What is BoB?

With BoB you can: 

  • Record TV and radio programmes from over 75 free-to-air channels 
  • Search an archive of over 2.2 million broadcasts dating back to the 1990s 
  • Stream broadcasts anywhere in the UK, anytime 
  • Share resources via Moodle and reading lists 
  • Create clips to use in lectures or send to students 
  • Save playlists of your favourite broadcasts and series 
  • Never miss a programme with a buffer of 30 days 

Access content from: 

  • BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, ITV, Channel 4, Film4 and more 
  • 10 foreign language channels: Italian, French and German 
  • BBC Shakespeare Archive content dating back to the 1950s 

BoB is only available in the UK. 

FAQs

  • How do I add links to BoB in Moodle?

    • To add a video, radio broadcast, clip or playlist to Moodle first pick where you want the link to appear. Switch on editing and then click on Add an activity or resource. 

    • A box will appear to add a resource. Scroll down and select URL. Then click Add. 

    • Here you can add a title, a brief description (this will not be viewable as user will be taken straight to the BoB video) and the BoB programme page URL.  

    • Use the WAYFless link from the Share tab underneath the programme you wish to link to. 

    • In the options box select New window under Display. This will make sure that the BoB page opens as a separate window, leaving Moodle open in the background. Or you can select Automatic if you want the video to open in the same web page. 

    • Once this has been saved, your BoB link will appear in your Moodle area and is ready to use. 

    Please note: After following the link to BoB from a Moodle area, users will need to select Sign In, enter the name of their home institution, Manchester Metropolitan University and then enter their Manchester Met ID and password. 

  • How do I link to BoB in Aspire?

  • Do I need a TV licence to watch BBC programmes on BoB?

    You do not need a TV licence to only access BoB. However, if you watch BBC iPlayer or any live TV or radio as well as BoB, then you would need the licence.

  • Why do I receive a message on BoB saying ''Content not Available"?

    BoB added iOS compatibility during a major upgrade in January 2014. The significant change that allowed this was switching from flash encoded files to MP4. The drawback of this was that all content recorded before the upgrade remained in flash. All clips are also encoded in flash. 

    The most likely reason the error message presents itself is that the browser flash plugin needs to be enabled or updated. You may have recently had an automatic update that has defaulted your security settings to block flash content. The other way to check would be to try and access BoB using an entirely different browser. Google Chrome is the recommended browser as they have their own inbuilt flash player.

  • Does copyright apply to BoB clips?

    Yes. Please see the Box of Broadcasts terms and conditions.   

    For help with using BoB, please contact the Library:

    library@mmu.ac.uk

    +44(0)161 247 6106