How to: Channel 4 Catch-Up on Mac :)

[sd2009]

If you go to channel4.com/watchonline you will see that only Internet Explorer on Windows is supported, and this seems impossible to overcome due to the WMV DRM, etc.
Well since I missed The Peep Show tonight, I figured I'd find a way to watch it on my Mac.
And I did it.

DISCLAIMER: The legality of the following instructions is questionable.

What you need:

- VLC

- Darwine

- freeme2

(NOTE: You could also try compiling the freeme2 sourcecode for Mac instead of using Darwine to run the Windows binary)

What you do:

1) Go to http://www.channel4.com/watchonline and choose the show and episode you would like to watch.

2) When the window with the "Sorry" message pops up, go to View > View Source and look for the line similar to:

oWMP.init('/services/catchup-playlist/playlist.asx?contractId=12345&episodeId=1', true, '12345-4', 'TV Show', true, true);

3) Highlight and copy everything from "/services" up until "episodeId=x", excluding quotation marks.


5) Go to http://isnoop.net/tools/url.php and in the input box type "http://channel4.com", followed by the string of text you copied earlier. The result should be something like "http://channel4.com/services/catchup-playlist/playlist.asx?contractId=12345&episodeId=1"

6) Click submit, and right click on the resulting link and download.

7) Open the downloaded file with Text Edit and look for something like

<TITLE>peep-show-4</TITLE>
		<REF HREF="mms://a1420.v154781.c15478.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1420/15478/v0001//origin.channel4.com/4od_stream/encrypted/PC_LOWRES_STREAM/45026/4/3320963/CH4_01_02_05_45026004001001_001.wmv"/>

It should be near the bottom.

8. Copy everything from "origin.channel4.com" upto ".wmv"

9. Go back to http://isnoop.net/tools/url.php and enter "http://" followed by what you just copied. Click submit and download the link that appears (right click and download). The downloaded file should be at least 60-70mb.

10. Open freeme2 with Darwine and use it to remove the DRM from the downloaded WMV file.

 

[MisterEd]

Wow that's awesome, thanks for posting this.
I've been looking for a way round this on OS X, and the best I have yet is running windows in a virtual machine.
I'll be sure to give this a go!

Ed

 

[macffooky]

Everything goes swimmingly until I run freeme2 which requires an SID.

Freeme2 compiles happily but neither the OS X compiled version or the Windows binary with Darwine will get past the SID requirement.

 

[digidan25]

Everything goes swimmingly until I run freeme2 which requires an SID.

Freeme2 compiles happily but neither the OS X compiled version or the Windows binary with Darwine will get past the SID requirement.

I too am having the same problem. I keep on getting asked about the SID but not knowing it, I can't put it in and so can't get the video I want...any help gratefully received!!

 

[masteroftheseas]

just download microsoft silverlight 2.0 for mac and it works fine

 

[jgbhardy]

The online version has been changed! it works with Macs it has nothing to do with the Microsoft Silverlight. They changed it and it running as a beta but it works!

 

[vielsfrithj]

Channel 4 Catch Up for Mac!!!

You can now easily watch 4 catch up on Plex it's a media center app.

 

[vielsfrithj]

**** I'm too late it's already here. hahaha

 

[jgbhardy]

**** I'm too late it's already here. hahaha

Yep I was the first to Post it and create a thread for it: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/680252/:rolleyes::cool:

 

[jgbhardy]

You can now easily watch 4 catch up on Plex it's a media center app.

Why, did you not read my post saying that it actually all works now!
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/680252/