World Cup season is upon us once again! Every four years we all go crazy watching 22 men kick about a leather sphere, make heroes of goal-scoring stars and endure heartbreak when we get knocked out. And we love it! Except for the heartbreak bit of course.

Still, if there's only one thing worse than going out in the final on penalties, it's missing the game altogether because you can't get near a TV.

But fear not! There a loads of ways to watch the World Cup online these days, using all sorts of different devices. Mobiles, tablets and PCs, there's a way to watch the matches on pretty much anything that has a screen these days!

So here's Tech Digest's quick guide on how to watch the World Cup on a PC, iPad, iPhone or Android handset.

Click through below to get to the device you're after.

The BBC today launched a pretty substantial re-vamp of their iPlayer video-on demand service. Adding customisable modules and integrating social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, the BBC look to have really paid attention to what the public have asked for from their web TV page.

Anna from Shiny Shiny was on-hand to have a look at the press event held this morning. Check out the videos below for her first impressions of BBC iPlayer's fresh lick of paint.

Eric Huggers, Controller of BBC Future Media, was in town today to talk about the latest re-vamped version of BBC iPlayer, Auntie's video on demand service that has taken the nation by storm.

Shiny Shiny's Anna was on hand to give him a grilling, finding out how the BBC are planning to integrate social networks like Twitter and Facebook with the service, as well as a few hints at what the future might hold for the BBC's video on demand plans.

Hit the video above to check out the interview.

The BBC's Anthony Rose and Erik Huggers have today been showing off the fruits of a brand new revamp for the BBC's video on demand service, iPlayer. Customisation options and the introduction of social networking features sit at the top of the agenda for iPlayer version 3.0.

iPlayer will be introducing customisable modules that can be moved about by the user. It'll be instantly familiar to users of Google's iGoogle pages, meaning that you only have to have the iPlayer features you most like, remembered each time you log on. There will also be a new recommendation system, suggesting programs based on what you've watched before.

An all new desktop version of iPlayer will also be introduced, with settings to download future episodes in a series as soon as they become available.

Twitter and Facebook will also be integrated into the service, along with a Windows Live Messenger BBC ID. You'll be able to share what you're watching straight to the networks, whilst Messenger will show in real-time how many minutes you are in to any iPlayer program, allow you to sync your viewing with pals.

The new iPlayer will even suggest you visit other channel's video on demand content. A module will offer links to shows on ITV Player, 4OD, Clic, SeeSaw and Demand Five. Of course, the BBC will not host this content, just offer the meta-data to access it. Sky too are said to be considering being added to the list.

"When I think back to what it looked like in launch, I think it's already changed a great deal. The service has done a phenomenal job," said Huggers. "We're just scratching the service of video on demand".

Sounds like some real thought has gone into this update. Head over to http://beta.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ to check out a beta-stage version of the release, set to go live officially at the end of June.

A survey of 2,000 UK workers conducted by ISP Eclipse has suggested that as much as half the British workforce plan on sneakily streaming World Cup matches at work on their office PCs.

54 percent will tune into some of the games on their work computers, with a quarter believing there would be no impact on the speed of applications if all employees watched games online at work via online streaming sites.

However, while the inevitable penalty shoot-outs may wreak havoc on our nerves, mass-streaming at work could also cause office networks to falter.

Clodagh Murphy, director of Eclipse, said: "UK workers clearly want to watch World Cup matches live on their PCs. However, we advise all businesses to be mindful about the impact this could have on their day-to-day business operations. Streamed content uses a lot of bandwidth and this could seriously impact the performance of their business internet connection."
 
"It could take much longer to download important files or use business-critical applications such as e-commerce sites, email or online backup. It might even lead to office computer systems crashing," she said.

Eclipse expect major problems to hit workplace networks on June 23rd at around 3pm. Why? It's England's group match against Slovenia, and their only group stage game kicking-off during work hours.

Plenty of reasons to celebrate over at YouTube HQ today. Not only is it the 5th birthday of the launch of the service's beta site, but the video streaming site has also announced a massive landmark in that its users now watch 2 billion videos every day.

"I don't think we could have ever planned or imagined we would get to the scale or the size we are today. We were mostly trying to create a video solution for ourselves based on our own frustrations. We are proud of what we have achieved so far but we have a lot of work ahead," said co-founder Chad Hurley.

To mark the occasion, YouTube are launching the "My YouTube Story" channel, where they are encouraging film makers and casual uploaders to share their experiences of using the site. The content will eventually be curated by Stephen Higgins, culminating in a documentary on the impact of YouTube.

Check out the infographic below for a nicely detailed look back at the stats and history of the world's most popular video platform.

Via: BBC

Blinkbox, the online movie and TV streaming platform, is headed to the PS3. Facing stiff competition from Sony's own Playstation Video Store and the incoming LoveFilm streaming service, Blinkbox hopes to stare down the its rivals with a competitive pricing structure.

Users will be able to both rent and buy shows and films using Blinkbox. Rented shows will cost £0.39 per episode and movies will cost £0.99, to be watched an unlimited number of times within 24 hours.

Prices for buying shows and films begin at £0.89 and £2.99 respectively. These can be streamed an unlimited number of times and are stored in an online library.

Blinkbox also has a few PS3 focussed features to differentiate the service from the one they already provide to PC users. Blinkbox will automatically resize video for PS3 users to find the best possible fit for the display they are watching on, while the controls have been refined to better fit a gamepad.

Blinkbox have already signed deals with major studios including Universal, Paramount and Warner Brothers, meaning the likes of The Hangover and Inglorious Basterds can be streamed, alongside shows such as Shameless and The League of Gentleman.

Any service that encourages competitive pricing for streamed rentals is a good thing in our ooks. We'll be keeping a close eye on Blinkbox.

For more info, click here.

The BBC are said to be introducing a new feature to their iPlayer TV catch-up service called "I Recommend" which would allow users to comment on and recommend their favourite shows to other users through Twitter integration.

Though the BBC have strongly denied that they plan to take their web content into a more socially driven direction, the integration of Twitter into the iPlayer has been on the cards since BBC technology boss Erik Huggers noted an annual 3,000% growth in micro-blogging at BAFTA's C21 Future Media Conference.

This one will get interesting for anyone with international friends on their Twitter lists. It looks as though you'll be able to recommend programmes to them, but unless they are a UK resident, all you'll really be doing is gloating as they wont have access to the shows!

No word yet on if or when the Twitter feature will see the light of day, but we'll keep you posted.

Via: Paid Content

Yahoo! has announced that they have acquired the rights to show highlights from the English Premier League. With a contract that stretches up to 2013, web-surfing footy fans will be able to watch highlights from every single match as of this coming August.

The news follows similar acquisitions by Yahoo! allowing them to show highlights from the NBA, PGA, MLB and NHL in the US. This, however, is the first major sporting deal for Yahoo! in the UK.

Heading over to Yahoo.co.uk at the beginning of next season will allow you to view weekend match highlights from midnight on a Sunday, or from midnight on the same day for mid-week games.

Name: iViewer (Cello)

Type: 32" LCD TV

Specs:

• Contrast ratio: 3,000:1
• Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080p)
• Connectivity: 2x HDMI, Composite, VGA, PC Audio, S-Video, 2x Scart, RF, 2x USB, Ethernet
• Speakers: Nicam Stereo 2x 10 W
• Dimensions:22"H (including base) x 31"W x 4" D
• Features: BBC iPlayer, Web TV, DLNA home networking, news widgets
• Price: £499

Brit based TV manufacturers Cello have made a bold move with their iViewer range. By being one of the earliest web-connected TVs and the first to have BBC's iPlayer as a built-in widget, they are going where none of the big name brands have gone before. But has capitalising upon this brief window of opportunity left them flailing elsewhere with the set? Certainly, but the TV does still hold it's own.

Sensibly, Cello have kept the aesthetics here rather simple. A glossy black frame about two thirds of an inch thick surrounds the screen, while a speaker bar about an inch in height lies just underneath. The screen can be wall mounted, but at 22"H (including base) x 31"W x 4" D it's rather chunky. I'd recommend using the supplied base stand, which is again glossy, black and discrete. Also, while the main manual supplied is perfectly acceptable, the visual guide thrown in is an absolute joke. It verges on Engrish and looks as though it was put together on MS Paint.

Keeping in mind this is at the budget end of the market for a full HD set (£499), the iViewer's picture quality is reasonably good. 1080p playback of the "Che: Part One" Blu-ray over HDMI through a PS3 showed an acceptably sharp image with a good range of strong colours in brighter scenes, as you would expect with an LCD as opposed to a Plasma. Night scenes were less impressive: there was a fair amount of noise, black levels were respectable but hardly deep and response times suffered in fast moving shots. As a result of the noise and sluggish response times, it doesn't score highly as a set for gaming, as proven by a quick session with "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2". For the money you're paying the image here holds up well, but don't expect it to go troubling the big guns.

Likewise, the speakers aren't the greatest. Hollow and echoey, it's a muddled sound that has little in the way of bass, and poor definition between the mids and treble. Higher volumes sometimes caused a slight rattling too.

But, if you've been following this set, you're likely already aware that this isn't exactly a technophiles television. No, the iViewer's trump card lies in its internet-connected capabilities, or more specifically its BBC iPlayer widget, where it does honestly shine.

Getting connected to the web is relatively simple, via either an optional USB Wi-Fi dongle or Ethernet cable. The input connections area on the back of the TV is far too cramped (especially as the USB Wi-Fi dongle is a bit of a sizey beast), but once you're plugged in it's just a matter of finding your network and entering your WEP key, text message style, with the remote control.

The iPlayer interface (and the TV's web UI in general) was designed by Oregon Networks. They've done a great job. It's a good looking UI across all of the web menus, with big icons simple and well defined for the casual user. There's even a dedicated button on the remote for the iPlayer for easy-access to the service. Searching through the iPlayer catalogue will be easy for anyone remotely familiar with the web service. While playback controls can be a little clunky, visually the iPlayer footage scrubs up quite well on the larger screen, providing you don't expect HD levels of clarity.

Web TV channels didn't fair so well. There are 12 in all at present, including a fully-searchable YouTube, Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food and the Sesame Street podcast. Quality of content varies across each, both visually and in terms of entertainment value, and thanks to some unexplainable file error, I couldn't access the Sesame Street one at all. Which was obviously heartbreaking. Also, the news widgets could do with a little more interactivity, and more options in terms of feed providers.

However, the DLNA home network access is strong and very accessible. Providing your PC is on and sharing allowed, you can access pictures, MP3s and a wide range of the most popular video files including AVI and WMV stored on your computer, though I couldn't get high-def formats to work. In a nice touch, MP3s continue to play in the background whilst you browse other folders for content. It's also worth noting that playback is possible from USB memory sticks, providing you can squeeze it in next to the dongle.

As is now standard, there is also an integrated TV tuner in the iViewer. Visually, broadcasts are good. There was a little noise and a few artefacts, but on the whole very watchable. The 7 day EPG however looks horrendous; from a technical standpoint it's perfectly functional and easy to navigate, but fonts are jagged and the most lurid mix of sharp blues and yellows are used.

While it's far from perfect, it's nevertheless hard to dislike the iViewer. The picture and sound quality aren't the best we've ever seen by a long shot, but it's not epically bad. Just especially average. And while some aspects of the web service don't work too well, the home networking and iPlayer are great, especially as this represents the first roll of the dice for the BBC service on TVs. As you'd expect from a product that's currently a Marks and Spencer's exclusive, it keeps it head down and gets the job done. And if you aren't happy, that M&S guarantee will have you covered.

3/5

Pick up the IViewer here

You've had Netflix, you've had iTunes; the next contestant in the great "Battle of the Online Movie Services" is Sony's Qriocity.

Heading to anything with a Xross Media Bar on it (be it your PS3 or soon-to-be-released web-connected Sony sets) in February, you'll be able to stream video in standard-definition or 720p straight to your screen.

Theres already a load of film publishers backing the service, and Sony promise "hundreds" of films ready to go at launch.

Inspired use of the letter "Q" aside, it's a pretty dumb name for a rather important service. Here's hoping more thought went into the service than the moniker it wears heavily around its neck.

Via: Engadget

Toshiba have been giving all the details for their 2010 plans today at their CES 2010 press conference. President and CEO Atsushi Murasawa admitted 2009 was a tough year for his company and the industry alike, but that didn't stop Toshiba showing off some impressive new home cinema kit.

The most glitzy gear on show was Toshiba's new line of Cell Tvs. Not only will the sets be 3D-ready, but Toshiba representatives also discussed real-time 2D to 3D conversion of video signals using the new Cell TV technology, though there was no demonstration on show.

Though it sounds incredibly exciting, if the Cowboy's Stadium demo was anything to go by Toshiba have their work cut out delivering on that promise.

Toshiba hope that the cell processor powered Tvs will become the ultimate solution for a unified home cinema kit, incorporating 3D tech with internet connectivity and upscaled web TV at 480Hz using the screen's 8 core processors.

A built in Blu-ray player, 1 TB HDD and colour and light sensitive local dimming round out what Toshiba are cringingly dubbing as "Cell-F realisation".

Toshiba also announced a new 3D Blu-ray player, winging its way to shops later in the year. BDX3000 Blu-ray player will be Toshiba's first player to dabble in the third dimension.

To round things up, Toshiba promised to deliver a screen with a 4k x 2x resolution by 2012. Tech Digest waits with baited breath!

Click here for more CES 2010 coverage from Tech Digest

Tech Digest at CES is sponsored by Best Buy. For more CES stories and
videos go here.

Channel Five has signed a new deal with YouTube, allowing users to stream a whole host of Channel Five shows over the web. The three-year deal will let users view Five's shows online for up to 30 days after they are initially broadcast.

250 hours worth of shows are currently available through YouTube, including top shows such as Neighbours, Home and Away and The Gadget Show.

Five's US line-up is currently not featured in the service, though Five are confident an agreement with the US rights holders will soon be made, making the content available online.

Check out Channel Five's YouTube service here.

Wonderful news that will gladden the heart of any ageing geek - the BBC has put a selection of clips and full length programmes from its pioneering popular science show Tomorrow's World online. For anyone born after 1990, or who lives outside the UK, Tomorrow's World was an early evening show in which the presenters paraded a range of gadgets and innovations that they predicted were going to change the way in which we lived our lives.

They got it right sometimes too. The show had the first UK TV outing of the CD, camcorder and the LaserDisc - a fore-runner of the DVD. Part of the show's undoubted appeal was its presenters. Throughout the 70s it was helmed by ex Spitfire pilot Raymond Baxter, think eccentric uncle who spent all day in a shed doing unspeakable things with cables. By the 80s though, and very aware of the fact that ' a lot of people only watched the show while waiting for Top of the Pops,' the presenters got younger and hipper. Cue arguably the UK's first geek babe Maggie Philbin.

Philbin had cut her TV teeth as one of Noel's sidekick's on Saturday morning kid's show Swap Show (she later went on to marry co-host Keith Chegwin - but that's another story) but it was as the foil to some very quirky male presenters like Kieran Prendville that she was given her chance to really shine.

The archive has a load of clips which should keep you entertained for most of the day The two to watch first though are jumpsuit-clad Philbin in action in a Christmas special from 1982 here and an astonishing clip from 1969 in which a London businessman trials the first home computer. Suffice to say he enjoys using it but his four year old kid kicks him off it - no change there then

A top-dog at Hulu International, Johannes Larcher has announced that the UK is "very ready for a product like Hulu" and that the UK is "number one priority in terms of international expansion".

Speaking at the IEA's Future of Broadcasting event in London, Larcher confirmed that the collapse of Project Kangaroo had opened up some possibilities for Hulu.

It is reported that there are still a few stumbling blocks, in terms of advertising control, that need to be overcome before a UK launch is officially announced. A September launch had been touted although it's not clear if this is still achievable.

When it does arrive, however, expect the service to look somewhat different from its American counterpart. Larcher said: "We will localise our model so we are not perceived as a US company."

Let's hope we still get plenty of US content though. I'd take Family Guy and CSI over My Family and Hetty Wainwright Investigates any day of the week.

(via Mediaweek)

It may come as a bit of a shock to anyone deeply entrenched in YouTube, TBP and other P2P sites, but it is possible to watch a lot of TV shows and films online in the UK totally legally.

Some are even free.

It's a fairly depressing exercise hunting them all down, though. Many services are only available in the US, have shut down or are on an extended hiatus.

Nevertheless, here are 15 services (eight free, seven paid for) that you can use to view TV programmes or films. If you know of any more that are legal and easily available in the UK, let us know in the comments below.

Free Online TV / Film Services

BBC Online / iPlayer

About: Offers live streaming of BBC1 and BBC2 plus 7-day programme catchup service.

Pros:

• Well-established service offering access to a wide range of BBC TV programming.
• Wide range of platforms supported for either streaming or downloading content, including PC, Mac, iPhone, Nokia devices.
• Shows from BBC HD are available to download in high definition.

Cons:

• Rights management issues means some programmes aren't available to watch live or archived.
• Streaming service can sometimes appear jittery (this may be due to broadband connection)

Channel 4 has today announced plans for a relaunch of 4oD, its catch up service that was originally released in November 2006.

The new version, available from July, will allow users to watch their favourite Channel 4 programmes direct from Channel4.com, free of charge.

The current service allows users to watch programmes for up to 30 days after they are first broadcast. With the exclusion of US shows such as Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives, users will no longer be restricted to the 30 day period.

In fact, full seasons of older shows such as Queer as Folk, Brass Eye and Father Ted will be available in their entirety. Users will have a massive selection of Channel 4 shows at their fingertips, without the need to purchase DVD box-sets. What's more, the service will be fully compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux.

The move is sure to put pressure on the BBC's iPlayer service which, despite proving massively popular, only has access to programming from the previous 7 days.

With rumours also persisting that Hulu are also planning a UK launch, it's an exciting time for on-demand television.

(via Brand Republic)

YouTube yesterday launched it's new multi-platform version of its website, YouTubeXL, designed to bring YouTube content your big screen PC or TV.

The new site is basically an oversized redesign of the current website, minus; comments, adds and other common web-frippery. It's meant to look and work like a native app, but actually it looks and feels like a Fisher-Price website.

The content is hard to move through and the colours of the site are quite jarring. High Quality and HD videos aren't available on it either, which seems like a ridiculous omission for a service that's aimed at large-screen computers and TVs.

The one good thing about XL is that it'll work in anything that's got a browser, so you'll be able to use your PS3 and Wii to watch YouTube videos on your TV.

Not all of YouTube's content will be available immediately on XL, but with Hulu launching it's native app stateside this week YouTubeXL will need to pull its socks up if it wants to win the web-TV war.

Don't get me wrong, YouTube is brilliant for just this reason, but I'm not sure XL knows what it is.

(Via Tech Crunch)

Microsoft has launched its much rumoured motion controller at E3 along with 1080p video-streaming, facebook and twitter integration, and Premier League football as part of Microsoft's deal with Sky.

"Project Natal" is not as many were expecting a hand-held controller but rather a motion sensing camera, like the Eye Toy, but hopefully substantially less crappy.

Steven Spielberg lumbered on stage to demo the new technology, with his avatar moving in real time as he controled the UI. Unlike the Eye Toy which wasn't really developed with any great vigour, Microsoft seem to have gone to town with Natal and look to have created a very immersive and interactive experience.

Maybe too interactive, because in an Orwellian overstep, Microsoft has included face recognition technology which will allow you to use the meat, sinew and cartilage on the front of your head to as your password to log in to your Live account.

But Natal isn't just for gaming: As Microsoft starts to push the Xbox 360 as the home entertainment mega-hub, you'll be able to use Natal to flick through your films and songs and use voice recognition to issue commands.

The demo came complete with a very Wii-esque trailer of a family enjoying the delights of Natal's motion capture, although all the voices have been dubbed so grimly that the whole thing takes on this sort of uncanny and unnerving ambiance, like they're trapped. It's weird - watch it. It's a far cry from the light-hearted japes of the Redknapp clan.

Microsoft look to have created an amazing and deeply immersive piece of kit here, but it still can't make adverts. Not for toffees.

Watch this till the end - it's a good advert and then in the last 10 seconds the way the light on the Natal unit switches off is so creepy!

Has no one at Microsoft seen Space Odyssey 2001? It couldn't be more menacingly Hal-esque.

The BBC is in talks with Google to launch an international edition of the BBC iPlayer, supported by Google owned YouTube.

The sticking point seems to be the need to acquire international rights for the content shown on the UK iPlayer.

Separate negotiations are also in progress between the BBC's commercial arm - BBC Worldwide and YouTube, with a view to making the BBC's archive content, for which international rights have already been acquired, available on YouTube.

It is currently possible to watch some BBC content on YouTube but only in short format; trailers and clips as opposed to entire shows and episodes.

A BBC spokesperson said: "There are a significant number of obstacles to extending this commercially to other countries, including international rights clearance. These obstacles present significant difficulties and for this reason there are no firm plans for a specific international BBC iPlayer, but audiences can watch BBC content outside the UK through numerous BBC Worldwide content deals with online partners such as iTunes."

The news of these negotiations might scupper talks designed to offer a consolidated VoD service for UK content if NewsCorp deems the international iPlayer a significant enough threat to it's part owned US-based Hulu VoD.

(Via Telegraph)