The BBC iPlayer delivers digital videos for popular BBC programming. When the iPlayer launcher, it was only available in a computer web browser… and in Britain. Since British residents pay a TV license fee to fund the BBC, the iPlayer service was free in Britain, but unavailable elsewhere.

Earlier this year the iPlayer went global… or at least partially global. The BBC launcher a global iPlayer app for the Apple iPad, but it was only available in Australia and select European countries.

Last week Canada was added to the list, and the US is expected to get iPlayer access next year.

Now it looks like the video streaming service is moving beyond the iPad. The BBC plans to launch an iPlayer app for iPhone and iPod touch on December 8th, 2011.

Viewers outside of the UK will have to pay a monthly fee to stream videos… just like competing services. But if you’re a fan of British TV and can’t find the most recent episodes of you favorite shows on Netflix or Hulu, the expansion of the iPlayer service could be good news.

via The Next Web

Orb Networks have launched a new app for Android that allows you to stream internet video from Hulu, ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, and other TV networks to your phone or tablet without paying for a Hulu Plus subscription. Orb Live can also stream content from Netflix, but you’ll need a Netflix subscription, and if you have one of those you’re probably better off using the official Netflix app as long as you have a supported device.

The only catch is that in order for the $9.99 Orb Live app to do its thing you’ll need to download and install an app on your Windows or Mac PC. That’s because Orb uses your PC to grab the video from the internet, transcode it to a mobile-friendly format and beam it to your device.

Orb Live can also stream local photos, videos, and music from your computer to your mobile device.

The Android app works much like the Orb Live app that launched for iOS in July.

One downside to using Orb Live is that you’ll need to leave your PC running all the time if you want to be able to stream media to your phone or tablet. Another is that the Orb Live service is pretty CPU-intensive, so you’ll need a reasonably powerful computer unless you want choppy video streams.

Orb Live is available as a free download from the Android Market.

Netflix has offered an Android app for a few months, but initially only a few specific devices were supported. Over time Netflix has added support for more and more phones and tablets, and as of today Netflix now officially supports all devices running Google Android 2.2 Froyo and Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Of course, what I mean by all devices is all devices in the US or Canada. Those are the countries where Netflix is currently available.

Netflix subscribers can use the app to stream TV shows and movies over WiFi or 3G internet connections. You can also manage your Watch Instantly or DVD queue using the mobile app.

Currently the only tablets running Google Android 3.x Honeycomb that officially support Netflix are the Lenovo IdeaPad K1, and Lenovo ThinkPad tablet. Many users have reported it also works on the Asus Eee Pad Transformer once you install the Android 3.2 software update, and while you can’t download the app from the Android Market on other devices, you may still be able to get it to run.

via GottaBeMobile

Want to know if Human Target was cancelled (it was) or when you’ll be able to find new episodes of The IT Crowd (later this year)? There’s a new web app called IsItBack which aims to be a one-stop-shop for that kind of information. It’s also available in iPhone app form. You can download the free app from the App Store.

The mobile app has a pretty barebones user interface. Just start typing the name of a TV show in the search box and IsItBack will start to offer suggested titles. You can see some basic results from the search suggestions list, letting you know if a show has been cancelled, ended, or if new episodes are planned and when you can expect them.

The website also lets you browse for shows, view popular or upcoming shows, or submit new TV shows, stations, or statuses. Those features aren’t currently available in the iPhone app.

via reddit

The BBC iPlayer service allows British residents to stream television programs to a computer or mobile device for free… or rather, for the price of the license fee everyone pays to use a television in the UK in the first place. And that’s why it’s taken so long for the BBC to offer the iPlayer service outside of the UK — the broadcaster has had to develop a system for offering a non-commercial service within the UK and a different, revenue-generating service in other countries.

Today the BBC begins rolling out iPlayer service beyond the UK. Apple iPad users in 11 European countries can download a new iPad app starting today.

They’ll be able to watch some ad-supported television programs for free, but to gain access to everything offered they’ll have to pay about 7 Euros ($10) per month or 50 Euros ($72) per year.

There’s another key difference between the international app and the service available to British television viewers. In the UK the iPlayer lets you see programs from the last 7 days so that if you miss an episode you can catch up quickly. The international app will be a video-on-demand service with TV shows from as far back as 60 years ago. The BBC will offer 1500 hours of programming at launch with more coming all the time.

The new app will allow users to stream video over WiFi or 3G connections, and users can cache videos for offline viewing.

Today the iPlayer iPad app will hit 11 countries in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Later this year it will also be available in the US, Canada, and Australia.

The Guardian reports the BBC is running a one-year pilot project. That means eventually we may see apps for other platforms including Android or the web. It also means we may see the whole thing just go away if it the international iPlayer doesn’t make a profit.

I somehow suspect that there are enough fans of Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Top Gear alone to make sure that doesn’t happen though.

The good news is that CNN is now broadcasting its 24-hour live news channel over the internet for free. You can tune in on a desktop web browser or using an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. The bad (but not particularly surprising) news is that you’ll need to be a paid TV subscriber to use the service.

If you go to CNN.com/video and click the Live button, you’ll see a key icon that says “Unlock to watch.” In order to unlock, you need to provide your account information for your cable, satellite, or other premium TV provider such as Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-Verse.

That makes sense, since CNN and television providers work out deals worth an awful lot of money. But considering just how much news CNN and other news outlets offers for free on its website — and the fact that there are commercials embedded in the live stream, it’d be nice to see the network come up with a way to offer a stream for non-subscribers.

If you’re not a cable subscriber — or if you have an Android device, you can always get live news coverage from Al Jazeera English.

The CW has released a new app for iOS which lets you stream full-length episodes of TV shows including 90210, Gossip Girl, Supernatural, and the Vampire Diaries.

You won’t find complete seasons here, just the last few episodes of each show. There are also clips and photos available — but honestly, the photos section seems more like a bug than a feature. Basically you get to look at thumbnail icons of logos for each TV show, or the word “new.”

The app also features TV listings letting you know what programs are coming up on the CW network. Since it only covers primetime broadcasts, there’s not really much to see.

Still, if you’ve been dying to catch up on recent episodes of Nikita on your iPhone, now you can. The video quality is decent, but each show is broken up into six segments. I suspect eventually the CW will throw ads between the segments, but for now you just have to wait a moment for the next bit to load before you continue watching.

The CW Full Episodes app is available as a free download from the App Store.

via Gizmodo

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TiVo offers a pretty nifty iPad app that allows subscribers to view program guides and schedule recordings on their digital video recorders. So far TiVo hasn’t released anything like it for Android users — but Virgin Media has.

The UK-based TV provider offers TiVo service to subscribers, and now customers can download a free app from the Android Market which functions as a program guide and recording scheduler. You can use the app to search for programs and set your DVR to record a show even if you’re nowhere near your TV. The app supports individual recordings and Season Passes.

That’s about it for the functionality though. The iPad app also lets you use your tablet as a remote control — you can start playing a program on your TV by flicking your finger on the iPad. It also shows detailed cast and crew information and lets you search Netflix, Amazon, and other video-on-demand offerings. Those features are missing in Virgin’s TV Guide app for now.

There’s no word on if or when TiVo will launch an official version of the app for customers in the US and elsewhere.

via Zatz Not Funny and Engadget