The era of streaming continues to expand without signs of slowing down. In the past, rooftop antennas or satellite dishes were necessary for TV viewing, but now, broadband technology allows for seamless content streaming directly to televisions. Streaming offers a more convenient alternative to traditional viewing methods, especially for placing a TV in areas without access to antenna connections.
However, internet-based viewing poses a challenge, particularly when it comes to live sports broadcasts. Latency, which refers to delays in live streams compared to over-the-air signals, can cause viewers to lag behind real-time events. This delay can lead to situations where viewers streaming a match may not have seen a goal scored while others have already received notifications on messaging apps like WhatsApp.
To address this issue, Sky has introduced new streaming devices like Sky Glass and Sky Stream that provide access to sports content with minimal delay compared to live broadcasts. Following suit, the BBC has now implemented a similar update to reduce latency for viewers using devices such as Fire TV Sticks, Sony TVs, and BT set-top boxes.
According to Melissa Darragh, Senior R&D Engineer, the BBC is expanding its low latency streaming trial on BBC iPlayer beta to include more supported devices and prolong the testing phase. This extended trial aims to assess the performance of low latency streaming in real-world conditions, outside laboratory settings, across various networks and scenarios.
The BBC anticipates that this extension will enhance the viewing experience for users watching live events, including breaking news, sports matches, concerts, and more. The broadcaster encourages more households to participate in the trial to gather additional feedback and insights.
Viewers using supported devices can engage in the trial by switching to iPlayer Beta and watching BBC Two live streams from 8 am to 10 pm BST, with the trial stream available for viewers located in England or Scotland. The trial is expected to run for approximately one month. The BBC assures that apart from reduced delays, viewers should not notice significant differences when watching the trial stream. In case of any issues, viewers can easily switch back to the conventional stream by opting out of iPlayer beta through the Settings menu.
Here is a list of compatible devices for the trial:
– Fire TV Edition 4K 2022
– Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen)
– BT TV Box Pro
– Sky Glass Gen 1
– Some Bush TVs, including U43F8C and U43F8V models
– Sony TVs, including XR-A95K series and XR-X90K series
– Some Toshiba TVs, including 43UV2363DB and 50UV2363DB models
