BBC launches online current affairs

The BBC has launched a facility to view current affairs programmes online via it's News Player web application.

Aside from giving you all the latest news in video and audio, the News Player is now home to the best BBC News programmes live and on demand - freely available to UK based web users in broadband quality video.

The new service means users can enjoy Newsnight, Panorama, Question Time, This World and Real Story whenever they want. We hope to add more programmes in the near future.

Head of BBC Current Affairs Peter Horrocks said: "Broadband is also key to shifting from the one-way lecturing by broadcasters to two-way conversations with audiences.

"In the future, we'd like to nurture more of a collaborative relationship with viewers, sharing material and ideas more freely."

What do you think about the BBC's coverage of news and current affairs online? Is there anything they could do to improve it? Is it good quality, better than other news networks online coverage?
Discuss here.

It would be nice if some of the regions would avail their content in glorious broadband. Having to watch the regional news in "glorious 1fps RealMedia" just isn't the same.

Personally, I'll probably tune in to broadband Panorama if there's compelling subject matter that I've missed, but I can't imagine that broadband Newsnight will be especially popular.

Yeah, it's a bit of a bummer there's still no regional content, but it's good news if you want to be glued to your computer screen for an hour for the compelling question time or watch yesterday's news in slow motion on Newsnight. Not my cup of tea that's all but I sure some will find it of use.

It's good in that it allows viewers in Scotland to see what they missed when BBC2 hand over to the simply terrible Newsnight Scotland.

Simple verdict - could do better.

I want to see some broad-broadband content - as in a PAL resolution stream around ~800kpbs for 1Mbit users and around ~1.5Mbits for 2Mbit and above users, rather than a small low-ish res stream at 225kbps.

I'd like to see the BBC pushing the technology to deliver television quality pictures, rather than a small-ish low res box on screen.

Also, BBC radio needs to improve - I would love to listen again to all of the programmes I miss, but the quality is rubbish. The sound on the listen again feature is dull and lifeless - probably due to the fact that the bitrate of the stream is that of one that a dialup user would experience. So there's not a really much of a benefit of having broadband if you want reasonable quality radio.

One word: iMP

Yes, I got the follwing email a few months ago from someone at the BBC re. the trial as I had signed up to become a trialist.



I've heard nothing much since. Do you know what's up with the trial - and when will it commence?

The next testing phase was due in September. They were only taking a few thousand for the trial, so if you've not heard anything you might not be on the trial.

I got exactly the same email. I think everyone did.

I agree with upping the data rate. Even 400k is a VAST improvement over the current stream

the trouble is upping the data rate will cost the BBC a heck of a lot of money in bandwidth costs ... which is why they haven't done it yet. They're trying to peer with all the UK broadband providers to cut the cost, and until that is sorted I wouldn't expect the bitrates to go up.