BBC iPlayer hacked again

"Steal!" button allows Mac users to download DRM-free shows

29 May 2008 15:48 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

The BBC's iPlayer video on demand web service has been hacked again.

Developer "wizard_drongo" has released an application called iPlayer Downloader that lets Mac users download shows from iPlayer in QuickTime.

The software somehow deletes the DRM-protection on iPlayer programming which means episodes can be transferred freely to other devices with no time limit imposed.

Although the BBC offers an iPlayer streaming service for the Mac platform, it has yet to make downloads available - a feature available to Windows users.

The BBC will no doubt be working hard to close whatever loophole it is that makes this possible, but this development will put extra pressure on the BBC to launch the full service iPlayer for Mac users soon.