iPlayer on freesat: BBC broadens beta trial
Everyone's favourite Auntie has announced that the trial of the catch-up iPlayer service on freesat has been extended to lucky devils with a Humax-branded freesat HD or freesat+ set-top box
Freesat fans with a nasty habit of missing their favourite shows have cause to rejoice today. The BBC has confirmed that it is extending its beta trial for the catch-up iPlayer service on freesat to everyone who has a Humax-branded freesat HD or freesat+ digital box.
People without a Humax-branded box may be missing out, but only in the short term, as Auntie plans to make iPlayer available to those with other freesat HD boxes and freesat HD tellies in the coming months. Alas, those unfortunate souls who own standard-definition freesat boxes look set to be left out in the cold until they upgrade.
If you can meet the box-compatibility requirements, you'll also need at least a 1Mbps broadband connection to ensure that programmes play smoothly. Then prepare yourself for some button pressing. You'll need to head to BBC One, press the red button on your remote, and, when the menu loads, type in '5483' and then press 'OK'. The message 'Number not found' will appear, but ignore this, just as you would an elderly relative, and iPlayer will load in a few seconds.
The BBC's mission to extend iPlayer's tentacles into everyone's living room is gathering momentum, with the service also set to be built into Wi-Fi-enabled Samsung TVs. Busy people who enjoy chavs threatening each other on The Jeremy Kyle Show can also look forward to ITV Player being offered on freesat at some point in the first half of this year.
Have you tried iPlayer on freesat yet? Is your head almost entirely bald after prolonged bouts of pulling your hair in frustration? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.