London - The BBC on Friday launched its long-awaited iPlayer, an online service that allows British users to download a large portion of the broadcaster's programming from the past week, Reuters reported.

The iPlayer will offer nearly 70% of the BBC's output, a total of 400 hours of programming that includes episodes of series like "Doctor Who" and "EastEnders."

The service is only compatible with Windows XP PCs, and does not allow users to permanently store programs.

"Our vision is for BBC iPlayer to become a universal service available not just over the Internet, but also on cable and other TV platforms, and eventually on mobiles and smart handheld devices," said Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of future media and technology.

Related Links:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070727/tc_nm/britain_bbc_dc_1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer