BBC have released iPlayer for Linux!!!

[Nathan_M]

Up until now, I've been using get_iplayer.pl to do all my TV-on-demand watching. But the BBC have released a beta of iPlayer Desktop, which runs on Adobe Air!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/labs

I'm just waiting for something to download so I can check it out. I tried playing the raw, partially downloaded file, and it complains of missing codecs, so I'll see what happens when it finishes downloading.

Now we just need 4oD to follow suite, and I'll be all set.

[gn2]

From what I've read elsewhere, the downloaded content is DRM'd and lower quality than the high quality stream.

[Joeb454]

I tried this on OS X. It always got so far, then told me the download failed. It did this with every program I tried to watch :(

[Nathan_M]

It's worked for me. And the quality is quite good... definitely better than the iPhone videos that get_iplayer.pl uses, and I'm pretty sure it's better than the high quality stream too. It is DRM'd in some way (although I have a feeling it's not a very advanced DRM... could just be encoded by XORing, like the iPhone version). I'll do a bit of investigation into the DRM before I delete get_iplayer just yet.

[binbash]

I am gonna give it a try

[speedwell68]

It seems a bit unstable at this stage, sometimes it downloads and sometimes it doesn't. TBH I will probably uninstall it anyway, I was more than happy with the high quality stream anyway, the downloaded quality isn't as good as the high quality stream.

[ajcham]

It seems a bit unstable at this stage, sometimes it downloads and sometimes it doesn't. TBH I will probably uninstall it anyway, I was more than happy with the high quality stream anyway, the downloaded quality isn't as good as the high quality stream.

I agree - I tried it out a few weeks ago shortly after it became available and promptly removed it. In addition to the quality issue, downloaded programmes did not have subtitiles available.

For me, even if these issues are rectified the DRM still ensures that there is no advantage to downloading over streaming. For those who may wish to watch the programme again, or have it available for other family members there is an advantage to only having to download it once, but that doesn't apply in my case.

[speedwell68]

I agree - I tried it out a few weeks ago shortly after it became available and promptly removed it. In addition to the quality issue, downloaded programmes did not have subtitiles available.

For me, even if these issues are rectified the DRM still ensures that there is no advantage to downloading over streaming. For those who may wish to watch the programme again, or have it available for other family members there is an advantage to only having to download it once, but that doesn't apply in my case.

Not wanting to get into the whole DRM debate. But TBH I don't see the point in all the time expiry nonsense. The BBC are broadcasting all of these programmes over the airwaves, free for anyone to record and redistribute. So what is the point of all the DRM on iPlayer. Oh, hang on I just got into the whole DRM debate.:D

[Nathan_M]

Right, I've been doing some research, and I found this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/12/introducing_iplayer_deskto.html

So first, quality:


Right now BBC iPlayer Desktop makes use of the same 800Kbps H.264 content that's used for our High Quality streaming option. We're working on improving that, to provide 1500Kbps H.264 content that should be close to television quality. So, starting around February, we expect to deliver substantially better quality for downloads (these 1500Kbps streams will also be offered for streaming, providing near TV quality in iPlayer).

So there's no difference between the iPlayer Desktop version, and the High Quality stream.

Concerning DRM:


Ultimately, we chose Adobe AIR and Adobe rights management (FMRMS (http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediarightsmanagement/)) as our preferred solution for our next-gen BBC iPlayer Desktop application.

So not just simple XORing then... not easily crackable at all.

I think I'm going to keep iPlayer desktop. It's a bit more flexible than streaming, and much better quality than get_iplayer.pl. Oh, and I haven't had any instability issues. It works perfectly for me.