PS3 overtakes Mac, becomes second biggest iPlayer platform
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Sep 9th 2009 at 1:00PM }
The success of services like BBC iPlayer and Vidzone show how important non-gaming applications are to PS3 owners. Hopefully, figures like these will convince other players -- like Hulu -- to join in on the PlayStation party.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Erik Hansen @ Sep 9th 2009 1:02PM
Yeah and maybe some people outside of the UK can experience things like these in the future...
P()L4R @ Sep 9th 2009 1:29PM
Don't think guys outside the UK will be experiencing anything like the iPlayer anytime soon. And its not like we don't pay for it on the grand scale of thing considering BBC TV Licenses which everyone in the UK has got to pay if they have a TV.
Livi70590 @ Sep 9th 2009 1:28PM
And some inside the UK. I am British, have a British PSN account, a British Playstation, Frimware 3.00 and no TV XMB section whatsoever.
Archon (PSN: Archonik, XBL: DarkARHN) @ Sep 9th 2009 2:54PM
@Livi70590
Just open your PS3 browser and go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer . That's the EXACT same page the PS3 iPlayer link takes you to. Crisis averted.
master811 @ Sep 9th 2009 7:45PM
@P()LAR - technically you don't need a license if you have a TV, its only if you watch LIVE TV, anything pre-recorded or using it for consoles etc doesn't count.
Wiizer ($299) Having BC On Your Launch Console? (Priceless) @ Sep 9th 2009 1:03PM
Take THAT, Apple?
HAAS599 @ Sep 9th 2009 1:17PM
Sony just needs to update and improve its most important non-gaming application, the web browser
useedems @ Sep 9th 2009 1:47PM
Too late. They went with the same crappy NetFront browser that they use on the PSP. Personally, I think it should be a full-blown application like a game that launches and can use all of the PS3's power to...render web pages. The main problem with that route, though, is that many games use pieces of the browser for their functionality. Konami and MG Online, for example.
Would anyone mind waiting for it to start up in a few seconds if they knew they'd be using a real browser?
Archon (PSN: Archonik, XBL: DarkARHN) @ Sep 9th 2009 2:55PM
The web browser works just fine. I have no problem watching YouTube, iPlayer, CollegeHumor etc...
What's wrong with it? It's much better than the Wii Opera and the... oh yeah, I forgot. The XBox doesn't have one.
Other than occasional freezes when exiting, I am yet to experience any problems with the browser.
John @ Sep 9th 2009 2:56PM
Support Silverlight so we can have a loophole for watching Netflix.
Nobledevil @ Sep 9th 2009 4:49PM
Just let me use Firefox... please? It's friggin' free and open-source, don't tell me someone can't work on that.
That won't solve the Netflix issue, but I have PlayOn, so I'm good on that.
Undercovermc @ Sep 9th 2009 1:28PM
I live in the UK, but don't have a UK system thanks to Sony. Oh well.
jnyjb @ Sep 9th 2009 1:38PM
I think the main reason the iPlayer has seen new-found success on the PS3 is the fact that the TV section actually advertises the fact that iPlayer works on the PS3. I used the iPlayer on the PS3 before this update, I just think people didn't know about it...
ryohazuki @ Sep 9th 2009 2:44PM
ah, just another thing that the US is shafted out of by Sony. I love my Playstation family of products, but we need our PSP Camera (japan), PSP GPS (UK, Japan), PS1 Classics (Japan PS3, a library thats probably around 500 by now, not our measly 50 or 60 titles), VidZone (UK), PlayTV (UK), and now iPlayer (UK).
Seriously, anybody seeing a trend here? And I know i'm missing like one or two services and features Sony has on PS3/PSP that the US doesnt get.
Poozle @ Sep 9th 2009 5:37PM
Not to rub it in but the PSP Camera is also in the UK ;)
The reason why IPlayer is UK exclusive is NOTHING to do with anyone other than the BBC being funded by the Television License here in the UK, we're paying for it so it wouldn't be fair if the rest of the world got it free (oh, and it would break MANY licensing agreements).
We don't have the video store here in the UK and we're months behind with some PSN game, seriously, where IS bomberman, I've been waiting for months for it now. I think this is the first time I've EVER seen the argument this way round, its almost always, SCEE are useless and don't give us anything.
Nathan-DTS [He is your father] @ Sep 9th 2009 3:01PM
You have an image and still get it wrong. It has it's own section (TV), it isn't in the video section.
Mark @ Sep 9th 2009 3:34PM
You won't be seeing Hulu signed. Microsoft and Hulu signed a illegal deal that ensured PS3 support is deliberately broken by Hulu.
Both companies are being investigated currently in the US for these illegal anti-competitive practices.
There is also a EU investigation into similarly why Last-FM suddently stopped working on PS3 when they signed a deal with Microsoft...
Didn't Microsoft learn anything when they tried to kill Netscape?
fundando @ Sep 9th 2009 5:50PM
Do you have a link to this report?
jarhead906 @ Sep 9th 2009 8:27PM
And where can I read about this? So far, your comment is the first I've heard about the Hulu vs. PS3 incident.
Nythranduil @ Sep 9th 2009 9:56PM
Any love for Canada Sony? Come on! No movies / tv shows for us :(
Rocks @ Sep 10th 2009 6:27AM
here here!
Chris @ Sep 10th 2009 1:49PM
Hey, I don't have the iplayer icon!
I got my 80 GB system on ebuyer so don't know for sure if it's a UK model, but I read on a forum that anyone with a "refurbished" PS3 (cechk04 or similar serial number) can't see it yet. Apparently I'm not alone.
Other remedies are restarting and playing games, but obviously I've done those a good few times by now...
I know it's only a shortcut but I see it as being quite handy.
Ivan Petrov @ Sep 10th 2009 8:04PM
You can watch iPlayer outside the UK on your PS3, but its a little complex.
You need to setup a computer in your house as a proxy server, and connect that computer to the UK with a VPN. Then configure your PS3 to get its Internet via your PC, which in turn gets it from the UK.
Hey presto you will have BBC iPlayer on your PS3 anywhere in the world...