Windows Phone 8 device users will now be able to enjoy BBC TV programmes on the go via the new Windows Phone 8 BBC iPlayer app.
First announced a couple of months ago, BBC iPlayer is now available to Windows Phone 8 handset owners for the first time and can be downloaded for free from the Windows Phone Store.
The Windows Phone 8 BBC iPlayer app allows users to catch up on BBC TV content from the past seven days on the go over a 3G or Wi-Fi connection.
Users can flag their most-watched series and add them to the Favourites tab so they can quickly find any new episodes. Otherwise they can browse through the available content by category or schedule or filter programmes by the most-popular on BBC iPlayer or those specially featured by the Beeb.
Windows Phone 8 users can also enjoy radio content for the BBC directly from the BBC iPlayer app, and run the audio in the background while utilising other apps.
The Windows Phone BBC iPlayer application includes a shortcut to the mobile optimised website, a dedicated BBC iPlayer Live Tile and a media player.
“The application will enable you to catch up on your favourite BBC shows on the go,” said Dave Price, Head of BBC iPlayer. “We know this is something that is becoming more and more popular as in March this year 30 per cent of overall requests came from mobiles or tablets, with 81 million requests in total.”
Unfortunately Price also confirmed that Windows Phone 7.5 device users won’t be getting their own BBC iPlayer app as “platform limitations with Windows Phone 7.5 have meant we’ve been unable to provide the same quality playback experience as on Windows 8.”
“Although this is disappointing, Windows Phone 8 currently make up the majority of all Windows Phones on the market and this number is expected to grow,” added Price.
Windows Phone 8 OS is available on handsets like the Nokia Lumia 920, Huawei Ascend W1, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC or newly announced Nokia Lumia 925.
Next, read our Windows Phone 8 tips and tricks.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.