[2] In 2015, the BBC reported that it was moving towards playing audio and video content via open HTML5 standards in web browsers rather than via Flash or its Media Player mobile app.

[11] The site tagline was "Catch up on the last 7 days of BBC TV & Radio", reflecting that programmes were unavailable on iPlayer after this time (with some exceptions).

It was intended that Kangaroo would complement the video-on-demand services that these channels were already offering, including the iPlayer, by making programmes available once their 'catch-up' period had expired.

Media outlets suggested that the account requirement was intended to help the BBC collect personal information that could be used to trace those who were evading TV Licensing whilst using the iPlayer; Andrew Scott, launch director of the ongoing myBBC initiative, stated that the BBC might use account email addresses, along with existing methods, to help identify iPlayer users who did not hold a television licence.

However, he repeatedly said that the account system was primarily intended to provide personalization features across BBC properties, such as content recommendations on the iPlayer, and the ability to continue watching a programme on one device from where it was left off on another.

[61][62][63] One of the key features of the original iPlayer download service was the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) technology to enable the distribution of large video files (i.e. TV programmes) to scale effectively.

DRM software prevents it from being directly copied to another medium (e.g. another computer or CD-ROM) and allowed the BBC to control how long the programmes remain watchable.

It brought integration with various social networking sites to the TV on-demand service, through deals with Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Delicious, Digg and StumbleUpon.

[77] The new pop-out radio player has removed the option to select either high or low bit-rate, which may impact users with a data download cap.

[89] The Trust's Finance and Compliance Committee (FCC) found that the BBC had given reasonable arguments as to why IP Vision should not be allowed to go ahead with its self-build product.

The Trust FCC also rescinded new guidelines introduced by the BBC in October 2009, formalising a ban on third parties building their own commercial iPlayer products.

[90][91][92] On 21 December 2009, the iPlayer was made available on a soft launch to Freesat viewers with Humax Foxsat HD receivers only, with an official release on 11 January 2010.

[96] However, the Harvard upgrade will not be available on early model standard definition Freesat receivers sold under the Bush, Goodmans and Grundig brands.

[citation needed] The move allowed the standard MHEG-5 reliant iPlayer application to be offered from 7 April via the red button on all BBC channels to Freeview HD certified devices.

Unlike the previous implementation, the application streams over the internet rather than utilising Virgin's video-on-demand service, to comply with the BBC's then-proposed syndication policy.

[118] The change also allows an increase in the amount of programmes available, from around 300 to 700 hours on average, bringing Virgin into line with the iPlayer on connected TV devices.

[121] Shortly after release, the PS3 accounted for 6% of all iPlayer traffic, making it the third most popular platform used to access the service behind personal computers (85%) and mobile phones and iPods (7%).

[126] On 8 August 2011, the application was updated and now includes access to BBC HD; however, most content remains unavailable to PS3 users due to DRM restrictions.

[citation needed] On 11 December 2014, Senior product manager Peter Lasko of BBC stated that they hope this application will come to Wii U in early 2015.

[154] On 5 November 2010, an official BBC iPlayer app that allows users to stream live television and radio, and catch up on previously aired content became available for download on BlackBerry OS 5.0 (and higher) devices.

On 7 March 2008, a beta version for Apple's iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch, and later iPad) was released, allowing streaming over a Wi-Fi connection.

The BBC introduced specially crafted web bugs, referrer checks and download chunk limits, such that only devices exhibiting this behaviour, i.e. a genuine iPhone handset, would be able to stream the video content.

On 18 September 2008, the BBC announced that a version will become available to the Nokia N96 mobile phone as a download service to allow viewers to watch programmes even when they are out of reach of Wi-Fi or 3G networks.

[citation needed] BBC Store, codenamed Project Barcelona, launched in the UK and opened the archive to consumers and allowed users to buy a show and download it.

By April, the iPlayer accounted for around five per cent of all UK Internet traffic,[173] and had approximately five million page views per day by June.

[175] During the BAFTAs in May, the iPlayer won the "Interactive Innovation Service/Platform" Award, beating Channel 4's 'Big Art Mob' and the Bebo 'Open Media Platform'.

On 18 February 2010, the BBC updated iPlayer with an SWF verification layer which attempts to close the door on open source implementations of Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) streaming.

An international version of the iPlayer was launched on 28 July 2011 in eleven western European countries,[40] after receiving the approval of the BBC Trust in November 2010.

In a statement on the difficulties facing the US rollout, the BBC's Head of Communications for Global iPlayer Tessa Matchett said: "The United States is a very complex media market.

[194][195] In 2009, the BBC's April Fools' joke was a press release announcing the availability of the iPlayer on a specialised toaster, supposedly for users to watch breakfast television.