BBC iPlayer

[Scrums]

Making the unmissable unwatchable ?

Anybody using this?......does it work for you?

My first d/l today - terrific quality video, but so jerky and unsync'd to soundtrack it's useless. Where am I going wrong, or have others found this too.

Chris.

 

[superunknown]

Not tried it yet, sometimes I have a similar problem with streaming video. Try and let the whole thing download before you watch.

 

[Slim]

Yes I have used it, but did not get any of the problems you mentioned. It was perfect.

 

[superunknown]

I have tried it now, no problems.

 

[YorkieT]

We have used it several times over the last few days and it has worked perfectly, very impressed

YorkieT

 

[Scrums]

Maybe I just got a bad download then, I'll try again. Thanks for your replies.

 

[Smudger]

Is there a Mac version yet, or is the Beeb still ignoring the terms of its charter?

 

[WellsWood]

I tried it. It worked OK but I wasn't impressed by the quality - a bit too youtube-ish for me. I'll get my fix with Virgin catchupTV (when it works :roll: ) or more probably just go without if I don't get it when it first airs - it's only TV after all.

 

[MrJay]

Last time I checked (or the channel 4 thingy) it didn't even work with the latest version of Windows Media Player, let alone Mac or Linux or a non-proprietary media player (VLC etc) on windows. The internet hasn't been this wilfully broken since the 1990s - Bring back the browser wars and 'best viewed in Internet Explorer 3.0 at 800 x 600 and 256 colors' messages that used to warn you off visiting endless web pages that couldn't be viewed in your browser.

Me thinks DRM has gone too far down the stupid road.

 

[RogerS]

Is there a Mac version yet, or is the Beeb still ignoring the terms of its charter?

Still ignoring the terms of its' charter. The BBC Trust is supposed to be monitoring developments. Pause for hollow laughter. Since they don't have anyone on the Trust who has any experience of developing complex s/w systems they are hardly in a position to either be objective or ask the right questions of the developers/project team.

Now factor in the fact that the Head of Interactive/Internet/whatever development at the BBC and who sits on the management board used to hold a very senior position within Microsoft - a little detail that is missing from his BBC biography.

Then mix in the fact that one of the project team managers is also ex-Microsoft and also held a senior position then you can see the writing on the wall.

Can't remember either of their names but it's all there on the various forums. The whole thing just stinks.

EDIT: Ashley Highfield is the chief honcho mentioned above.

 

[RogerS]

Me thinks DRM has gone too far down the stupid road.

I couldn't agree more. It's the DRM issue that is behind the lack of Mac/Linux capability for the BBC (and other broadcasters) TV download service.

The one question that no-one can explain to me is what exactly IS the point of time expired DRM when anyone can just as easily record digitally the TV programme in realtime using their PVR...where it will stay viewable and burnable to DVD forever.

They (the broadcasters) all claim that it is their content providers who dictate the use of Timed DRM. Two things show just how much b******s this actually is. Firstly - they won't say who their alleged content providers are and so no-one can make an independent check as to the veracity of their statement. Second, the TV broadcasters ARE the content provider in many cases.

Lots of stuff on the web about this - for example http://www.currybet.net/cbet_blog/2007/11/busting_the_bbcs_600_linux_users_myth.php

 

[devonwoody]

My experience the past couple of weeks with iplayer and firstly my new digital tv/dvd recorder is that things are not all honey with this digital set up.

My opinion is that digital reception is going to be a mess and not only will you need freeview etc. but in the end you will most probably need new aerials and recording equipment.

as for Iplayer, anything I wanted to view wasn't available so its very selective on what it offers a bit like Virgin Cable that does the same.

 

[mr]

Is there a Mac version yet, or is the Beeb still ignoring the terms of its charter?

if you mean the requirement for "platform neutrality for seven-day catch-up television over the internet within a reasonable timeframe" then they are not ignoring the charter (though I don't believe this requirement has anything to do with their charter which probably makes no reference to the iPlayer / downwladed content concept). They have made catch up tv available for streaming on the iPlayer site. It works for Windows, Mac and Linux and while far from perfect in as much as it isn't a download which is what the users want they have fulfilled the trust's requirements, at least in the short term. One day people will realize that DRM s a pointless waste of time, although there is intrinsically nothing wrong with the idea of protecting the rights of the owner, but the whole current DRM implementation seems deeply flawed.

Cheers Mike

 

[andrewm]

Wasn't it Bill Bailey the comedian on Never Mind the Buzzcocks etc. who said of the iPlayer "What progress? It's almost as good as taping it... on tapes which self destruct in seven days."?

Edit: Apparently on 'Have I Got News for You' on 4tthe May last year. I'm sure you can watch again on iPlayer if you wanted. oops. No, too late.

 

[White House Workshop]

My opinion is that digital reception is going to be a mess and not only will you need freeview etc. but in the end you will most probably need new aerials and recording equipment.

Totally.

My son works for Sky and they are ecstatic that analogue TV is being switched off as there will be so many problems with Freeview reception that more customers will turn to Sky.

We have Freeview and 80% of the time it's OK. It's when we're 90 minutes into a 100 minute film and the picture freezes and the sound stops that we really enjoy it. Often the only solution is to switch everything off and reboot, which takes - you guessed it - at least 10 minutes! And if the weather conditions aren't right you get no reception at all - not even a snowy picture and crackly sound. AND we're paying for this! AND all the new equipment consumes more and more electricity. SO much for the government's green policies. {rant off}

 

[RogerS]

.....
We have Freeview and 80% of the time it's OK. It's when we're 90 minutes into a 100 minute film and the picture freezes and the sound stops that we really enjoy it. Often the only solution is to switch everything off and reboot, which takes - you guessed it - at least 10 minutes! And if the weather conditions aren't right you get no reception at all - not even a snowy picture and crackly sound. AND we're paying for this! AND all the new equipment consumes more and more electricity. SO much for the government's green policies. {rant off}

All my problems went away after I installed a new aerial and downlead cable.

 

[YorkieT]

My son works for Sky and they are ecstatic that analogue TV is being switched off as there will be so many problems with Freeview reception that more customers will turn to Sky.

{rant off}

We tried freeview and experienced similar problems for almost 18 months before giving up and switching to sky and we are in a excellent area re reception!

My mother in law has major problems with freeview, picture freezing, sound out of sync, blocky pictures, even channels being mixed up with sound from one and a picture from another etc etc and this has been the same despite trying 2 different makes of box!

As for digital radio :roll: the unit we have in the house works fine but I have a VERY expensive portable DAB radio which is great if all you want to do is listen to squelching noises

YorkieT

 

[Slim]

My son works for Sky and they are ecstatic that analogue TV is being switched off as there will be so many problems with Freeview reception that more customers will turn to Sky.

We have Freeview and 80% of the time it's OK. It's when we're 90 minutes into a 100 minute film and the picture freezes and the sound stops that we really enjoy it. Often the only solution is to switch everything off and reboot, which takes - you guessed it - at least 10 minutes! And if the weather conditions aren't right you get no reception at all - not even a snowy picture and crackly sound. AND we're paying for this! AND all the new equipment consumes more and more electricity. SO much for the government's green policies. {rant off}

When analogue is switched off, the freeview signal will increase in power. For example, when the switchover happens at the Emley Moor mast, the freeview signal will increase from 8166W to 174000W. This will eradicate most of the reception problems people are suffering at the moment. (Unless it is an aeriel/wiring problem)

 

[woodshavings]

I have the BBC iPlayer on my PC, it works fine for both downloading and streaming.
My SWMBO has the iplayer on her MAC, but you can only stream, not download. Works fine though.
John

 

[BradNaylor]

The one question that no-one can explain to me is what exactly IS the point of time expired DRM when anyone can just as easily record digitally the TV programme in realtime using their PVR...where it will stay viewable and burnable to DVD

Recording a programme yourself for future viewing is fine - if you know it is on!

For instance, I didn't see Panorama on Monday night but later learned that it had been about a subject that interests me - collapsing house prices.

So I watched it on Tuesday on my PC. The quality is so-so but that has probably as much to do with my antiquated computer as anything.

I see this as the future in TV watching. In a few years I'm sure that the library of available programmes will have expanded exponentially and that I will be watching on my big telly in the living room, not a monitor in my study. Missed that one episode of New Yankee Workshop from the third series? No problem - a few clicks and there it is!

I'm also sure they'll be charging us for it!


As far as freeview is concerned, I've always found the reception crap. It has always been sold on the basis that your existing ariel would suffice. I was chatting with an ariel installer recently however, and he told me that ALL ariels are going to have to be replaced with digital ones.

Needless to say he was rubbing his hands in anticipation!