BBC iPlayer 2.0 And iPhone

[trevreyno]

The BBC has just released a new version of their iPlayer .

Although still in beta, its due to run along side the old site untill 7th July. The beeb has done us iPhone owners proud again! -the new version looks brilliant on the iPhone.:D

You get the feeling most of the people working on this project are Mac fans and iPhone users.

All we need now is downloading for the Mac:)

[herodian]

The BBC has just released a new version of their iPlayer .

Although still in beta, its due to run along side the old site untill 7th July. The beeb has done us iPhone owners proud again! -the new version looks brilliant on the iPhone.:D

You get the feeling most of the people working on this project are Mac fans and iPhone users.

All we need now is downloading for the Mac:)

just checked. looks MUCh better than before. actually usable now.

i wonder if 3G will allow watching this on cellular?

[redgaz26]

just checked. looks MUCh better than before. actually usable now.

i wonder if 3G will allow watching this on cellular?


I hope so but can't see it happening, think how much data you would use to watch one half our program??????? then think of 100,000 02 users watching it at the same time on their way to work in the morning

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7336940.stm
makes interesting reading

[The Phazer]

i wonder if 3G will allow watching this on cellular?

Very unlikely - O2's terms and conditions prevent it anyway.

Hopefully the radio player will work soon though...

Phazer

[TonyHoyle]

It'll probably work.. after all O2 themselves stream video (currently only via rtsp streams though that the iphone doesn't support - hopefully they'll add quicktime streams).

If you were to read the T&C literally even using Youtube is against them.. can't see them enforcing those clauses unless you take the smeg. If you keep your overall data usage sane I can't see them looking too closely.

One thing you can be sure of - loads of new iphone users will immediately begin using the iplayer along with other streaming services (because hardly anyone reads T&C) so they're going to have to deal with the 'problem' either by cutting thousands of people of, blocking the site, or living wth it.

[tiguk]

Until we see the O2 T's & C's we won't know the answer to that one, but it would be awesome if this was available...... That's my commute sorted then!

[Base13]

Does iPlayer allow you to download programmes to the iPhone? Or is it streaming only?

I would love to be able to download something, then watch it in my lunch hour at work.

[tiguk]

Sounds like a perfect App. The BBC are looking to implement downloadable iPlayer on many platforms, so I don't see why this shouldn't be one of them.

[alFR]

All we need now is downloading for the Mac:)

Actually, all we need now is them to put all the iplayer content on itunes (as free rentals, perhaps, if they're worried about people keeping the shows) so we can play them on Apple TV. Or iPhone. Or our macs.

[jimN]

Am very impressed, it's so new they haven't even added a bookmark yet! People should be sure to give positive feedback to the Beeb because you can guarantee that a bunch of miserable naysayers will be whining about them favouring Apple products.

[iMachine]

I'm sure I have read somewhere that the BBC have blocked the iPlayer from being accessed from the O2 mobile network on O2's request, presumably to prevent excessive data traffic. Indeed I think that O2 threatened to block access to the iPlayer themselves if the BBC didn't comply with their request :eek:

Surely O2 ought to allow some form of iPlayer access - their network ought to be made capable of withstanding such usage; after all this is the 21st century.

At least if someone could provide an iPhone WMA audio stream player then you could listen to BBC radio stations live (unless those streams have been blocked as well).

[trevreyno]

Surely O2 ought to allow some form of iPlayer access - their network ought to be made capable of withstanding such usage; after all this is the 21st century.


Totally agree-makes faster data access via 3G pretty pointless if your unable to stream media.

I thought the so called "3G revolution" that we were promised a couple of years ago meant we were supposed to have access to streaming media via our mobile phones?.

Slightly faster loading web pages only don't really cut it.

It will be interesting to see how 02 handle this one.

[Aravintht]

Until we see the O2 T's & C's we won't know the answer to that one, but it would be awesome if this was available...... That's my commute sorted then!

i second that!

though i'll need to buffer ahead because as soon as i hit baron's court it's underground till i get off at South Ken

[The Phazer]

Actually, all we need now is them to put all the iplayer content on itunes (as free rentals, perhaps, if they're worried about people keeping the shows) so we can play them on Apple TV. Or iPhone. Or our macs.

The BBC asked. Apple said they weren't interested since there was no money in it.

Phazer

[Project]

The BBC asked. Apple said they weren't interested since there was no money in it.

Phazer

Was you involved in the discussions? If not, a link?

Theres plenty of free content on iTunes for me not to believe that. Free apps on the AppStore, iTunes U, Podcasts, free premiere episodes of TV series and so on.

And it creates a compelling reason to stay with the iPod ecosystem as the content will be ladened with FairPlay.

[davidjtaylor07]

Just found this on iplayer, i selected radio, then picked a radio podcast (chris moyles show for example) and then download podcast and it then played right on the iphone. i thought you could only download podcasts in itunes, even playeed using EDGE.
d

[retroneo]

currently only via rtsp streams though that the iphone doesn't support

The iPhones supports RTSP streaming. The Youtube feature on the iPhone streams h.264 encoded mp4s via rtsp.

[The Phazer]

Was you involved in the discussions?

A little.

Theres plenty of free content on iTunes for me not to believe that. Free apps on the AppStore,

Yep, we thought that was "interesting" - though the reality is that the bandwidth free apps on the iTunes store will use up in a year is about what iPlayer uses per day, if that.

iTunes U, Podcasts,

Podcasts aren't distributed by Apple - they just collect the RSS feeds. They come from other people's servers. Same with iTunes U IIRC.

And hence those services don't get Fairplay. For example, music rights are probably *just about* doable for most UK broadcasters for programme downloads if there's timed expiry DRM. You could get podcasts with the music back in (as long as they expire after a few days)!

Podcast producers have asked for that for years. Apple has always refused to give it to them.

free premiere episodes of TV series and so on.

They're considered promo bits to get people to buy the rest of the season.

And it creates a compelling reason to stay with the iPod ecosystem as the content will be ladened with FairPlay.

You would think. But given the bandwidth implications it needs to be tied into a peer to peer system like the Windows iPlayer is (to do otherwise is a breach of bbc.co.uk's service licence from the BBC Trust), so it will have to sit outside of iTunes, at least to download the files in the first place. And sitting outside of iTunes is somewhere Apple doesn't want Fairplay to be.

Phazer

[The Phazer]

Just found this on iplayer, i selected radio, then picked a radio podcast (chris moyles show for example) and then download podcast and it then played right on the iphone. i thought you could only download podcasts in itunes, even playeed using EDGE.
d

Since the podcasts are mp3's anyway, the iPhone will stream them.

You can only *download* them in iTunes - but you can stream podcasts on the iPhone fine if the website is configured to let you.

Phazer

[ne0star]

How do you know what tv programmes are iphone compatible? I clicked on a few of the popular ones such as topgear, and none of the played.

[alFR]

But given the bandwidth implications it needs to be tied into a peer to peer system like the Windows iPlayer is (to do otherwise is a breach of bbc.co.uk's service licence from the BBC Trust)

Sorry, I don't understand this - can you expand a bit on why it would breach the licence to have direct downloads?

[tallyho]

Yep, we thought that was "interesting" - though the reality is that the bandwidth free apps on the iTunes store will use up in a year is about what iPlayer uses per day, if that.

...

And sitting outside of iTunes is somewhere Apple doesn't want Fairplay to be.

Good informative post, Phazer. It's a shame Apple is resisting this, as the iTunes/iPod/iPhone/AppleTV eco-system really would make sense as a consumer (licence fee payer) friendly means of distributing content. The free rentals idea, or time limited drmd files, would help Apple if you ask me - if I went to iTunes as a matter of course to catch up on BBC programmes, I'd be much more likely to go there next time I wanted to rent a film.
In the mean time, we can always do as Stephen Fry does...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thefuture/transcript_fry.shtml
edit: I realise the Fry speech is quite long - the bit about iPlayer is on page 3, and includes things such as at the moment it’s relying on the fact that you have to be slightly dorky to record from the iPlayer, but believe me that will change. It will soon be the work of a moment for my mother to get an iPlayer programme off her computer and onto her iPod, iPhone, or whatever device she chooses

[covertsurfer]

Will we ever see live radio streaming to the iPhone/iPod Touch so we can listen to the radio? At the moment its only available as a REAL or WMP stream.

[The Phazer]

How do you know what tv programmes are iphone compatible? I clicked on a few of the popular ones such as topgear, and none of the played.

They should all be save for technical problems.

Phazer

[millar876]

i Just want downloads on the mac version. My DSL is only 512Kbps (or 0.5 Mb) and trying to stream from iplayer is painfull, load for 5 mins watch 2, load another 5, watch 2, oops iphone went to sleap, wake it, have to restart stream, same on my imac, without the sleep thing. its dismal.

WE WANT DOWNLOADS FOR MAC! Personally I'm not fussed about DL's on iphone if i can get them to my mac.

[The Phazer]

Sorry, I don't understand this - can you expand a bit on why it would breach the licence to have direct downloads?

The licence only allows for P2P downloads due to bandwidth implications and restrictions brought on at the behest of ISPs by Ofcom's Market Impact Assessment.

A new service licence can be submitted to the Trust for review of course, but that would require another public consultation etc - changing the service licence isn't quick (6 months +) or cheap (seven figures plus).

Good informative post, Phazer. It's a shame Apple is resisting this, as the iTunes/iPod/iPhone/AppleTV eco-system really would make sense as a consumer (licence fee payer) friendly means of distributing content. The free rentals idea, or time limited drmd files, would help Apple if you ask me - if I went to iTunes as a matter of course to catch up on BBC programmes, I'd be much more likely to go there next time I wanted to rent a film.

Yep. If nothing else it would sell tons of iPods. I find Apple's attitude baffling. But then Microsoft are no better - the head of Xbox UK said in the Guardian that they had no interest in getting any UK content in their media store (which means no iPlayer there either)!

That said, to do it actually *through iTunes* is a bit more difficult - the p2p client at least would need to sit outside it. But I'm still amazed that Apple seem content to hand this to Adobe, because it will be a huge boost to AIR.

In the mean time, we can always do as Stephen Fry does...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thefuture/transcript_fry.shtml
edit: I realise the Fry speech is quite long - the bit about iPlayer is on page 3, and includes things such as

These things will become increasingly difficult, and one would note that unlike recording off the telly recording on demand programmes is illegal in the UK.

Will we ever see live radio streaming to the iPhone/iPod Touch so we can listen to the radio? At the moment its only available as a REAL or WMP stream.

James Criland's (who is the grand poobah of BBC Radio online distribution) personal blog this morning says there's a big blog post from him on the BBC Internet blog going up this afternoon, and that there are two more codecs coming for the radio iPlayer later this year. Hopefully one will work on the iPhone, but they will have to be something that is reasonably difficult to capture.

EDIT: Said blog post is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radiolabs/2008/06/under_the_iplayer_hood_for_rad.shtml

Phazer

[The Phazer]

i Just want downloads on the mac version. My DSL is only 512Kbps (or 0.5 Mb) and trying to stream from iplayer is painfull, load for 5 mins watch 2, load another 5, watch 2, oops iphone went to sleap, wake it, have to restart stream, same on my imac, without the sleep thing. its dismal.

WE WANT DOWNLOADS FOR MAC! Personally I'm not fussed about DL's on iphone if i can get them to my mac.

They're coming before Christmas. An alternative DRM system wasn't available for downloads until a few weeks ago, and now the player has to be built around it.

Phazer

[ne0star]

They should all be save for technical problems.

Phazer


Right cheers. Its probably the work firewall thats causing issues. I will test it when I get home.

[alabastercodify]

Hopefully one will work on the iPhone, but they will have to be something that is reasonably difficult to capture.
Phazer

What do you mean by 'reasonably difficult to capture'?

[The Phazer]

Right cheers. Its probably the work firewall thats causing issues. I will test it when I get home.

It might be problems on the BBC's end too - encoding failures etc do happen, and I suspect all the measures the BBC have taken to prevent people ripping the MP4 streams have lowered the reliability of the service too. I don't have a wifi connection at the moment or I'd check it on mine for you.

But rights issues between the iPhone player and the web player are very, very rare and wouldn't be an issue for Top Gear where there are few external rights holders anyway.

Phazer

[The Phazer]

What do you mean by 'reasonably difficult to capture'?

Harder than the mp4 streams were for the video iPlayer at first ( I do believe the current system is uncracked for now).

They can't just stick up mp3 links that only require someone to right click and "save as" for example - the streams being used for the Flash player now are mp3s which the iPhone could play if there was a direct link to them and it wasn't hidden behind Flash, but that would make them too easy for people to illegally download and rights holders would kick off.

Phazer

[alabastercodify]

Harder than the mp4 streams were for the video iPlayer at first ( I do believe the current system is uncracked for now).

They can't just stick up mp3 links that only require someone to right click and "save as" for example - the streams being used for the Flash player now are mp3s which the iPhone could play if there was a direct link to them and it wasn't hidden behind Flash, but that would make them too easy for people to illegally download and rights holders would kick off.

Phazer

I thought that's what you meant, but if audio can be streamed, it can be recorded. Or is that considered too geeky to be problem?

[The Phazer]

I thought that's what you meant, but if audio can be streamed, it can be recorded. Or is that considered too geeky to be problem?

Pretty much. Any lock can be picked, but the idea is just to be sufficiently slow and difficult few people bother.

Phazer

[alFR]

These things will become increasingly difficult, and one would note that unlike recording off the telly recording on demand programmes is illegal in the UK.

Looks like the way forward is a freesat card, an EyeTV 310 and a bit of AppleScript/folder actions then: hey presto, Mac -> DVR.

[AJC999]

i have a new 3G iPhone, how do I get the iPlayer on the iPhone?

[03sho]

i have a new 3G iPhone, how do I get the iPlayer on the iPhone?

ummm ever thought of going to the iplayer site?

[AJC999]

i thought it was a separate application

[Lara F]

I thought the iphone didn't support real player or windows media so how can it play ?


It can't. Nice spam though. :rolleyes:

The WMP streams could be played via a 3rd party like FStream (ie. not directly linked from Safari) but unfortunately those are geolocked for BBC Radio 1-4, so there's no way to get them outside the UK. BBC's apparently aware and working on a solution, but for the moment I share your frustration.

This is the site to go to btw:
http://bbcstreams.com

[steverunner]

I thought the iphone didn't support real player or windows media so how can it play ?

Is it possible to get BBC radio on my iphone in Australia?

I can listen to them and listen again on my PC but not my iphone.

Iv'e been searching everywhere on how to do it. Majorly frustrating.t

Check out the Wunderradio app, has all the BBC radio stations on and works really well.

[shotts56]

Doesn't have Radio Scotland. No use if you want to listen to the football.

[Lara F]

Check out the Wunderradio app, has all the BBC radio stations on and works really well.

steverunner, you're in the UK I presume from your location. BBC 1-4 won't work on Wunderradio outside the country because it uses the geolocked streams. I can get BBC 6 Music though.

Now if someone's actually managed to get them outside the UK I'm all ears. :)

I guess the mods removed the spam links? Good (even though my earlier post makes no sense now lol).

[Daveecee]

Why did this six month old thread get resurrected?

[stevearm]

Why did this six month old thread get resurrected?

Because a poster wanted to add something to the discussion.

Is that a problem for you?