The iPlayer currently only allows viewers to watch programmes broadcast in the past week, which means people who watch an episode part-way through a series have no means of catching up with the show from the beginning.

But from 13 September, the BBC will start offering "series stacking" on a select number of shows, such as BBC One's Tess Of The D'Urbervilles and BBC Two's History of Climate Change.

There are limits
 

to the series stacking service, however. Only 15% of the BBC's output is allowed to be offered for series stacking, as part of the BBC Trust's measures to prevent the service from harming commercial rivals. Channel 4's on-demand service, for example, offers every episode of a wide range of its shows - including popular comedies such as Drop The Dead Donkey and Spaced - for free.

The BBC's series stacking service will only initially be available for streaming - which offers poorer picture quality than the full download service because of its limited bit-rate. That said, the BBC is beginning to offer "high quality" 800kb/sec streams using the H.264 format on certain programmes.

Series stacking will be extended to full downloads and TV platforms (such as Virgin Media) "in due course".

"Series stacking marks a key development in our strategy to let audiences view our programmes whenever and wherever they want," claims BBC Vision's controller of multiplatform and portfolio, Simon Nelson.

click here

Post edited at 5:25 am on Aug. 29, 2008 by King Kong

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Pandora didn't think outside the box

I wonder if programs I actually watch will be series stacked.

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From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

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Fingers crossed for Doctor Who!

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we'll find out if a series of DR who will be on it in 2010.

the 'gap year'

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Pandora didn't think outside the box

i hate 4OD -cry it doesn't work on my computer.. like sucks to be me.. and i hate it when they charge chu

but ehy woopwoop

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Chicken

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It lags for me. It's also a rip off for 4oD. I have both, and I prefer Channel 4's version.

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I have both, they both work fine for me =\

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From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

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Coolies,  

i hate 4OD -cry it doesn't work on my computer.. like sucks to be me.. and i hate it when they charge chu  

but ehy woopwoop

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I greet this news with great pleasure, though I hope that the series I watch will be stacked and not just some shit in the corner.

Post edited at 5:26 am on Aug. 29, 2008 by marshmellowman

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and victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace.