Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 27 Feb 17 - 06:51 AM

I investigated our Panasonic TV which does have a USB port, and happily reads get_iplayer downloaded tv programme files using its media player. Thanks again for that tip DaveRo, which will save me the hassle of file conversion and burning to DVD!

I have noticed that get_iplayer invites you to delete downloaded BBC radio programmes after 30 days only if the file name has not been changed.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DaveRo
Date: 27 Feb 17 - 06:36 AM

I use get_iplayer for TV because the BBC iPlayer does not allow downloads on Linux (unless it's changed again) and even when it did I couldn't easily play them on my TV. Hence my USB stick method. Another advantage of get_iplayer is that it does not enforce the time limit - which is normally a month (although it does encourage you to delete time-expired programmes). So you can watch when you have time - in the winter - or keep stuff for ever.

BTW iPlayer allows you 5 months to watch the Ring, as I posted here. And I have watched The Rheingold twice - though none of the others yet. The Giants are particularly good - they act and are dressed as a couple of East End thugs. (Is he talking to me, Ron?) [Non-UK or younger readers readers: East End of London, Kray Twins]

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Mr Red
Date: 27 Feb 17 - 05:10 AM

I once was told by an older woman at a folk festival that she was off to watch F1 via their caravan satellite dish (all those fit young drivers?). The point, I assume, was there was a deal of matrimonial harmony going on. He wants to be at the festival and with his partner. She wants to be with him and is tagging along. Ditto abroad?

The plethora of platforms and devices out there is making the whole thing into a Tower of Babel. But for most requirements catch-up is sufficient, for UK residents. Though when would you get to listen to Wagner ringing away for 13 hours within the month? Doable, but hard work IMHO. And more than once? Geeze!

A lot of blocks would, I assume, be traceable to DRM.
As an electronic engineer, I don't see any impediment to someone capturing HDMI (or even later within a monitor) and recording/converting. Not available commercially, but if you are going to pirate for profit, worth the design effort.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 05:00 PM

Of course.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 04:55 PM

Indeed. Hope that you realised that my comment was tongue in cheek!

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 02:43 PM

True enough, Ed. I should have said business trips rather than holiday. The situations where jet lag, time shifts and business meetings combine to lock me in some identikit inner city with insufficient time to get out of it to somewhere more interesting. (You might be surprised how few towns even have museums worth visiting more than once.) On some business trips I do manage to get out and about, but it takes time that I don't necessary have.

I don't think I have ever watched television on holiday, except occasionally on sea days on a cruise. But even then, I am more likely to be off proving I can't play bridge, or something like that.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 07:10 AM

However it is irritating when i am not allowed to view a program on a laptop when i am abroad on holiday

Well each to their own, Dave. Personally I can find more interesting things to do when I'm on a foreign holiday that watching the tele from Blighty...

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DaveRo
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 06:32 AM

DMcG wrote: So i think eventually the BBC will end up issuing tokens that can be installed on one machine only and are referenced to your actual tv licence.

I suspect you're right. They could limit viewing (because TV rather than radio is the main target) to limited periods abroad or to programmes for which the BBC retained the rights. A problem, for me anyway, would be if they restricted the platform - e.g. to Microsoft's, Google's, and Apple's products - which I don't use.

I should have mentioned to Guest (25 Feb 17 - 10:35 PM) that there are plenty of apps and media players that will play live radio streams and google will locate the URLs. For example on my phone I have an app called SailWave which plays BBC streams such as http://www.radiofeeds.co.uk/bbcradio3.pls This works abroad - or did recently.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST,Guest2
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 04:43 AM

The BBC Store has been one way to release its extensive archive to the UK public for payment of a small fee. BUT ... it doesn't work. And when it does the file has DRM protection and will only play on the device onto which it was downloaded and if the device is connected to the Internet.

Bearing in mind that most downloading is done onto home computer setups with broadband then the mind boggles in that in order to view the programme the entire setup has to be portable for train or bus travel with wifi. I don't thing so.

And with draconian data-caps on mobile phones how many are going to download a large video file to their devices just to watch a programe on the move? I don't think so.

The Beeb is concentating too much on being political, left wing, PC., etc., instead of providing a service to its hapless licence fee payers.

Until then there will always be techies one step ahead to provide the service(s) that the Beeb doesn't.

By the way I have heard that it is worth joining MVGroup.org

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DMcG
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 03:18 AM

I understand that the financial pressures make the BBC do its best to ensure licence fees are paid and that protecting overseas sales of orogrammes is the main reason they do not allow programmes to to viewed outside the UK, so broadly I agree with their policy.

However it is irritating when i am not allowed to view a program on a laptop when i am abroad on holiday or business when exactly the same setup and people would be find if we were in Edinburgh or Torquay. So i think eventually the BBC will end up issuing tokens that can be installed on pne machine only and are referenced to your actual tv locence.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DaveRo
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 03:05 AM

The BBC discourages non-UK access to its programmes, where 'discourages' varies from just making it a bit technically tricky - in the case with radio - to actively trying to prevent - in the case of TV. Their main concern, I suppose, is to stop people pirating programmes. But there is also a political angle: UK licence payers are less likely to support the current licence fee if foreigners have free access to our programmes. The result is that the field is constantly changing and what worked last week may not work now.

I'm in the UK and I pay the licence fee. I use get_iplayer to do things that the BBC iPlayer would allow me to do anyway - if I had a smart TV or a tablet connected to Google Playstore. AFAIK get_iplayer works abroad for radio (even if streaming doesn't) but I may be out of date. TV is a different matter - the BBC has been trying to stop internet connections from abroad for years. This_thread will give you an idea of the current state of play.

The technology to get round the BBC's blocks includes 'VPN' and 'Smart DNS'. Essentually these pretend you're in the UK. This is techy stuff so companies exist to sell you (potentially illegal) solutions - and some of them work - for now. I suggest you google for those terms in sailing forums like this where the subject often arises.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST,Guest2
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 03:00 AM

Guest: yes - use a VPN - Google is your friend. With a VPN (best to pay for one) you can watch streaming &/or use get_iplayer anywehere in the world

Guest:John - the point about get_iplayer (which incidentally is tech. supported by Beeb engineers) is so that programmes can be downloaded for viewing on portble devices not supported by the real BBC iPlayer.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 10:35 PM

Does anyone know how I can get BBC Radio or TV? I don't live in the UK any more but there are some programmes I miss.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 06:22 PM

How many devices over the years have been built, intentionally so one could capture live programming? Too many to count. So today you do it with software and streaming media instead of pushing record and play on the cassette in your radio. Or used a DVD recorder or old VHS tapes to record live programs.

It's for personal use, yes?

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 05:57 PM

"Wouldn't be surprised if GUEST,John is the kind of neighbour who spends all day peering through a narrow slit in his curtains
waiting, phone at the ready - 999 on speed dial,
to spot any activity that doesn't comply 100% with the law...??? 😜"

Punkfolkrocker - you've hit the nail on the head there I must say!!

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 04:57 PM

I have nothing else to say on the matter!

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST,John
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 03:09 PM

Wouldn't be surprised if GUEST,John is the kind of neighbour who spends all day peering through a narrow slit in his curtains

You might not be surprised, but you'd be entirely wrong...

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 03:05 PM

Wouldn't be surprised if GUEST,John is the kind of neighbour who spends all day peering through a narrow slit in his curtains
waiting, phone at the ready - 999 on speed dial,
to spot any activity that doesn't comply 100% with the law...??? 😜

My sister was a bit like that.. I found her binoculars & crime log notepads when clearing out her squalid flat...

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST,John
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 02:49 PM

I think you do, Bonzo...

After all, you mention "I suspect that this is due to new draconian BBC licencing rules!!" in your first post.

Maybe you should read the terms and conditions if it's still opaque to you?

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 01:11 PM

I don't understand your problem guest John, the whole principle behind the iplayer is that programme files can be downloaded. You can see a download button at the bottom of the page for each TV programme.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: GUEST,John
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 12:17 PM

Do you both enjoy stealing copyrighted stuff?

You must feel good about yourselves... I prefer to have some morals. But there we go...

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 11:19 AM

Thanks I'll try that.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DaveRo
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 11:11 AM

I have an LG TV made about 2010. I've never had problems playing downloaded TV programs on USB. But I've had problems with this Ring Cycle set which has been released on iPlayer. It may be it's in higher definition than the stuff I've played before, and/or it might be due to a change in the BBC's downloads.

I found that a whole programme - they're all 3+ hours long - is always reported as 'invalid' by the TV. A short extract - the first 5 minutes say - will play.

After a lot of trial and error I've established that if I keep the length to 1 hour, and also downscale the definition, I can produce a reliably playable file. I use a command like:

ffmpeg -i infile.mp4 -vf scale=-1:720 -ss 1:00:00 -to 2:00:00 outfile.mp4

I now have 13 one-hour parts to watch over the next several months!

LG TVs are apparently notorious for this. Maybe other brands too.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 10:36 AM

Yes I rarely use it for TV, just when there is a clash of programmes on at the same time, and my wife who is freesat monitor hasn't yet figured out how to record 2 programmes at once.

We'll have to try the usb stick method, I hadn't thouth of that. I convert the downloaded tv programme file and burn to DVD.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DaveRo
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 08:45 AM

A TV set!

More specifically, I'm in the UK and we have Sky+ TV, though we still have an aerial on the roof. I never had a reason to stream TV to a computer.

I use get_iplayer a lot - but mostly for radio. But I've recently downloaded all Opera North's Ring Cycle, which I'll put on a USB stick and plug into the TV.

I normally upgrade get_iplayer when it stops working. I see I'm still on 2.96.

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 08:34 AM

Ah live radio/TV support was dropped in version 2.98 it seems. What do you use for live streaming?

Subject: RE: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: DaveRo
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 07:00 AM

Version_2.99_Release_Notes

I don't use it for live streaming, so I'm not sure what exactly has been removed.

Subject: Tech: get_iplayer drops live radio support
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 05:46 AM

I discovered recently that it is no longer possible to capture live BBC radio with the latest version of get_iplayer (2.99) However you can still capture live BBC radio using version 2.97. As they only take a few seconds to install. I switch between the two. I suspect that this is due to new draconian BBC licencing rules!!

The other alternative is to use ffmpeg, which is great fun!!!