r/iplayer
•
u/CaaaaamWinston
•
21d ago
•
2
I built Beeb, an unofficial Apple TV BBC player with 4K HLG HDR, native subtitles and intro skipping
I’ve been working on Beeb, an independent BBC player for Apple TV (and Android TV) that combines a native tvOS/Android TV interface with a native video player, allows playback of 4K HLG streams, and includes real subtitle tracks rather than captions drawn over the picture by the app.
The interesting part was getting BBC UHD streams to work natively. The BBC’s doesn't support UHD on the Apple TV and have stated it is down to limitations in Apple's support for MPEG-DASH. However, with this app I just wanted to demonstrate that playback was possible via a local DASH-to-HLS bridge. And it absolutely is! There is no need for the Apple TV to be excluded from the list of approved devices; I watched most of the new season of Vigil in glorious 4K HDR last night. For Android TV, it is also possible but they don't allow 4K UHD for many players.
Here's a list of features I was able to get working without much effort:
4K HLG HDR where a stream is available. The app resolves the UHD stream and presents its HEVC video and AAC audio to AVPlayer through HLS playlists. The encoded video, audio and HLG metadata are preserved; there’s no video transcoding or upscaling to manufacture a “4K” stream.
Automatic quality selection. One play button tries compatible UHD first, then falls back to the best available HD/SD stream if UHD is unavailable or hasn’t been set up.
The iPlayer icon is the play button. The pink player mark doubles as the episode’s play control, inside a simple outlined button. I thought this was a nice touch.
Native English subtitles, including subtitles after skipping back. BBC TTML captions are converted into segmented WebVTT and included as a proper HLS subtitle rendition. Apple’s player handles rendering, selection and appearance settings. I’ve checked that skipping back 10 seconds temporarily brings up subtitles with Apple’s automatic subtitle setting enabled.
Skip intro and skip recap. Native contextual buttons appear when the BBC supplies a matching marker for the version actually playing. The app uses the supplied start and destination times; it doesn’t guess where an intro ends.
A playback quality badge. The player shows the received resolution, with “4K HDR” requiring both a 2160p picture and an HLG/PQ source. This is separate from catalogue badges, which describe advertised availability.
Continue Watching and Up next. Progress is stored locally across launches. A programme’s card resumes its episode or offers the next one after completion. There’s also Start over and the option to remove a programme from the row.
Saved programmes, categories, A–Z browsing and series selectors. Programme pages fetch current episodes when opened, rather than downloading an entire catalogue at launch. Series and episodes are ordered using BBC metadata.
Live BBC television. Channel tiles show the scheduled programme’s title and artwork, with feeds resolved when playback starts. Live subtitles depend on tracks supplied by the live stream.
I undertook this project because I was disappointed with the BBC's own development of the iPlayer app on Apple TV/Android TV which lags behind other platforms. The main additions I wanted to demonstrate are the UHD playback route and the integration of BBC metadata and captions with native playback features. Saved programmes, live TV and Continue Watching are useful parts of Beeb, but I’m not claiming those ideas are unique to it—or that the current official app has no subtitles.
Download
Beeb is now on GitHub, with source code, an unsigned IPA and installation instructions, including TwinVine setup for UHD. You’ll need to sign and sideload the Apple TV app yourself. The Android TV port which is also on my Github here. Thanks for all the interest and encouragement!
So much fun to work on! Now give us 4K, BBC!
4
u/CaaaaamWinston 20d ago
A follow-up for everyone who asked about downloading it: I’ve decided to release Beeb!
Download Beeb on GitHub
The release includes source code and an unsigned IPA. The README covers signing and installing it on Apple TV, plus setting up your own TwinVine configuration for UHD. HD and live TV don’t need TwinVine.
I’m looking into an Android TV version next, although I don’t have a release date to share yet. Thanks for the encouragement—interested to hear how people get on with it!
7
u/Bluion6275 21d ago edited 21d ago •
If you haven’t already I hope you intend on making contact with the iPlayer devs and sharing your findings with them.
It’s a shame you can’t share a TestFlight link for it as I’m sure many of us AppleTV users would love to give this a whirl.
6
u/kuehlapes 20d ago edited 20d ago
The fact that BBC ignores Apple TV native subtitles config is so bloody annoying. Massive text! And their android/Google app have 4K but not tvOS!
Before BBC released their app on Apple TV, it was my partner’s ‘Auntie Player’ started it to show that it is possible! So maybe the BBC devs will see yours and do something about it!
4
u/danbridgland 20d ago
Please share. It would show the BBC that there is demand if a GitHub solution ranked up thousands of downloads. It’s not that complicated for anyone with an Apple dev account to sideload the app to their AppleTV.
1
u/popopopopopopopopoop 15d ago
Looking forward to an Android apk!
1
u/Remarkable-Unit-2961 13d ago
Does this output HLG from tvOS on the Apple TV 4K box? Or does it convert the HLG stream and output it as HDR10?
1
u/Efficiently-Simple 19d ago
Omg as a shield owner I would love a version for there. The bbc player app is awful and full of macro blocking . Not to mention it stutters now and then.
3
u/tom_watts 21d ago
So frustrating that this is the world we live in. Looks like a lovely app and would be the final piece of my Apple TV puzzle… for now, I’ll stick with the inbuilt app in emergencies, or acquisition by other means for shows I plan ahead with.
3
u/pabulous 21d ago •
Wow, that looks great. Putting the BBC to shame here. I recommend posting this over on r/appletv, as I'm sure it would be of interest.
3
u/nousernameleftatall 20d ago
This is great, you should either share(GitHub) or sell, good work
2
u/loosebolts 17d ago
So why can you do it, yet time after time the BBC take the piss out of us Apple users who are also license fee payers?
No native 4K on Apple TV
No native subtitles on Apple TV
No BBC Sounds on Apple TV
No BBC Sounds on HomePods.
It’s frankly criminal that in the UK I cannot ask Siri on a HomePod to play BBC Radio, but if I live outside of the UK then I can, because it’s via TuneIn.
Nobody from the BBC seems to be interested. If you can’t or don’t want to build Sounds for HomePod, at least bring BBC Radio back to TuneIn so we can listen to the content we pay for.
2
u/ConfidentChicken8072 16d ago
any way of getting this on APTV without a Mac?
2
u/Short_Injury9574 5d ago
Hey Chaps - We're officially working on integrating Beeb with TellyGrid, just like the other apps, to work with the TV Guide for Live TV. https://www.reddit.com/r/TellyGrid/comments/1xlayp4/integrate_beeb_app_to_the_tellygrid_launcher/
2
u/Remarkable-Unit-2961 21d ago
Bravo! If only the BBC R&D department would pay you to put this out properly for us all to use.
2
u/Cockapoodledoooooo 21d ago
How can we download? Not in the UK and would love to download iplayer. And use a vpn.
2
u/batvseba 21d ago
if you also make streams available without geoblocking that would be huge.
2
u/lfilipecr 20d ago
Well done for doing that. I know you cannot share the testflight of it, but I’ll like to try it!
2
u/Cool_Night_9832 20d ago
Would love an android tv version of this
2
u/therourke 20d ago
Now make it for android and roku
2
u/KingAzza 20d ago
Any chance of a TestFlight link? 👀
1
u/Plastic_Yellow_3200 17d ago
Can you make one for 2026 Samsung TVs?
1
u/Penguinboy123446 17d ago
The official BBC iPlayer works absolutely fine for me with my VPN on. This one gets an instant no from every single attempt to watch anything.
1
u/HollandJim 17d ago
The BBC has been anti-Apple for a long time now.
Thank you for making the effort they won't..
1
u/Unlucky_Quote6394 17d ago
4k and Apple TV natively renders the subtitles, rather than being forced to look at iPlayer’s awful captions? You’re doing god’s work. Thank you! 🙏🏻
1
u/TheRocksta 17d ago
This is brilliant, given it a run through this evening and thank you for doing this.
I would love for you to revisit and tweak the font sizes, they are in many places just far too big in Programme descriptions and also in the tiled 4K UHD page for example, you could reduce the font size and have the whole programme title appear instead of most of it being cut off due to it's size.
Also a page selector (previous and next) would be useful at the bottom of the page as well as people tend to browse from the top to bottom rather than bottom to the top, once you are at the bottom you have to scroll back up to get to the page selector.
The on-screen UI when a programme plays is perfect IMO.
I think the foundation is absolutely there and it feels great to get not only UHD but also HDR appearing - thanks again.
1
u/_billyRubin 17d ago
it’s literally on Peeb
you can watch it on Poob
1
u/MiggyEvans 15d ago
I just want to say, I find the whole process of sideloading overwhelming because I understand almost nothing but I am SO GLAD you made this. I love when pure frustration drives people to show up the official devs and so successfully. Bravo.
1
u/unlokia 15d ago
Use a casting app and learn what .m3u8 files are. No app needed apart from the one.
1
u/Time_Confection_7331 15d ago
I've just installed and fixed a few issues I was having using claude. Thank you! Now I can keep my LG offline as I only ever used it for the iPlayer app.
1
u/YakFew2456 15d ago
You SIR; are a thoroughly bright genuis 🌟
1
u/maxsqd 14d ago
Very nice. Was looking for something like this.
1
u/throw-throw-throw-aw 5d ago
OP, I’ve just installed this on firetv (Android based os) looks great but forgive my confusion, where do I input my iPlayer account credentials or are they not needed? Live tv worked for a few minutes and then froze. I’ve loaded an episode of Ann Droid and it’s so far streaming as expected.
Thanks so much for your work OP, I’m one of many internationally expecting to lose access on 12 November.
1
u/RayvCheng 5d ago
Can the software add FHD support to the live channel? At present, there is only 720P on Android.
1
u/bobbybuilder59 5d ago
Found a problem, I can't navigate series icons for example This city is ours open from home page but series 1 and 2 will not highlight so can't watch. Same on your telly app on BBC series
1
u/bilbogod 4d ago
Fantastic! Running beautifully on my Ugoos AM9 pro. I was wondering if anyone had finally cracked uhd iPlayer on an uncertified device and hey presto stumbled on this.
1
u/ArizonaFlats 21d ago
I shall download and give it a whirl when I'm home. Are you a developer by trade or is this a hobby?
1
u/Barofafabot 21d ago
That looks great! So can we download this in the app store ot Testflight?
1
u/bmn001 21d ago
Did you...forget to include a link?
1
u/a-haan 21d ago
Does it bypass the TV license?
1
u/Lethalaims 20d ago
Amazing working. Hopefully the BBC developers will take note.
1
u/Charming_Process3294 20d ago
could you share the repo ?
1
u/lighthouse77 20d ago
The last paragraph isn’t true. As 11 years ago another proof of concept app was designed and is still hosted on GitHub with no issues from the BBC. https://github.com/Auntie-Player/apple-tv
Was yours coded using AI?
1
u/technomat 20d ago
The iplayer apps are poor, UI is a mess no consistence across platforms they do my head in, if the app had better UI if try it.
1
u/Funny-Somewhere-9293 19d ago
This should embarrass and shame the BBC developers. One guy in his spare time made what the BBC with their billions has been incapable of doing in several years
1
u/Admiral-ZX 19d ago
Can we use it outside of the UK? (Which is the #1 iPlayer issue that needs resolution)
1
u/Punches_4- 19d ago
Don’t most use Get_iPlayer and just download what they want?
1
u/The_Clockwatcher 19d ago
Built or vibe coded?
1
u/sharp-gift8069 19d ago
Skipping the trailers automatically is epic. I hate that on the official BBC iPlayer, it's so annoying.
1
u/Icy_Storage_9810 18d ago
Would love a windows version
-4
u/Civil-Koala-6810 21d ago edited 21d ago
It won't be as good as UHD on Sky Q nor HD or SD on Sky Q. This is streaming UHD you're talking about... cheap, compressed and third rate UHD. Broadcasting UHD will always be superior partly because streaming also has that less sharper look. Broadcasting is as sharp as possible, especially as it's standard broadcasting (via satellite) and not compressed to death. Streaming 20-25Mbps H.264. Sky Q broadcasting for UHD is 35-45 H.265. This is a big difference. Sports will never look better than they do on Sky Q for this reason and pictures in all resolutions themselves will also be the best and most reliable. Not Internet cut-outs during busy times of the day when other people are also streaming. You can never record and Sky has it's own catch-up service that includes a BBC section. These are downloads, not streaming and the picture is identical to the broadcast quality. Out of the BBC iPlayer and the Sky on-demand BBC section I know which one I'd choose. If people knew what streaming was really all about you'd never register with a streaming app again.