Millions of households in the UK are increasingly embracing online streaming services over traditional TV methods like aerial or satellite dish connections. Recent data from Sky indicates a surge in sales of its broadband-powered Glass TV and Stream Box, with the recent introduction of Freely, a new offering providing live TV via the internet.
The shift towards online streaming is fueled by the vast content options, user-friendly interfaces, and convenient DIY setup, driving the rapid growth of this trend. However, a common frustration for viewers, especially sports enthusiasts, is the noticeable delay in live broadcasts.
Popular services such as BBC iPlayer can have delays of up to 30-40 seconds, which can significantly impact the viewing experience during live sports events. Recognizing this issue, Sky has taken steps to reduce latency on its streaming devices, cutting down delays to just a few seconds.
In response to competitor advancements, the BBC has confirmed its efforts to address latency issues on iPlayer, acknowledging the current delay of around 40 seconds. The BBC emphasized the importance of minimizing delays, particularly for live sports and events with social media engagement, to enhance the overall viewing experience through “low latency streaming.”
The BBC is actively working on implementing these improvements, inviting iPlayer users to participate in testing the new features before an official rollout. Owners of 3rd and 2nd generation Amazon Fire TV Sticks, as well as Samsung CU8000 and CU8500 TV users, can access the iPlayer Beta experience in their settings to enjoy reduced stream lag during the trial phase.
During the initial trial period, viewers can test the low latency streaming on BBC Two between 9 am and 5 pm, by enabling the ‘iPlayer beta’ option in settings and setting their location to England or Scotland. The BBC aims to evaluate the performance of low latency streaming in real-world scenarios and plans to expand the trial based on user feedback and performance metrics.