BBC releases iPlayer beta

The BBC's online, on-demand TV iPlayer was released for public download on Friday following its launch a month ago.

The beta version of the service is available for Windows XP users, less than three months after the service received the green light from the corporation's independent governing body, the BBC Trust.

The BBC is requesting feedback from early iPlayer users to iron out any issues before a bigger marketing push is made in the autumn.

The fact the iPlayer is only available for Windows XP has caused some controversy, with non-Windows users feeling they have been excluded.

The Open Source Consortium met with the BBC Trust recently to discuss concerns about the iPlayer's lack of compatibility with other platforms.

In addition, an e-petition posted on the 10 Downing Street website, asking the prime minister to instruct the BBC to make the iPlayer cross-platform, has clocked up almost 12,500 signatures so far.

The beta version of the service can be downloaded by going to the iPlayer website.