The BBC's highly successful 'on demand catch-up' service, iPlayer, is to expand its reach substantially when the corporation makes it available through Freesat high-definition digital boxes and high-definition TVs.

The move follows a successful three-month trial which involved 300 viewers whose homes were equipped with a Humax Freesat set-top box.

It will make the BBC the first broadcaster to provide subscription-free catch-up services for both itself and its commercial rival, ITV, without viewers needing to buy new equipment.

Media Week reported that Emma Scott, managing director of Freesat, said feedback from the trial had been “really positive”, and resulted in many people accessing the iPlayer service through their televisions for the first time.

Freesat‘s website has detailed instructions about the service which include a video to help viewers to set up the player.

BBC iPlayer launched on computers on Christmas Day 2007. It is now available on more than 20 devices, including TV services, games consoles and mobile phones, and receives more than 80 million programme requests per month.

The on-demand service allows UK audiences to catch up with BBC content broadcast over the previous seven days. Audiences have a choice of streaming or downloading their chosen programme and, with series catch-up, entire seasons of selected programmes can be viewed.

Last year, the BBC’s motoring show ‘Top Gear’ was the most-watched TV programme of the year on the iPlayer.

Last month, the BBC Trust gave its provisional approval for the corporation’s involvement in the joint industry venture Project Canvas, which aims to bring multiple VoD services to Freeview and Freesat.

The joint project, which counts the BBC, BT, Five, ITV, Channel 4 and TalkTalk as partners, aims to promote a common technology standard that would allow viewers with a broadband connection to watch on-demand services on their TV sets.