BBC isn't playing catch-up on IPTV

Prepare to have the way you watch TV changed forever. The BBC's call for volunteers to test out its new iMP (integrated Media Player) trial seems to have been like digital catnip to its many fans -- over 30,000 people have registered and 5,000 have been chosen to participate. The iMP is a media viewer that provides TV and radio through the Internet, up to seven days after the original broadcast. It's a bit like a Sky Plus box, but free, and on your PC.

Tony Ageh, BBC Controller, Internet, said in a press release, "It has the potential to truly revolutionise the way that people watch and listen to programmes."

You can get a glimpse of the potential of this technology on the BBC Three site, where you can download complete episodes of the comedy show Nighty Night. Of course, this type of delivery system will completely usurp satellite and terrestrial TV, making Sky dishes a fascinating relic of a distant age, pored over by futuristically dressed schoolchildren reading science holobooks. Televisions too will be consigned to dusty cases in the basement of the British Museum. The whole ludicrous concept of television distributed via any medium than the Internet will probably be grounds for commital in the not-too-distant future.

By mid-October, the trial's participants will also be able to watch downloaded programmes with subtitles. The BBC will be monitoring the volunteers' viewing habits and recording their views on iMP until the end of the year. -CS