BBC iPlayer gets ITV / Channel 4 / Channel 5 content

From today, you will be able to use the iPlayer website to search for and browse content from its competing services (ITV Player, 4oD and Five on Demand). This is part of a program where by the content providers share meta-data with each other, allowing users to search via one site but will still have to go to the other to view the content.

The other content will be accessible via the search system or the scheduling tools on the iPlayer site.

There are limitations and restrictions with this service, like content that may not be complete but this is a start to sharing data between the sites, working towards central systems that will be able to view all content.

Next question I have, is will WE be able to get this meta-data to provide links to the content here… we can hope that’ll come eventually!