Best devices for watching BBC iPlayer

Round-up reviews let you compare four related products and find out which one is best for you

Last updated: 11 Dec 2008

The BBC now lets any UK licence-fee payer download, store and watch any shows from its iPlayer service on a range of portable media players. We've got them all, tested them all, and picked out the best four of the bunch.

Creative's Zen is the most affordable in our list, with the 2GB model available from a measly £49. Not only does it support BBC iPlayer content, but its class-leading screen makes it look fabulous. Add to that brilliant sound quality and astoundingly simple operation, and you've got a seriously attractive device for TV lovers.

All recent BBC content is broadcast in 16:9 widescreen, yet most video players don't offer a true 16:9-format screen. The Samsung YP-P2 is as close to true 16:9 as you'll find on a player its size, and iPlayer downloads look great. If you're after a small touchscreen device for BBC shows, this is a top effort.

Apple's iPod touch doesn't let you download BBC content to its memory, but if you're in reach of a Wi-Fi connection, you can stream it over the Internet in better quality than any of the other players on offer. Plus, use a compatible dock, and you can output it directly to a TV.

Finally, with a massive hard disk for storing hundreds of hours of content, and a huge, high-resolution screen for watching it, the Archos 5 is one of the ultimate BBC iPlayer choices. By no means the cheapest, but definitely our favourite for Top Gear on the go.

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	Creative Zen	Samsung YP-P2	Apple iPod touch (2nd gen)	Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet
Review date	15 Oct 07	1 Nov 07	12 Sep 08	24 Oct 08
Editors' rating	7.8	7.7	9.0	8.6
Price range	£129	£109	£169	£229.00 - £264.95
Review summary	The Creative Zen looks great, sounds great and produces great video. It's a full-featured player with plenty of options for customisation. Although the SD card slot is a huge bonus, its contents are not included in the player's main menu, limiting its usefulness Read full review	The Samsung YP-P2 is a well-designed player and distinctly affordable for what it does. The only problem is that what it does just isn't as impressive as it could be. It sounds great and it's easy to use, but the lack of support for audio and video formats seriously hinders just how attractive an alternative this is to players from Cowon and Apple Read full review	This is one of the best iPods ever made -- seriously -- and it's definitely worth upgrading if you're using an old or basic MP3 player. But keep in mind that with all the new features, it could be too much for people just looking for a portable music player. Still, the design is better than ever and most of its features are miles ahead of the competition Read full review	If you can afford it and want the best combination of Web access and outstanding video performance, this is one of the only players in the world you need to consider, despite its flaws Read full review
User rating	8.0	3.0	8.0	7.0
Product type	Flash	Flash	Flash	Hard drive
Weight	65 g	85 g	115 g	300 g
Supported digital audio standards	AAC, MP3, WMA, WAV	MP3, WMA	AAC, MP3, Other	AAC, FLAC, OGG, MP3, WMA, WAV
Supported bit rates	16-320 Kbps	n/a	16-320 Kbps	n/a
Image display	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tuner	FM	FM	n/a	None
Input type	Microphone	n/a	Microphone	Other
Supported interfaces	USB	USB	n/a	USB, Other
	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification	Full specification