows online, is now compatible with the Wii. And yes, that means you'll be able to watch Dr. Who, EastEnders, and other such programmes on your TV to your tea-drinking heart's content.
Should this venture by the BBC become successful (which we think it will -- after the news was announced, the number of people using the iPlayer rose significantly), we wouldn't be surprised to see other major networks adopt their services to Nintendo's console.
That's not to say that the BBC isn't running into some problems with the idea, though. Right now, the network is quarreling with ISPs over who should pay the extra service costs. Even so, the player can be used as soon as today, with more polished video quality promised in the future. You'll probably also be relieved to know that the service is free, although it will cost you money to download Nintendo's internet channel if you haven't done so already.
The other catch? The BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK, for the time being, but BBC Worldwide is apparently working on getting an international player up and running.
[Via TVSquad; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-09-2008 @ 1:35PM
Sonic_13 said...
If only other networks would follow suit. I would love to be able to watch shows from NBC, ABC, or hulu on Wii.
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4-09-2008 @ 2:29PM
Mark said...
Well at least there's some good news for the UK multi-console owners after being royally screwed over with Rockband... Just watching Dr. Who now; ok quality, nothing special but I think iPlayer may get more use on my Wii than the actual games do at the moment !
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4-09-2008 @ 2:37PM
Chachi said...
i wish netflix was compatible with the wii
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4-09-2008 @ 3:03PM
Rocketboy said...
Hell, update the browser so we're not dependent on the websites to support the Wii. If they would finally upgrade the flash player, we would be able to watch things on Hulu.com.
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4-09-2008 @ 3:33PM
hvnlysoldr said...
youtube mostly does the job for me.
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4-10-2008 @ 1:29PM
MC=Mii said...
Great news! I watch lots of BBC (Topgear, Buzzcocks, Have I got news for you, Jonathon Ross, QI etc) but sometimes the programs are a bit late because of the hour time difference. This would make things easier/better. That is of course as soon as they start allowing none UK residents to use the service...
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