UKTV Play, the advert supported catch-up and on-demand service for the BBC’s commercial channels, is going High Definition from November.
Offering catch-up content from UKTV’s free to air channels – Dave, Drama, Yesterday and W – the service is available on all Freeview Play set top boxes and TVs plus as a downloaded app for streaming devices such as Amazon’s Fire TV range.
Currently limited to Standard Definition on all platforms, the service will move to HD from November starting with new uploads which will be available in 720p and 1080p delivered via adaptive bitrate streaming. Back catalogue content, for which a HD master exists, will be re-encoded in phases.
The service is also getting a rebrand aimed at securing its place “in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape”.
General Manager for Digital, Andrea Amey, said, “This rebrand marks the beginning of a real step change for UKTV Play.
“With over six million registered users and thousands of new hours of content being made available on the service this year, I’m delighted that our new brand creative unites our channel brands like never before and perfectly encapsulates UKTV Play’s warm tone and playful spirit.”