<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"The BBC has announced plans to improve its iPlayer service for Android devices. Users will soon find that video streaming has been enhanced on tablets and smartphones running the Google operating system.  The move is part of a three-tier plan to revamp the video platform for Android users, with higher-quality footage expected to appear on compatible devices before Christmas. Achieving &amp;quot;parity&amp;quot; between the iOS and Android iPlayer service will be the BBC&amp;#039;s next port of call. Measures are in place to tackle the problem of fragmentation on the Google platform, with devices being grouped into classification bands based on their capabilities. &amp;quot;Since the fragmentation on Android requires more work than a single implementation on iOS, we&amp;#039;ve also made investments in engineering so Android and iOS can deliver at broadly the same pace,&amp;quot; said the broadcaster in a blog post. &amp;quot;The upcoming BBC iPlayer release on Android introduces an updated UI that provides the foundations for the team to build future features.   &amp;quot;In addition you&amp;#039;ll find you can now listen to radio shows in the iPlayer app with your screen turned off while answering email or using other applications on your Android device.&amp;quot;  The final phase of the BBC&amp;#039;s plan is to introduce better support for a range of range of devices with various screen sizes, including Android 4.2 Jelly Bean hardware. &amp;quot;Into 2013 we&amp;#039;ll prioritise the most popular Android devices so we can deliver the best experience for the biggest audience,&amp;quot; the post continued. &amp;quot;As you can see, this is just the beginning.&amp;quot; The BBC will roll out some of the new features before Christmas, with others scheduled for the New Year. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/android/news/a445352/bbc-to-revamp-iplayer-on-android-devices/>