May 14, 2009

BBC iPlayer HD - a major disappointment

Sure, the picture quality is pretty good, but to be honest the much-celebrated arrival of high definition programmes to the Virgin Media version of iPlayer is a serious disappointment.
There has been no sign (yet) of recent prestige BBC series George Gently, South Pacific or The Incredible Human Journey, but we're treated to the likes of Kerwhizz and Doctors - hardly the most compelling HD programming. Yesterday there were just seven programmes listed.
Surely if the service on cable is to add any value it is with the flagship programming rather than CBeebies and a second-rate soap. I can understand rights restrictions prohibiting the inclusion of US imports such as Damages and Heroes, but the omission of the better BBC HD homegrown series seems most bizarre.
Is it the BBC or Virgin to blame? I see both of the documentary series are available in HD online, so I suspect the latter.
And where's the promised ITV HD content in on demand? Promised four months ago but still nothing.

3 comments:

Rob said...

A bit like everything else that Virgin does HD wise - a major disappointment.

After mentioning it on a few comments on this blog, I have just ordered Sky HD. £50 for the box, a free second Sky+ box, free installation, and £50 of Marks and Spencers vouchers for me! Installation date came through within 10 minutes, and they are coming a week on Sunday (just in time for the bank holiday Monday!) at no extra cost.

BikeNutt said...

More content has been added to iPlayer HD:

South Pacific, Reggie Perrin, Jonathan Ross, Cruikshank on Kew, The Unsellables, Wainwrights's Walks amongst them.

Keep it coming!

Simon Carter said...

It's getting better, and I refuse to go back to SKY... the worst customer service in the world, as confirmed by watchdog on BBC1.. And there is no way in this world I will put any more money into SKY!

Nope, I will wait for Virgin, although my patience is wearing thin!