Online TV: You saw, we saw, SeeSaw?
SeeSaw is a new online streaming service designed for UK audiences. Released in February, it brings together content from the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5 so viewers have a wider selection of programmes all on the same website.
It’s a simple idea and this simplicity extends beyond the concept to its function. Although the service is competing with many others on the web – some legal, most illegal – it is this simplicity that sets it apart from the crowd.
The site has a user-friendly interface, uncluttered by advertisements or text. Viewers can select programmes by channel, genre or using a search function.
The home page features programme selections, centred around topics such as ‘money, money, money’ (The Secret Millionaire, Cash and a documentary about Bernie Madoff) and ‘Home is Where the Heart Is’ (Property Ladder, Up Your Street, Kirsty’s Homemade Home and others). It also showcases the programmes other SeeSaw users have been watching so you can browse the most popular choices.
Once you’ve selected the programme you want to watch, a summary of all available episodes helps you choose those you haven’t seen yet without giving too much away about their content. Every episode starts with one or two adverts, something you’ll find on 4oD but not on the BBC iPlayer. You can’t fast forward or skip through these but they do give you just long enough to make a cup of tea before you settle down to watch your chosen show.
Even the viewing options have been stripped down for maximum ease of use. The only functions to choose from when streaming a programme are full screen, volume and lighting. The first two are the only things you really need when watching online, while the latter is an extra quirk for those who choose not to opt for full-screen mode. With this feature, you have the option to dim the screen brightness around the programme box when watching – a nifty device that produces a vaguely cinematic effect, even without the full screen.
The streaming is very fast and, unlike, other services online, I got through several programmes without a single hitch. For viewers in a family setting, there are also parental controls, which enable older members of the family to protect unsuitable content with a pin number.
Having the programmes from all three channels amalgamated into one service is definitely more convenient than watching them separately. The website is simple, easy to use and it works well. Although SeeSaw is still a new venture, it certainly has the potential to become a hit in the future.
