BBC iPlayer

BBC iPlayer screenshot
BBC iPlayer screenshot

BBC iPlayer is two things - online television and online radio.

BBC iPlayer television

What's good:

BBC iPlayer is probably the world's best website for watching television programmes. It's not in easy English, but if your English is already good, you can use it to develop your listening skills. If your English is good - and if you're in Britain - it's a "10 out of 10" website. Click to go to BBC iPlayer.

With iPlayer, you can watch all BBC television programmes on your computer, all day if you want to. What does it cost?

  • Cost of internet data. Of course, if your internet contract gives you unlimited data, you don't pay any more to your internet provider or mobile phone company.
  • The iPlayer service costs about £150 per year. This is the "licence fee" for using a television in Britain. Even if you have no television, and you just want permission to watch iPlayer on your computer, you should buy a television licence. But if you live as part of a family that already has a TV licence, you don't need to buy another one. Click for full details.

    • The BBC iPlayer service really is wonderful:

    • The BBC produces most of its own TV and radio programmes, which are often excellent
    • The BBC has its own Natural History Unit, which makes incredibly good films about wildlife and nature
    • TV programmes on iPlayer have subtitles, which is great if you want to improve your listening skills
    • The BBC is independent. It doesn't have to sell advertising space. It gets most of its money from the licence fee. So, corporations, politicians and religious groups can't tell it what to say.

    What's not so good:

    There is one problem. I'm writing this page in 2018. At present, BBC iPlayer video is only available in the United Kingdom. The UK is England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. If you're outside the UK ("abroad" or "overseas") you can't watch it. Not even if you're happy to pay the £150.

    The BBC says it wants to offer iPlayer to everybody in the world, but there are complex legal reasons why it can't do this at present.

     

    BBC iPlayer Radio

    This is a website for listening to BBC radio, anywhere in the world. It's free. Click to go to iPlayer radio

    What's good:

    Listen as much as you like. You don't have to pay, and there are no advertisements. There is always new material, and there are big archives of old radio programmes. Simply listen online, or download "podcasts" from your favourite channel:

    • Radio 4 is mainly news and factual programmes.
    • Radio 3 is mainly classical music, with some factual programmes and some early music and world music.
    • Radio 1 and Radio 2 are mainly pop music and light entertainment.
    • BBC World Service is mainly news in a wide range of languages, including English.

      • What's not so good:

      Because these are radio programmes, even if they are delivered by internet, you can't see the faces of the people who are talking. This makes it harder to understand.

      Also, they're not in easy English, so they're best for people whose level of English is B2 (Upper Intermediate), C1 (Advanced) and C2 (Mastery).

      I don't think there are any subtitles or text transcripts, so you can't read the words while you listen.

      You have to register with the BBC to use the service. However the registration process is fast and free, and they say they don't give your data to other people.