We are already used to music download services, and their purpose is extremely clear. Still, it seems the English consider it's time for a service dedicated to video content, especially for receiving TV shows in an order specified by the user.

BBC has started to look for participants for a new online content distribution system, called Interactive Media Player (iMP). For 3 months, over 5,000 families will be included in a program that allows the download of radio and TV shows transmitted by BBC; the download will be available a week after the initial airplay. Obviously all testers must have a broadband Internet connection.


Due to the similar structure, BBC called this service „iTunes for television". However, there are many differences between the two technologies, the most important being that iMP is a free solution. Another difference lies in the settings imposed by the digital rights management, according to which, downloaded files are deactivated a week after the initial airplay of the show, preventing in this way the transfer to other users.


Because the demand is very high, more and more solutions designed to provide multimedia content are starting to be released. In this way, Microsoft Media Center, Sky and now iMP are announced as technologies which will be implemented at a large scale.