Nintendo Wii gets BBC iPlayer channel

Jousts with Sky for the console market

13 November 2009 11:44 GMT / By Duncan Geere

The BBC has announced that its catch-up iPlayer service will shortly be available as a native channel on the Wii. The service has been available through the Wii's internet browser since April 2008, but the addition of a native channel should improve the user experience considerably.

The new channel will be made live on 18 November, but only consoles with a broadband connection in the UK will be able to access it. It'll be free, but you'll have to download it from Nintendo's online shop - search for "iPlayer" and you should be able to find it without much trouble.

The iPlayer is also available on the PS3, but not the Xbox 360. The BBC is competing with rival broadcaster Sky to try and get its services on as many consoles as possible, but has - in the past - labelled Sony and Microsoft as too "controlling". Sky Player is available only on the Xbox 360.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 has concentrated on making its 4OD service accessible through YouTube, which can be accessed on a range of devices, including mobile phones. But given that the Wii is present in 6 million homes across Britain, this could give the BBC the lead, despite the lack of high-definition support in the console.

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