by , 10:45 AM EDT, May 1st, 2007

The BBC gave the go ahead to its iPlayer project that allows U.K. residents to download and watch TV programs on their computers, and even committed to supporting the Mac. But the BBC did not say exactly when Mac users can expect to see a compatible version of the iPlayer application, according to BBC News.

When iPlayer launches later this year, it will be available only to Microsoft Windows users. Ashley Highfield, supervisor for BBC Future Media, confirmed that support for Windows would come first, followed by Mac OS X, and eventually Freeview as well. He did not, however, commit to a two-year time frame - something the BBC Trust was hoping for.

The BBC Trust, which is the independent organization that oversees the BBC, plans to audit progress of the iPlayer on demand service every six months to help ensure that U.K. residents that choose not to use Windows won't be at a disadvantage.

Thanks to TMO reader Malcolm Redfellow for the heads up.