Though already accessible via the Nintendo Wii, the BBC has said that its streaming video service iPlayer is not presently available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 because of Sony and Microsoft's tight control over their platform's offerings.

"If you want to get on the PlayStation or Xbox, they want control of the look, the feel and the experience; they want it done within their shop, and their shop only," BBC Technology Group Controller Erik Huggers told the BBC dot.life blog.

While the iPlayer currently uses the Wii's Internet Channel to deliver streaming versions of BBC shows--including Top Gear, the EastEnders, and Doctor Who--Nintendo and the BBC are planning to release a specialized application to deliver BBC video content.

At present, the web-based version of the iPlayer won't work on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 lacks a web browser and the PlayStation 3 doesn't support the Flash technology used for video delivery.

However, video content is available on the Xbox 360 through Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace, which sells downloads of television shows and rentals of popular movies. While the PlayStation 3 does not yet have a dedicated video marketplace, Sony has hinted that it may eventual offer paid video content via the online PlayStation Store.

The BBC today announced that its iPlayer internet television service is now available to Nintendo Wii owners living in the United Kingdom.

The iPlayer program can be accessed through the Wii Internet Channel, allowing UK users to watch free episodes of shows such as Top Gear, the EastEnders, and Doctor Who. The company hopes that a future version may be released as a standalone application.

The service begins a beta testing period today, with the iPlayer website stating: "..over the coming weeks we'll tweak the video encoding rates and playback window size to get the best possible video quality."

In his last keynote speech at CES, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and his supporting cast had a lot to speak about on Sunday night at the International Consumer Electronics Show--and some of it was related to games.

Playing up high definition displays and connected entertainment, Gates spoke of wide-ranging changes to the industry, before bringing on Microsoft president of entertainment devices Robbie Bach to make a few Xbox 360-related announcements.

"ABC and Disney will be bringing their TV shows to Xbox Live this month. Top rated shows like Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and others," said Bach, who also noted that MGM will be added to the growing list of movie studios supporting the service.

"Windows is far and away the largest gaming platform in the world, and continues to grow," remarked Bach, before similarly lauding the Xbox 360's success. "We have passed the ten million member mark for Xbox Live. That's six months faster than we expected to get to that number."

Other than a mention of British Telecom partnering with Microsoft to use Xbox 360s as IPTV set-top boxes, the conference was largely dominated by a look at future technology and portable devices.

Gates introduced the Microsoft Surface, a sort of giant iPhone table... Read more

Update: When asked if the Family Timer is part of the forthcoming Xbox 360 Fall System Update, Microsoft was unable to provide Shacknews with a direct answer, suggesting the full update may be slated for a December release.

"We can't confirm that the Family Timer will be part of the Fall System Update but it will be available in early December," stated a Microsoft representative. The lack of a direct denial in such statements often indicates that such information is not yet ready to be disclosed--which only applies here in the case of "yes"--or that a decision has yet to be reached.

Original Story: Details on the next software updates for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have surfaced from manufacturers Sony and Microsoft.

Version 2.00 of the PlayStation 3's firmware arrives tomorrow, November 8. Included is the ability to turn the PS3 on and off remotely via PSP's Remote Play, support for music and photo playlists, and the addition of Trend Micro Security for web browsing, which Sony claims was "designed to give parents peace of mind."

Interestingly, Trend Micro Security's protection will only be free from November 8, 2007 to April 30, 2008. "The date and method to switch to a pay service and the price will be announced as soon as a decision is made," read Sony's press release.

Other minor tweaks to the PlayStation 3 include the option to further customize the colors and brightness of the main XMB screen, streamlined XMB navigation and organization via a new PlayStation Network category, and the addition of an Information Bar, said to "keep people up to date on the latest PlayStation news."

Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 Family Timer allows parents and spouses... Read more

The previously announced Xbox 360 IPTV functionality will not be among the features included in the console's upcoming fall update, Microsoft has confirmed.

Rumors that IPTV support was near began circulating after screens of an Xbox 360 with said functionality appeared on Xbox 360 Fanboy. The site credits the pictures to a reader named Aaron, who says the option appeared after Microsoft repaired his system.

According to Microsoft, Aaron's case was "an isolated incident where these features were inadvertently exposed while the customer's console was being serviced and is unrelated to the Fall Update."

Microsoft elaborated that users will only be able to obtain IPTV functionality through a service provider, which should have the Xbox 360 software by the end of the year. "Microsoft's IPTV service providers will ultimately determine the timing of Xbox 360 with Microsoft Mediaroom deployments," the company told Joystiq.

In an interview with a local New Zealand paper, Sony Computer Entertainment representative Warwick Light revealed plans of a new PlayStation 3 product which will soon allow users to record and watch TV programs.

"We're also hoping next year--about the same time that Freeview launches its terrestrial broadcasting service--to release a digital tuner for the PS3, turning it into a programmable TV recorder," he said to The Press.

When contacted today, Sony senior hardware manager Patrick Seybold told Shacknews: "We have no announcement regarding DVR capabilities for PS3 in North America at this time."

Freeview is a non-profit digital television provider, and is planned to launch in New Zealand next March. It is unknown whether the PlayStation 3... Read more

Microsoft last night issued an announcement confirming the existence of Xbox 360 Elite, an upcoming model of its Xbox 360 featuring HDMI output and a 120GB hard drive. The news comes after months of rumor and speculation, which were kicked off in earnest with leaked photographs of an Xbox 360 unit allegedly codenamed "Zephyr" and including the upgrades eventually revealed to be part of the Elite model. Last week, the reports edged closer to an official confirmation as Game Informer published news of the upcoming Elite console in its most recent issue.

Xbox 360 Elite is set for release in United States retail stores on April 29 for $479.99, an $80 premium over the standard 20GB Xbox 360 and a $180 premium over the hard drive-less Xbox 360 Core System; neither of the two current Xbox 360 models includes HDMI output capabilities. The new model will be finished in matte black, with a matching black wireless controller and a black headset. Also included will be an HDMI cable and a one month trial subscription to Xbox Live Gold. Contrary to certain hopes, Xbox 360 Elite will not make use of the 65nm CPUs said to be incorporated into the console some time this year.

The system is expected to appear in other major markets worldwide later in 2007.

Also available in stores will be the 120GB Xbox 360 hard drive, which at a price of $179.99 corresponds with the price difference between the Elite and Core units. The standalone drive will be packaged with a data transfer cable allowing existing 20GB hard drive owners to move downloaded content over to the larger capacity drive. This cable will not be included in the Xbox 360 Elite bundle.

In response to the announcement, Sony Computer Entertainment America marketing senior VP Peter Dille said in a statement, "We think every PlayStation 3 owner should have an 'elite' experience, which is why we include an internal hard drive and HDMI output in every PS3 we sell, along with the 50 GB of storage capacity on a high definition Blu-ray disc." Xbox 360 Elite comes in at only $20 less than the Blu-ray-equipped 20GB PlayStation 3 model.

Alongside the Elite confirmation, Microsoft announced various new content parters for its Xbox Live Video Marketplace service, including A&E Network, ADV Films, and National Geographic. Neither of last night's announcements made any mention of the console's upcoming IPTV functionality, which the company briefly outlined during CES. All Xbox 360 consoles will support IPTV via a firmware update when the service eventually goes live.

Our Microsoft CES keynote coverage got started a little late due to some technical difficulties, but we're here for the part you guys care about: Windows gaming and Xbox 360. Just keep refreshing the live blog feed for the latest updates.

...and it's over. No major news, but Microsoft did give some more details on Xbox 360's upcoming IPTV functionality, as well as stating that the system's game library will reach 300 titles (presumably between retail and Live Arcade) by the end of 2007. Xbox Live is currently at 5 million users (presumably between Silver and Gold memberships).

One interesting point is that a Microsoft exec seemed to imply that Halo 2 on Vista would be compatible with the console version of the game. Considering the company has indicated otherwise in the past, this may have been an unintentional statement.

Finally, it appears that the Xbox 360 hit Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved will be making it to Vista at some point.

In case you didn't notice, Telltale Games today released Situation: Comedy, the second episode in its current Sam & Max series. Head over to their site for more. Over at FileShack, we've got the demo, from which you can also unlock the full game.