The BBC announced today that its iPlayer app, which provides on-demand access to the network's programs, is now available on the Xbox 360.
With this addition, BBC iPlayer is now available on all the major game consoles in the U.K., in addition to more than 450 other devices and platforms, the company said. The app is free and available to Xbox Live free and Gold members alike.
In a video demo (below), Dave Price, the head of BBC iPlayer, promised a "highly visual, TV-friendly design" that is similar to that found on the PS3. The BBC was "very conscious of that," Price said, because the network wants to "maintain a consistent experience across devices."
BBC iPlayer for Xbox boasts improved search, returning results after typing in just two letters. Price also said there are several small personalization tools, like saving the three, most-recent search results, the option to favorite a particular series, parental locks, as well as subtitle and HD options.
Xbox owners with Kinect, meanwhile, can use the sensor to control BBC iPlayer via voice and gestures.
"The way people interact with entertainment content is changing. Xbox Live is the only service in the world where you can search, discover and control TV, movies, video and music using voice and gesture via the power and magic of Kinect," said Stephen McGill, director of Xbox and Entertainment for Microsoft.
The BBC iPlayer made its gaming debut on the Nintendo Wii in 2009 and was added to the PlayStation 3 last year. It hit the iPad in July 2011, though not in the U.S.
Price said in a blog post that the BBC witnessed a big growth for iPlayer via Internet-connected TVs last year - one in four came from TVs. That will likely increase since iPlayer is headed to the Sky satellite service later this year.
"But, why specifically are games consoles important? Games consoles are no longer just about gaming, they've evolved into entertainment/media hubs where viewers can watch and interact with programmes," Price wrote.