BBC iPlayer on Nintendo Wii

This week the Beeb launched a version of iPlayer for the Nintendo Wii.

Having a Wii in the household I thought I would check it out. Video on
demand to a big screen - interetsing in principle.

All I can say is that at 800kbps (or whatever it is) this is absolutely
unwatchable on a telly.

I don't think Freesat / Freeview / Sky or the UK's legions of dish and
aerial installers need to quake in their boots just yet.

david

"Vortex3" wrote in message
...
This week the Beeb launched a version of iPlayer for the Nintendo Wii.

Having a Wii in the household I thought I would check it out. Video on
demand to a big screen - interetsing in principle.

All I can say is that at 800kbps (or whatever it is) this is absolutely
unwatchable on a telly.

What imposes that particular speed limit?

I don't know how iPlayer works; is it full SD?

--
Max Demian

"Vortex3" wrote in message
...
: This week the Beeb launched a version of iPlayer for the Nintendo Wii.
:
: Having a Wii in the household I thought I would check it out. Video on
: demand to a big screen - interetsing in principle.
:
: All I can say is that at 800kbps (or whatever it is) this is absolutely
: unwatchable on a telly.
:
: I don't think Freesat / Freeview / Sky or the UK's legions of dish and
: aerial installers need to quake in their boots just yet.
:
: david
:


My PC plugs into the TV. iPlayer plays in full SD and is MUCH clearer than
terrestrial broadcasts.

I assume the reason for the low quality is the low spec of the Wii. But
surely it plays DVDs doesn't it? Maybe it's just a test run.

"Vortex3" wrote in message
...
This week the Beeb launched a version of iPlayer for the Nintendo Wii.

Having a Wii in the household I thought I would check it out. Video on
demand to a big screen - interetsing in principle.

All I can say is that at 800kbps (or whatever it is) this is absolutely
unwatchable on a telly.

I don't think Freesat / Freeview / Sky or the UK's legions of dish and
aerial installers need to quake in their boots just yet.


We got a Wii how does one do this?

--
Regards,
David

Please reply to News Group

"David" wrote in message
...
:
:
: "Vortex3" wrote in message
: ...
: This week the Beeb launched a version of iPlayer for the Nintendo Wii.
:
: Having a Wii in the household I thought I would check it out. Video on
: demand to a big screen - interetsing in principle.
:
: All I can say is that at 800kbps (or whatever it is) this is absolutely
: unwatchable on a telly.
:
: I don't think Freesat / Freeview / Sky or the UK's legions of dish and
: aerial installers need to quake in their boots just yet.
:
:
: We got a Wii how does one do this?
:

So long as you're connected to the internet, it should appear as a channel.
According to the Beeb anyway....

Max Demian wrote:
"Vortex3" wrote in message
...
This week the Beeb launched a version of iPlayer for the Nintendo Wii.

Having a Wii in the household I thought I would check it out. Video on
demand to a big screen - interetsing in principle.

All I can say is that at 800kbps (or whatever it is) this is absolutely
unwatchable on a telly.

What imposes that particular speed limit?

I don't know how iPlayer works; is it full SD?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/04/bbc_iplayer_on_wii.html

The flash 7 player on the wii has a considered poor codec that requires
transcoding & stream delivery at 820kbps compared with 500kbps on the
main PC site for flash 8+. This is basically youtube quality...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/11/wii_iplayer_ps3/

The PS3 community was getting upset they've been left out, so they've
taken matters into their own hands... ;-)

--
Adrian C

Cork Soaker wrote:
"David" wrote in message
...
:
:
: "Vortex3" wrote in message
: ...
: This week the Beeb launched a version of iPlayer for the Nintendo Wii.
:
: Having a Wii in the household I thought I would check it out. Video on
: demand to a big screen - interetsing in principle.
:
: All I can say is that at 800kbps (or whatever it is) this is absolutely
: unwatchable on a telly.
:
: I don't think Freesat / Freeview / Sky or the UK's legions of dish and
: aerial installers need to quake in their boots just yet.
:
:
: We got a Wii how does one do this?
:

So long as you're connected to the internet, it should appear as a channel.
According to the Beeb anyway....


The channel isn't ready but if you go to www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer in the
Wii Internet Channel (Opera browser) then it now works. No full screen
when I tried it yesterday and the quality is poor due to it using Flash
7 as described by Adrian C earlier in the thread. I assume it will be
much better quality when they have a stand-alone iplayer channel available.

Stewart

My PC plugs into the TV. iPlayer plays in full SD and is MUCH clearer
than
terrestrial broadcasts.

I assume the reason for the low quality is the low spec of the Wii. But
surely it plays DVDs doesn't it? Maybe it's just a test run.


My (perhape naive) interpretation is that iPlayer on the PC downloads the
program to your PC for viewing, and is at a somewhat higher bit rate that
Wii iPlayer, which simply streams the video in "real time".

I also have a Hauppage "Freeview" card in my PC.

To compa

Recording of Doctor Who last night is 1.89GB for total 54 minutes @
broadcast quality = 35 MB / minute

Download of Doctor Who from PC iPlayer is 600MB ofr a claimed 60 minutes (?)
= 10MB / minute

Viewing streaming Doctor Who on a Wii = 800 kbits/sec ~= 6MB/Minute

: My (perhape naive) interpretation is that iPlayer on the PC downloads the
: program to your PC for viewing, and is at a somewhat higher bit rate that
: Wii iPlayer, which simply streams the video in "real time".
:
: I also have a Hauppage "Freeview" card in my PC.
:
: To compa
:
: Recording of Doctor Who last night is 1.89GB for total 54 minutes @
: broadcast quality = 35 MB / minute
:
: Download of Doctor Who from PC iPlayer is 600MB ofr a claimed 60 minutes
(?)
: = 10MB / minute
:
: Viewing streaming Doctor Who on a Wii = 800 kbits/sec ~= 6MB/Minute

Supposedly the reason is the Wii uses an old version of Flash, and the
bandwidth should actually be higher to compensate.

We'll see what happens when the Wii Channel is launched properly. Maybe
Nintendo will release updated firmware/OS to do things better. Don't hold
your breath.

In message , Cork Soaker
writes

: My (perhape naive) interpretation is that iPlayer on the PC downloads the
: program to your PC for viewing, and is at a somewhat higher bit rate that
: Wii iPlayer, which simply streams the video in "real time".
:
: I also have a Hauppage "Freeview" card in my PC.
:
: To compa
:
: Recording of Doctor Who last night is 1.89GB for total 54 minutes @
: broadcast quality = 35 MB / minute
:
: Download of Doctor Who from PC iPlayer is 600MB ofr a claimed 60 minutes
(?)
: = 10MB / minute
:
: Viewing streaming Doctor Who on a Wii = 800 kbits/sec ~= 6MB/Minute

Supposedly the reason is the Wii uses an old version of Flash, and the
bandwidth should actually be higher to compensate.

We'll see what happens when the Wii Channel is launched properly. Maybe
Nintendo will release updated firmware/OS to do things better. Don't hold
your breath.


Is it possible, when watching TV on the Wii, to use the Nunchuck to give
somebody a slap?
--
Ian