Fire TV Sticks receive free sports boost that fixes common streaming issue
The BBC is trialling a new beta version of the iPlayer app - and only on four TV streaming devices.
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
MILLIONS of Fire TV Stick owners are set to receive a big boost from BBC iPlayer that aims to end buffering.
The broadcaster is aiming to reduce the lag experienced by streamers watching live sports, ahead of the Wimbledon championships.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
1
The goal is to cut the delay between the version of BBC Two broadcast via Freeview, satellite and cable and the iPlayer
Credit: Getty
Fans watching on traditional TV can sometimes be ahead of the action.
This is especially the case if your house has slow Wi-Fi, or your areas bandwidth is being pushed to the max.
A delay in your streaming can happen when watching all kinds of content - but it's most noticeable during sports events.
For example, you might hear your neighbour cheering for a goal before you see it on your screen.
The delay will always vary between users - but it can be up to a minute long.
The BBC is therefore trialling a low latency version of the BBC Two live stream - the one that will air this summer's Wimbledon matches and Glastonbury sets.
The goal is to cut the delay between the version of BBC Two broadcast via Freeview, satellite and cable and the iPlayer.
Low latency refers to the time it takes for a TV signal to travel from one point to another, ideally with minimal delay.
The BBC is trialling it in a beta version of the iPlayer app - and only on four TV streaming devices:
3rd generation Amazon Fire TV Stick
2nd generation Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
Samsung CU8000 TVs
Samsung CU8500 TVs
Amazon Fire Stick trick lets you find lost remote instantly using hidden 'ringer'
To try the BBC Two low latency, viewers will have to tune into a live stream between 9am and 5pm.
Accessing the BBC iPlayer beta requires a quick settings change - simply open the settings menu in the app and toggle on for 'iPlayer beta'.
Viewers will also need to have their iPlayer region set to England and Scotland.
There is no low latency version of BBC Two Wales or BBC Two Northern Ireland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
28 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Tennis fans slam BBC live coverage of Queen's after Emma Raducanu snub ahead of Wimbledon
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TENNIS fans slammed the BBC for snubbing live coverage of Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter's doubles debut. The all-star British duo teamed up for the first time at Queen's in the opening grass-court event ahead of Wimbledon. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter played their first competitive doubles match together Credit: Getty 3 The British pairing beat Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang 6-4 6-2 Credit: PA But despite the BBC holding the rights to the tournament and the euphoria around tennis after yesterday's epic French Open final, they opted against spotlighting two of GB's biggest names and instead only showed the singles action on the main show court - now called the Andy Murray Arena. While Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage and two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova were live on TV, that meant that Raducanu and Boulter - second up on Court 1 - were overlooked on BBC Two. And their match against Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang was not available for British tennis fans to watch on either the red button or iPlayer. BBC presenter Isa Guha said: "Unfortunately, we won't be able to show you this match because we're focused on Andy Murray Arena, but we will be bringing you updates throughout the course of the afternoon." READ MORE ON TENNIS MIC MY DAY Wimbledon finals to be shown on new TV channel after 88 years of BBC coverage But wannabe viewers were not happy. One moaned: "Errrrr you've got two Brits linking up in the doubles - don't you think that might have been of an interest to the British viewers?" Another blasted: "You have the British women 1 and 2 playing together in doubles and you're not showing it? Make it make sense!! So frustrating!!" A third added: "You just showed a clip of Court 1 where Emma and Katie are starting their match; so why not show the match as a second option or one court on iPlayer and one on BBC Two? Very frustrating!" CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS A fourth complained: "Literally just showed us a clip of it why can't we watch it?!!!!" A fifth fumed: "Absolutely ridiculous you're not showing Boulter/Raducanu in doubles." Katie Boulter destroys tennis star fiance Alex de Minaur in four words after newly-engaged couple lose in doubles And a final user typed: "Why isn't Court 1 on BBC iPlayer though? Can't watch Boultercanu?" Boulter and Raducanu - nicknamed Boulteranu by some on social media - ran out 6-4 6-2 winners in 71 minutes, laughing and high-fiving their way to victory in joyful scenes in front of the 1,000-seater stand. The match was Raducanu's second WTA doubles match of her career - and a first win. Quizzed if they would team up again at Wimbledon, the former US Open champion downplayed their ambitions. Raducanu - delighted to have overcome any injury concerns as she ended the match with a volley - insisted: 'It's a spontaneous thing, we're just trying to do the best we can this week. "We thought about it in Madrid, Miami and Paris. 'Moving to the grass, which is a very different surface, it helps us get a feel of serving, returning and playing some points." Tennis stars' new careers PLENTY of tennis stars have stayed involved in the sport since retiring. But others pursued very different careers. Here are some of the best… I reached French Open and Wimbledon finals as a teenager but I quit to become a nun I won Wimbledon mixed doubles with my sister but got fed up with English weather so now run luxury B&B I was tipped for stardom aged 12 but retrained to become high-flying lawyer I earned £9m and won French Open before setting up bistro with Brazilian model girlfriend I'm last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, now I'm singer with six albums hitting No1 in charts I'm former world No1 but quit aged 29 - instead I went on to play professional poker and golf I was destined for the top but swapped lobs for labs as award-winning Harvard physicist But partner Boulter interjected: 'Scrap what she said - we're going for the Wimbledon title! "No, just kidding… we haven't thought about that. "We both return very well and have great volleys, so if one of us hits a good ball we can capitalise on that. "I'm very confident that Emma is going to put the ball away if I hit a good shot." World No37 Raducanu - who admitted she is still "wary" in public after he stalker hell - faces Cristina Bucsa in her opening singles match on Tuesday. Boulter, three places higher than her partner in the WTA rankings, takes on Ajla Tomljanovic. SunSport has contacted the BBC for comment on the snub, which comes after news that the BBC will have to share broadcast rights to the singles finals at Wimbledon with TNT Sports for the next five years. 3 Raducanu had only played one WTA doubles match before Credit: Getty
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Tennis fans slam BBC live coverage of Queen's after Emma Raducanu snub ahead of Wimbledon
TENNIS fans slammed the BBC for snubbing live coverage of Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter's doubles debut. The all-star British duo teamed up for the first time at Queen's in the opening grass-court event ahead of Wimbledon. 3 But despite the BBC holding the rights to the tournament and the euphoria around tennis after yesterday's epic French Open final, they opted against spotlighting two of GB's biggest names and instead only showed the singles action on the main show court - now called the Andy Murray Arena. While Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage and two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova were live on TV, that meant that Raducanu and Boulter - second up on Court 1 - were overlooked on BBC Two. And their match against Fang-Hsien Wu and Xinyu Jiang was not available for British tennis fans to watch on either the red button or iPlayer. BBC presenter Isa Guha said: "Unfortunately, we won't be able to show you this match because we're focused on Andy Murray Arena, but we will be bringing you updates throughout the course of the afternoon." But wannabe viewers were not happy. One moaned: "Errrrr you've got two Brits linking up in the doubles - don't you think that might have been of an interest to the British viewers?" Another blasted: "You have the British women 1 and 2 playing together in doubles and you're not showing it? Make it make sense!! So frustrating!!" A third added: "You just showed a clip of Court 1 where Emma and Katie are starting their match; so why not show the match as a second option or one court on iPlayer and one on BBC Two? Very frustrating!" CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS A fourth complained: "Literally just showed us a clip of it why can't we watch it?!!!!" A fifth fumed: "Absolutely ridiculous you're not showing Boulter/Raducanu in doubles." Katie Boulter destroys tennis star fiance Alex de Minaur in four words after newly-engaged couple lose in doubles And a final user typed: "Why isn't Court 1 on BBC iPlayer though? Can't watch Boultercanu?" Boulter and Raducanu - nicknamed Boulteranu by some on social media - ran out 6-4 6-2 winners in 71 minutes, laughing and high-fiving their way to victory in joyful scenes in front of the 1,000-seater stand. The match was Raducanu's second WTA doubles match of her career - and a first win. Quizzed if they would team up again at Wimbledon, the former US Open champion downplayed their ambitions. Raducanu - delighted to have overcome any injury concerns as she ended the match with a volley - insisted: 'It's a spontaneous thing, we're just trying to do the best we can this week. "We thought about it in Madrid, Miami and Paris. 'Moving to the grass, which is a very different surface, it helps us get a feel of serving, returning and playing some points." But partner Boulter interjected: 'Scrap what she said - we're going for the Wimbledon title! "No, just kidding… we haven't thought about that. "We both return very well and have great volleys, so if one of us hits a good ball we can capitalise on that. "I'm very confident that Emma is going to put the ball away if I hit a good shot." World No37 Raducanu - who admitted she is still "wary" in public after he stalker hell - faces Cristina Bucsa in her opening singles match on Tuesday. Boulter, three places higher than her partner in the WTA rankings, takes on Ajla Tomljanovic. SunSport has contacted the BBC for comment on the snub, which comes after news that the BBC will have to share broadcast rights to the singles finals at Wimbledon with TNT Sports for the next five years. Wimbledon ditching line judges a double fault for British tennis By Joshua Jones THE absence of line judges at Wimbledon will be a sad sight. For as long as I can remember, the men and women decked out in their Ralph Lauren outfits have been part of the furniture at the All England Club. Yes, they provided some mild entertainment on the court when one would call "fault" with plenty of extra, and unnecessary, gusto and volume that boomed around Centre Court, prompting a snigger from the fans. Then there was the ongoing game of dodgeball they had to play when a big serve nailed a mammoth ace down the line and they had to take rapid evasive action or take a whack to the top of the head. And challenges provided some audience participation, excitedly joining in the clapping countdown before the inevitable "oooh" when the graphic showed just how close the ball was to landing in or out. Purely objectively, Wimbledon's decision to replace line judges with Hawk-Eye Live makes total sense. The accuracy and consistency of calls in real-time will speed things up, save time and should mark the end of arguments over the tight incorrect calls - well, until the technology malfunctions. And Wimbledon's hand was somewhat forced to ditch tradition for their standing in tennis. The Australian Open and US Open already use electronic line calling and the ATP Tour is adopting Hawk-Eye Live across all of its tournaments from 2025. Wimbledon's refusal to comply would leave them lagging behind and exposed to the threat of needless controversy over human error. But the impact - as is so often the case in these decisions - has ramifications further down, below the surface with very little impact on Wimbledon's Championships or the players. It is on the line judges themselves. Approximately 300 officials - aged from 18 to 80 - covered more than 650 matches at Wimbledon. A fraction travel internationally with the circuit but the vast majority of those are part-time line judges based in the UK, earning up to £180 per day to work at the prestigious tournament and their chance to play their part at Wimbledon. For many, they will help out at British tournaments throughout the year, spurred on by the possibility of taking to the lawns of the All England Club. But it is understood many of those officials would be reluctant to work at the lower-level tournaments without the carrot of Wimbledon dangling in the summer. That in turn will put a major stumbling block in the pathway for British tennis umpires, who grind up through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Like football with referees, tennis needs umpires and line judges. So the inability to call "out" at Wimbledon could prove to be a major "fault" for the future of the UK's tennis officials and therefore the state of the sport on these shores.
Daily Record
37 minutes ago
- Daily Record
BBC period drama hailed 'perfect watching' as fans say it's 'better than Call The Midwife'
The beloved show boasts a star studded cast and is now available to stream on Amazon. A popular period drama named Lark Rise to Candleford has received rave reviews from fans of the show, which has been compared to the hit BBC medical drama Call the Midwife. The programme is set in 19th-century Oxfordshire and follows the story of a young girl who moves to a local market town in the county and starts an apprenticeship as a postmistress. It is an on screen adaptation of Flora Thompson's memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood, set in the small hamlet of Lark Rise and the wealthier neighbouring market town Candleford. Lark Rise to Candleford boasts various well-known British actors in its cast. The stars include Linda Bassett, who played Nurse Phyllis Crane in Call the Midwife and Victoria Hamilton, who has starred in multiple period dramas including The Crown and Victoria and Albert. Lark Rise to Candleford was broadcasted on the BBC between 2008 and 2011 and all four seasons are now available to stream on Amazon Prime video and Apple TV. The series, which has a total of 40 episodes, has an impressive 8.2 rating on IMDb across its four seasons with fans hailing it as "perfect" viewing, the Express reports. One particularly impressed viewer penned on the platform:"After Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre and this winter's Cranford, I thought that the BBC couldn't do any better: that it had reached its peak. Boy, was I wrong. "I was apprehensive about watching Lark Rise because of this, but those doubts were removed immediately as I fell in love with all the characters, especially Julia Sawalha, who surpasses herself, obviously moving away from her most famous role as Lydia Bennett in Pride and Prejudice, and she does so delightfully." Another chimed in: "I discovered this delightful little show during one of my many inpatient vacations in the hospital when I was struggling with End Stage Kidney Disease. "It truly was one of the things that helped me through the worst times..." A third enthusiastic viewer added: "This is one of the best series I've ever seen on BBC. I was gorged on watching all 40 episodes on BritBox, which I just adore. "The series is very well filmed, with fantastic actors and actresses." Another fan, who gave the show top marks, remarked: "This is the best of the best costume dramas, and perhaps the best BBC production!!!! "The acting, the set, the costumes, the story line, and lessons learned about dealing with life/people issues in a fun yet serious fashion." However, it is not the only popular period drama which is currently available to stream on Amazon. Viewers are also raving about an 'incredible' six-part period drama series, which was written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. The programme, Belgravia, is set in the 19th century and takes its initial bow at an event that is engraved in history - the Duchess of Richmond's ball of June 1815, a notable affair just days before the Battle of Waterloo. Centring on the intrigues of the Trenchard and Bellasis families, the series dives headfirst into familiar territory for devotees of period drama, complete with clandestine scandals, high-society relationships, and the intricate dance of class politics.
