BBC iPlayer comes to the PS3 with PS3iPlayer.com

by Jem Alexander { Apr 10th 2008 at 6:30PM }

How ironic that while the PS3 is easily the best console for multimedia content it gets beaten to the iPlayer punch by the Wii. Not for long though. An unofficial website, PS3iPlayer.com, has been set up by a very clever coder known as Ixalon. This allows PS3s to access iPlayer content directly on their TV. Unfortunately the PS3's browser does not allow the videos to be shown at full screen, but after a bit of zooming the same effect can be achieved.

For those of you who don't know, the BBC iPlayer is an online video player which allows you to see a large variety of BBC content that has been shown on TV in the past week. Unfortunately it's only available for UK residents at the moment. The fact that PS3iPlayer.com was set up in only a day demonstrates how simple it would be for the BBC to create an official player for the PS3, as they have done with the Wii. Get on it, BBC. We want to watch Doctor Who on our PS3s!

[Thanks Marc]

Tags: BBC, iPlayer, Ixalon, PS3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

dabamf @ Apr 10th 2008 6:33PM

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/10/bbc-sony-ms-wanted-to-control-streaming-video-on-their-conso/

I think the reason is because Sony wants complete control of content.

Microdot @ Apr 10th 2008 7:58PM

if they were to run it as a native application... yes. sony would want it. (and i wouldnt blame them). or... the bbc could just add them to the psn... but then the bbc wouldnt have control, and they dont want that.

a simple "use the web" idea would be fine...... except for the lack of web browser on someone elses console.

iGO @ Apr 11th 2008 2:28PM

Sorry to go off topic here abit but, I've had no success.

I want to stream all my content from my iMac to my PS3. I have it working successfully, via wireless (G) and Nullriver's Medialink. But when I play larger movie files, the G stutters or chokes.

So, I tried turning on "Internet Sharing via Ethernet" on my iMac but now my PS3 doesn't see it, even though I set up the PS3 to access the internet via cable/ethernet. What should my settings be to stream over a cat5 between my Imac and the PS3 ? .......can you point me to a walk-through?

SSG @ Apr 10th 2008 6:39PM

These are some of the reasons why i wish i lived in Europe.

ultima_omega @ Apr 10th 2008 6:53PM

Well i just tried it and its not working.

paul @ Apr 10th 2008 6:55PM

its not europe its the uk im from ireland and i cant even use it

ClarkyCat @ Apr 10th 2008 7:13PM

Same here. At least 4OD allows us access. BBC should too, although admittedly besides The Apprentice there aren't that many good programmes!

gooftroop @ Apr 11th 2008 5:41AM

BBC shouldn't allow access to anyone outside of the UK because we get f****d with the crappy TV license fee that goes to the BBC... pay £120 a year and they might let you have access...

bluejam @ Apr 10th 2008 7:05PM

Just tried it, at last the iPlayer works on the PS3!!! Been waiting for this for so long.

elephant_stone @ Apr 10th 2008 7:17PM

Been using it on my Wii the past couple of days! Now I can just use a different console :) hehe

Brilliant little site too! Perfect for getting a good dose of "Traffic Cops" (which is filmed around my local area! haha - funny).

Fiddlesworth @ Apr 10th 2008 7:30PM

That excuse from the BBC is complete and utter bollocks, the PS3 has a web browser, Sony have no control over what the BBC want to provide for it just like Nintendo have no control over what's provided through their web browser.

Only the 360 lacks a web browser so yes, they'd have to work with Microsoft to develop an interface and yes MS would want some control over it.

PSN: KillaKornbread (the shirt is a lie!) @ Apr 11th 2008 12:22AM

yea thats what i dont understand. they made it seem like Sony was the bad guy for wanting to control content on their console but can you really blame them? the great thing is that since the PS3 has a web browser (as does the Wii) they can just as easily make a PS3 optimized version of the Wii site and Sony couldn't do anything about it (again, similar to Nintendo and the Wii). the web browser-less 360 is the only console out now that doesnt have this option.

boxmyth @ Apr 10th 2008 9:00PM

I need me some Top Gear.
Someone get this thing to be USA-compatible.

sparc @ Apr 10th 2008 11:45PM

The Apple TV should of been there first choice of hardware to adapt for. It's the best device for streaming and storing movies, podcasts, music, pictures and allows you to both purchase music and rent films.

Nate @ Apr 11th 2008 5:44AM

The apple TV has very low penetration compared to the ps3, and for good reason. Its a movie player completely attached to iTunes, with photos and youtube added on. They would have to deal with the same problem as they would with the xbox too, making a whole new interface and so forth, which apple would then want to put there hands all over. Would it be pretty cool? sure, but if I were bbc I'd say it's not yet worth the hassle.

Tranando @ Apr 11th 2008 3:06AM

Nice, this makes BBC look like the lying clueless chumps they really are...

BBC can easilly enable PS3 for iPlayer, except they use their resources to tell us how Sony does not want to work with them.

What a load of bollocks BBC, this UserAgent changer clearly demonstrates that supporting PS3 is trivial, and you have a hidden agenda.

LS @ Apr 11th 2008 8:01AM

of course they have an agenda, though it isn't exactly hidden. If they just opened up the iPlayer to everyone around the world the political fallout in the UK would be monstrous, not to mention the public outcry. If they did open it up they would undoubtedly have to charge for it for non UK residents, making the whole process that little bit more complicated. Mind you I believe that is exactly what they will eventually do to top up their reduced budget

p.s. doctor who sucks! at least this season does (catherine tate? do me a favour).

iNime @ Apr 11th 2008 11:57AM

Yeah man, i said the same thing when the first said that load of bullocks.

elephant_stone @ Apr 11th 2008 4:45AM

Tried the PS3 version last night, its a bit flakey....the cursor jumops all over the place if you use the D-Pad to select hyperlinks due to the "onMouseOver" image changing links I think. Still - its a hacked beta which is still brilliant!

The Official Wii version is great too - you should check it out :)

ixalon @ Apr 11th 2008 7:03AM

Yeah, the episode details on the rollovers prevent the hidden links from working. No amount of adding onClick handlers to the various divs that make up those boxes seemed to work, so I resorted to changing the focus to the hidden link as soon as you hover over the image. As you found, it works ok as long as you don't move around too fast with the D-Pad.

I'll see if I can improve it after I've got fullscreen working (hopefully this evening once I'm back from work.)

fatlip @ Apr 11th 2008 5:16AM

Woo.. although the PS3 can do so much more. I see no reason why it shouldn't be able to handle Flash 9.

Deafraiders @ Apr 11th 2008 5:32AM

Shame they don't do subtitles for the deaf :(

jamieson87 @ Apr 11th 2008 8:25AM

doesn't work for me said I need to be in the UK last time I checked Edinburgh was?

ixalon @ Apr 11th 2008 8:54AM

It uses the free GeoIP database from maxmind to work out where you are. It's pretty accurate but as IP allocation changes from day-to-day, it won't always correctly work out where you're browsing from. Unfortunately it depends on your ISP (I'm from Edinburgh too and it works on my ISP).

Take a look at http://www.maxmind.com/app/locate_my_ip and see where it thinks you're browsing from.

Chris @ Apr 11th 2008 8:46AM

PS3 audiences don't exactly coincide with even UK terrestrial TV audiences, ya know. Doctor Who, Torchwood, maybe one or two more drama series... And that's it.

Whereas the Wii, a family oriented console, should have owners more into *Eastenders* and all that rubbish. (No offense to Eastenders lovers here, but I doubt you exist.)

jamieson87 @ Apr 11th 2008 9:22AM

Ok that website says I'm in the UK, when I look on other IP websites it pinpoints me to Harrogate, I'm with AOL

elephant_stone @ Apr 11th 2008 10:40AM

@ 18

Mate, in all respect though, you are doing a fantastic job for the UK PS3 community IMO!!!

Add me to your friends list, you seem like a sound bloke:
elephant_stone

Laters

Taz @ Apr 11th 2008 12:17PM

Excellent work Ixalon Just watched Tourchwood and Dr Who from my PS3.

Hopefully this will shame the BBC into offering a similar service natively. I'm pretty disapointed that the BBC is promoting a Wii service and bitching that Sony won't allow a player client when it could obviously offer the service through the PS3's current web browser.

Might be worth complaining to the appropriate channel considering the BBC is funded by PS3 owning license payers as well as Wii owning license payers.