Using BBC iPlayer on the Sony Ericsson W705

The Walkman branding may designate the Sony Ericsson W705 as a top mobile for listening to music, but there are more entertainment options onboard for users to enjoy.

UK owners of the Sony Ericsson W705 also have the option for watching TV programmes and listening to radio shows via the BBC iPlayer online service. With just a few button presses, users can stream live TV or radio shows or browse the BBC iPlayer Catch Up service for previously broadcast content.

A BBC iPlayer option is pre-loaded on to the W705, with links to take you straight to the online service, which has a user interface that's optimised for Sony Ericsson handsets.

BBC iPlayer options are available within the Media sub-menus, both in a TV section, which takes you straight to the iPlayer's TV listings, and under the Music categories, which will initially take you into the iPlayer's Radio programming.

To view or listen to content via the BBC iPlayer mobile service, which is still in beta stage, W705 users can use a Wi-Fi internet connection on their phone rather than a mobile network connection (currently, BBC iPlayer can only be streamed over Vodafone and 3 mobile networks, though this may change). Users may prefer the Wi-Fi option anyway, for speed and potential data cost savings.

(If required, see our easy to follow guide to Setting up and using Wi-Fi on the Sony Ericsson W705 here).

Using BBC iPlayer
You can connect using your normal mobile network, if it supports streaming via BBC iPlayer, or via a Wi-Fi connection. At the time of writing, only Vodafone and 3 supported mobile network streaming of the iPlayer service.

Switching on and using Wi-Fi
First, switch on Wi-Fi, if it's not already activated, and make sure you're in range of a usable Wi-Fi access point

1. From the standby menu, press the Activity Menu button (Figure 1).
2. The My Shortcuts menu appears. Highlight Wi-Fi (Figure 2). Press Select.
3. When the Wi-Fi screen appears, press Turn on (Figure 3).
4. Wi-Fi is now activated. A list of in-range Wi-Fi access points appears (Figure 4).
5. If you have previously set your favourite Wi-Fi connection to Auto Connect, this should be selected automatically. If not, highlight the Wi-Fi network you wish to connect to and press Connect. Type in any required passphrase and press OK.
6. Once Wi-Fi has been activated, a green Wi-Fi icon appears on the top line of the standby screen display (Figure 5).

Accessing and using BBC iPlayer

1. From the standby screen, press the Media softkey (Figure 6).
2. In the Media menu, you can get to the BBC iPlayer application by choosing either the Music option or the TV option. Scroll through the Media menu to highlight either TV or Music and press Select (Figure 7).
3. Highlight BBC iPlayer and press the central navigation D-pad select button (labelled as Select in the TV menu or Go To in the Music menu) (Figure 8).
4. After a few moments, you will be connected to the BBC iPlayer online service (Figure 9).
5. Use the navigation pad controls to move the cursor up or down the page, and press the central button to click on onscreen options or links. You can tab between Live Radio, Live TV and Catch Up sections by clicking on the appropriate headings (Figures 10).
6. You can watch or listen to a live broadcast by scrolling to highlight a station listed in the Live Radio and Live TV lists and pressing the navigation pad select button. Click on the Play symbol onscreen (Figure 11)
7. After a few moments, the programme will begin playing (Figure 12).
8. To view previously broadcast content, click on the Catch Up tab option. Here you are presented with a range of options to choose from, helping you to search for a programme (Figure 13). You can type in a name to search, browse by date or TV channel, or choose from the most popular selections.
9. Click on the programme you want to watch. In a few moments the programme is displayed with a Play icon over it. Click on the Play icon (Figure 14).
10. The programme begins playing (Figure 15).

You can view TV programmes in full screen mode, holding the phone sideways. When the programme is playing, press the Options softkey, highlight landscape and press Select.