BBC iPlayer Radio Windows 8 IE11

Irish_Tom · 21 Dec 2014 at 15:58

Hi all, I'm a long-time Apple user trying to help my girlfriend's dad with his Windows 8 laptop and I can't get my head around it. My Google fu has also failed me:

He's using IE to listen to BBC iPlayer Radio but as soon as he leaves IE to do anything else (desktop, another app) the radio stops. So if he wants to listen to the radio he can't use his laptop for anything else.

I've looked for a BBC iPlayer Radio app but can only find it for Windows 8 mobile.

He's in Germany so it's not as simple as 'use an actual radio'.

Firstly, why would MS stop you from running media in the background and secondly, is there anything we can do it make it work?

Thanks for any help.

marc2003 · 21 Dec 2014 at 16:31

IE is a browser. microsoft don't know you're using it to listen to radio so you can hardly expect it to work if you close it. you can minimise it, switch to other modern apps or even back to the destkop and it should still play. it shouldn't prevent you doing anything else.

anyway, you could just use these links.

http://www.listenlive.eu/uk.html

clicking them should open windows media player if you haven't installed any other media players.

Glaucus · 21 Dec 2014 at 16:36

Use desktop IE and it doesn't stop it, can only assume you are using modern IE.

You can also use split screen, if you want to stay in modern IE. Longpress on the tab and select open in new window. Then move the black bar with the three dots.
Like so.

And it doesn't have to be two websites, it can be other apps, desktop or anything basically. Accept start screen.

ShakenNstirred · 21 Dec 2014 at 16:41

just tried on my ie11 and it still played fine when I left it to do other things
so it maybe a setting somethere

this_is_gav · 21 Dec 2014 at 17:56

This might be a bit insulting on such a forum, but it's got to be asked... he is minimising IE and not closing it, right?

Irish_Tom · 21 Dec 2014 at 20:45

this_is_gav said:
This might be a bit insulting on such a forum, but it's got to be asked... he is minimising IE and not closing it, right?

Yes minimising, not closing. Hitting the start button, tabbing to another app, it all stops the radio.

It doesn't seem that far fetched to expect it to continue to play just because it's not the active app.

I also didn't know there was a 'desktop' and 'modern' IE, it's just what ever opens when you start IE from the 'tiles' screen.

Thanks for the link Marc, and the tab-tip Glacaus (and the test Shaken), I will try them both tomorrow.

tickedon · 22 Dec 2014 at 11:13

I've had this happen with my modern IE. You want to use the desktop IE which will work the way everyone would expect. Or just install Firefox / Chrome and tell him to use that instead - no confusion over 'modern' or 'desktop' that way!