The BBC has announced the launch of a brand new version of its, now famed, BBC iPlayer which has been redesigned specifically for your TV.

In the past, use of the iPlayer on the television, often through the PlayStation 3 or a connected TV, although popular, has been stifled by an interface that could prove a little clunky. The new version of the iPlayer should bring a whole new level of control and the custom-built TV interface should allow for an easier transition from scheduled TV to on-demand.

The new iPlayer design will also deliver a simplified TV-friendly UI which allows for familiar channel flicking, whilst there's also a vastly improved search function.

Daniel Danker, BBC’s general manager, Programmes & On Demand said:

“BBC iPlayer has been tremendously successful. With today’s announcement, we’re transforming iPlayer in its most natural home: right on the living room TV. By creating a product that’s as simple and intuitive as flicking through TV channels, the BBC is bringing on demand television to mainstream audiences across the UK.

“Last week, Ofcom reported that 10% of TV sets sold in the UK are internet ready. But BBC iPlayer is already available on over 300 connected TVs and blu-ray disc players, which has resulted in a 5x growth of iPlayer on TV over the last 6 months alone. At this rate of growth, in the next few years we could well see over half of iPlayer use directly on the living room TV.”

This move should do a great deal to increase the use of the service, as it's a lot more likely that the iPlayer for TV will be used to browse for shows rather than just looking up specific programmes that have been missed. It is also in line with the growing trend for people to watch programmes away from scheduled television broadcasts.

The new TV-friendly iPlayer will be launching initially on Sony's PlayStation 3, with further rollout to the 300-odd connected TVs coming in the next few months; turning catch-up TV into a "complete connected TV experience".