Virgin Media Player streaming video for mobile and Web launches in beta

Virgin Media Player, the company's long-awaited online catch-up service, launches today for the Web and mobile phones. It's initially a beta test, and will be available to customers with its most expensive XL TV package, as long as they also have a Virgin broadband connection. Registration will happen via the beta site, which you can find at virginmedia.com/player.

The company says it will be making hundreds of hours of content available for the trial, including shows from ITV, Living, MTV and other broadcasters. Even South Park will be available, which should waste a significant amount of work hours while people watch loveable but sweary cartoon characters go about their business in a sleepy Colorado town.

Excitingly, the company will also be making streaming video available to mobile phones on pay-monthly Virgin Mobile contracts only. Customers get one free hour of streaming video per day, but there are no pricing details if you should want more than that. Nothing has been announced regarding pay as you go customers or non-Virgin mobiles.

Content on the mobile service will include video from MTV Snax, which specialises in short video from shows such as Cribs and The Hills. Channel 4 will also be supplying (presumably full) shows from its 4oD service.

Things are going rather well for Virgin at the moment. The company has announced better than expected revenue, added customers and managed to gain access to Sky's HD sport and movie channels, as well as an exclusive deal to provide Film4 HD. 

More shows and content will be added as the company works its way to a full launch later in the year, but no specific date has yet been given.