[shaungjones]

Today BBC iPlayer alters the technology to perform programme downloads and the much used Windows Media download option is lost - for ever.

Has anybody got any thoughts on whether some file conversion technique could be applied in the new facility ?

[loonattic]

I've been downloading and watching stuff from iplayer on my mp4 player(sony)for the last 4/5 years and now with this change I cant do it anymore.its really annoying.there was nothing wrong with the old system.this has ruined the iplayer for me.

[platelet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaungjones

Today BBC iPlayer alters the technology to perform programme downloads and the much used Windows Media download option is lost - for ever.

Has anybody got any thoughts on whether some file conversion technique could be applied in the new facility ?

funnily enough just been discussing here:
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1894173 but discussing ways to get_iplayer programs by other means or indeed file conversion would probably contravene the sites T&Cs

[dorispassing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by loonattic

I've been downloading and watching stuff from iplayer on my mp4 player(sony)for the last 4/5 years and now with this change I cant do it anymore.its really annoying.there was nothing wrong with the old system.this has ruined the iplayer for me.

Same thing here. Always downloaded the portable files and put them on my walkman. No longer possible it seems, but not mentioned or addressed on the BBC site.

[akki007]

What file format are bbc now using?

[shaungjones]

I have downloaded one programme (took ages btw) and it has a file extension of .mp4.

[platelet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorispassing

No longer possible it seems,.

Yes it is possible

[loonattic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by platelet

Yes it is possible

how is it possible?

[ambrougham]

Quote:

Originally Posted by loonattic

I've been downloading and watching stuff from iplayer on my mp4 player(sony)for the last 4/5 years and now with this change I cant do it anymore.its really annoying.there was nothing wrong with the old system.this has ruined the iplayer for me.

As I've posted in the thread referred to in an earlier post I also find the shiny new so-called 'improved' iplayer a thorough PITA. Apart from anything else it's just yet another poorly engineered, very badly installed, resource hogging (despite only offering a bare minimum of functionality) and strangely slow proprietary download manager/player to add to the seemingly ever growing collection of dubious software various that you get forced into using these days

Similarly to you, I've always grabbed the WMV files as/when convenient in the background on my main PC and then distributed them via the network to various other PCs and media centres etc for watching as required. This is obviously no longer possible now as you can apparently only DL programmes to the specific system where you intend to watch them. The MP4 (M4V ?) files do not appear to be usable in any media player other than iplayer and can't even be accessed remotely or transferred to the iplayer installation on another machine either. The new iplayer system is almost totally useless and a huge backward step as far as I'm concerned.

For me it now means having to decide exactly where I intend watching a particular programme before DLing it to that specific location and if someone else in the house also wants to watch it they have to do so in the same place within 7 days or DL another copy elsewhere. Gone are the days of just DLing a programme once sometime during the day while working on my main PC then legally watching it at any time over the next 30 days either on my main PC, the laptop or the media centre in the lounge, other room, bedroom etc. depending on where I feel like watching it at the time. What a complete waste of space (not to mention time, effort, bandwidth, money and patience etc) this shiny new so-called 'improved' iplayer system actually appears to be IMHO !!! Maybe I'm seriously missing the point or something but grabbing a WMV and legally playing it wherever and whenever I wanted to (subject to DRM time limits) was so quick/simple/reliable and all that there was absolutely no need for any other method.

I'd be *very* interested in any way around the alleged improvements and draconian restrictions that make iplayer at best highly inconvenient and at worst virtually useless to me PROVIDING that it doesn't involve dubious data file manipulation in an attempt to bypass the DRM and/or re-recording/transcoding the stream. I have no particular problem with DRM per se it's just the totally unnecessary restrictions on the ability to choose how, where and when you can legally watch a programme that has an alleged 30 days 'life' after you've DL'd it that's peeing me right off. As far as I'm concerned, iplayer wasn't broken and didn't need fixing as it's been working just fine and dandy for donkey's years ... but it sure as hell needs fixing now because it's almost useless !!!

[ambrougham]

PS: I think I've just found a way to mostly solve my problems due to no longer having easily portable WMV files to DL Looks very promising anyway but only time will tell if it's a reliable and workable solution. A bit of a nuisance but it ought to at least mean not having to do multiple programme DLs from several different locations to ensure I can watch stuff where/when I want to. Doesn't help resolve the problem for non-windows kit though and it may not work long-term in any case because the iplayer software could be updated at some point in the future of course.

[FrankBT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by loonattic

I've been downloading and watching stuff from iplayer on my mp4 player(sony)for the last 4/5 years and now with this change I cant do it anymore.its really annoying.there was nothing wrong with the old system.this has ruined the iplayer for me.

The new iPlayer seemed to download and install on my PC ok. But when I try to run it I just get a Windows error message about "kernel32.dll" not being accessible. Never had trouble with the old system downloading to Windows Media Player. So now I too find I can no longer download, although streaming directly from iPlayer is unaffected..so far. No doubt they'll find a way of screwing that one up as well in the not too distant future.

Same old story. These IT people never seem to learn. If it ain't broke you don't need to fix This is bad. and I'm seriously considering whether to continue with my license fee in future. Make sure you complain about this (under type of contact>Complaints)

https://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co....&uid=908530055

[alcockell]

What the hell are the Beeb playing at?
New bunch of devs who know ****-all about decent software development?

[billbullock]

I downloaded the new BBC iPlayer Downloads program yesterday. I downloaded a 30 min programme in HD but could not play the mp4 file on Windows 7 Media Player or any other video player on my computer. I hope someone comes up with a fix for this soon.

However, I was pleased with the way the new iPlayer Downloads program played the programme in beautiful HD. The BBC software works without a hitch this time.

[Arwen_Evenstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrankBT

The new iPlayer seemed to download and install on my PC ok. But when I try to run it I just get a Windows error message about "kernel32.dll" not being accessible. Never had trouble with the old system downloading to Windows Media Player. So now I too find I can no longer download, although streaming directly from iPlayer is unaffected..so far. No doubt they'll find a way of screwing that one up as well in the not too distant future.

Same old story. These IT people never seem to learn. If it ain't broke you don't need to fix This is bad. and I'm seriously considering whether to continue with my license fee in future. Make sure you complain about this (under type of contact>Complaints)

https://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co....&uid=908530055

I put in a complaint about WMV not being available any more, but praise for the new software- the old i player became un-useable for me about a year ago.

I welcome a new simpler format for i player however not while withdrawing the choice of WMV.

The more people complain the better chance the BBC giving us back WMV.

[Arwen_Evenstar]

A few niggles so far- in Windows 8 the download window can't be maximised, only when playing something.
You can't see the speed of downloads, only a progress bar.
A show that has 6 days left is currently languishing half way down my program list instead of popping to the top above one which has 25 days left.

[platelet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBC Director-General Tony Hall

The new generation of BBC iPlayer is set to transform our relationship with audiences.

...
It will be a relationship where we provide our audiences with what they want, when and how they want it.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/...#ixzz2h884j9qg

That's okay then