The BBC has released a new version of iPlayer that allows Mac and Linux users to download programmes as well as stream them.

The iPlayer is the BBC's online media player for catch-up TV. Users of Windows XP, Vista, Mac and Linux have been able to stream programmes for up to seven days after broadcast. But until now only people using the Windows operating systems have been able to use the iPlayer to download programmes to view on and offline.

The BBC was criticised for not developing versions that allowed Mac and Linux users to download and restricting copyright protection to Microsoft’s digital rights management system.

To ensure that Mac and Linux users could have full functionality of the media player, the BBC has been working with Adobe. The new iPlayer Desktop application uses Adobe’s AIR Flash-based platform. The application also integrates Adobe Flash Rights Management Server software for content protection.

At the moment it is in beta format, available to BBC iPlayer Labs users. The BBC said a final version will be made available to all iPlayer users during the course of 2009.

Erik Huggers, director of BBC Future Media and Technology, said: "Since it launched at the end of last year, BBC iPlayer programmes have been available for streaming on Windows, Mac and Linux computers.

"Today, we’re pleased to display our commitment to providing a cross-platform download solution for BBC iPlayer users, as Mac and Linux users are now able to download BBC iPlayer programs to play offline."