Finding programmes is very simple - you can use the search box, the 'day' list or the 'channel' list.
Just type in the title of a programme or just type in one word from the title of the show you're looking for. Press the search button and browse the results.
If you know the day that a programme was shown on 'normal TV', click a day link to find it. You will only find programmes from BBC and ITV in this section.
Browse programmes by selecting a channel from the left hand channel list.
Programmes shown on the BBC are made available on the iPlayer the next day, where you can watch it on your PC.
The iPlayer does not include all programmes shown by the BBC, as some are subject to legal restrictions (for instance the BBC may not have the right to put them on the internet).
There are two ways to watch shows on the iPlayer, by streaming (PC and Mac) and by downloading (PC only).
This means that once you are in the iPlayer website you just click the "play" button on the screen and start watching. You need to stay online for the entire programme.
If you would like to store the programme offline, you should choose to download.
To stream programmes you need:
Downloading allows you to store the programme on your computer (PCs only - currently the service is not available to Macs or PCs using Linux although the BBC is working on this). You will need to install the iPlayer download software.
You can store a downloaded programme for up to 30 days. When you first start watching the programme, you have seven days until it expires and is no longer available to you.
To download programmes to your Windows PC (the download is not yet available for Mac or Linux) you will need:
You need to be using
If you don't have Windows Media Player 9 or later you can download it free from the Microsoft Website
For more help on the BBC iPlayer, visit the BBC iPlayer help page
This is a free service available from itv.com allowing you to see recent programmes you may have missed and to watch classic programmes from the ITV archives.
These are the minimum requirements for use of the ITV Video Player:
The service is currently only available on PCs with the Windows Internet Explorer environment (ITV is working on making it available on Macs).
More help on the ITV Video Player is available on the ITV Website
Five Download is a paid-for service and is available at five.tv. It allows you to purchase selected Five downloaded programmes for rent.
Five Download is a paid-for service. prices vary between 99p and £2.49 per episode; for example 99p for an episode of Grey's Anatomy Season 2 and £1.49 for an episode of CSI:New York Season 1.
The programmes are rented for 14 days and you can watch them as many times as you like during that period
The Season Pass allows you to download all of the episodes in a season. Each episode is available to you for 14 days after download and you can watch it as many times as you like. Season Passes are valid for 12 months. A Season Pass for CSI Season 8 is £39.99; a Season Pass for CSI:Miami is £29.99.
You will need to download software that allows you to store the programme files on your computer.
These are the minimum requirements for downloading and player Five programmes:
More help on Five Download can be found on the Five Download help pages
You are required to register to use this service.
Sky Anytime on PC is an on-demand service for your computer giving you access to Sky TV series. Anyone in the UK or Ireland with a multimedia computer can use Sky Anytime on PC. You do not have to be a Sky customer - you can pay for downloads using a credit or debit card.
To get Sky Anytime on PC you will need:
Some programmes are available at no extra cost if you have the relevant Sky TV package, and some are available regardless of package as Pay Per View or Buy To Own. Sky also has a sports subscription which is available of you don't have the Sky TV Sports Mix or are not a Sky TV customer. A full price list is available.
Joost is a free service, offering you a library of 20,000 programmes to watch on your Mac or PC. It has a number of 'community features', for instance, allowing you to chat with some friends and other channel viewers while watching, post screenshots and links on your Joost blog.
You need to register to use Joost
For more help and information about Joost visit the Joost support website.
Most of the services can detect whether you have the correct requirements to watch their programmes - so it's really not too difficult to get going!.
If we haven't answered your questions or you are still confused, use these links for more information and help.
