[Wolves] BBC iPlayer?

Adam Sweet adam at adamsweet.org
Fri Feb 27 12:29:30 UTC 2009


Kevanf1 wrote:
> 2009/2/27 Jon Farmer <jonfarmer at enta.net>:
>> Kevanf1 wrote:
>>> Am I correct in assuming that that BBC iPlayer is now available for
>>> Linux?  If so is it possible to save the content of a broadcast from
>>> the iPlayer?  I was interviewed yesterday on Radio WM and I would like
>>> to save a copy if possible.  I've been told that I can't do this
>>> through Windows so I'm hoping my beloved Linux can come to the
>>> rescue..
>>>
>>>
>> You should be able to stream it via the flash player and capture the
>> audio with something like audacity.
> 
> Brilliant stuff :-)  It is only audio anyway (Radio WM).  That Jo
> Malin is even better face to face ;-)

Albeit unhelpful, I would like to point out that Jo Malin appears to
have classic Midlands region newsreader hair, in similar respect to
Yvonne Gaskill and Chris James as demonstrated below:

http://www.promsconcerts.co.uk/Images/jo-malin_2007.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khnBA58ed2k/SKm-Pj4lkDI/AAAAAAAABq4/RyEuhP0GrqE/s320/yg1.JPG

http://www.westmidlandslupus.co.uk/ball/images_ball_2007/pic11_large.jpg

On the helpful side, you can run iPlayer as a browser based flash stream
or using the Linux Adobe AIR version. Using the flash version, normally
if you let the stream finish downloading without closing the browser
window, you will find the flash file in /tmp, it's normally a .flv file
without the extension, though for audio, I don't know. However, I found
that the flash version of the iPlayer didn't work this way.

The Adobe AIR version should download the files to your user's local
iPlayer directory (might be under ~/Videos I think) but this will almost
certainly be only be playable with the iPlayer. There is a Windows tool
of undoubted illegality that will strip the DRM from files downloaded
under the Windows iPlayer allowing you to save the file beyond the 28
day or whatever period you are allowed to keep the file.

As has also been said, you should be able to play the file under the
Linux iPlayer, flash or AIR and save the audio as it goes across your
sound card, I believe, though I might be wrong that you record from the
PCM device of your sound card. In practice though, I've never managed to
get that to work for standard Gnome applications, let alone something as
fiercely protected as iPlayer content. It also depends on whether the
Linux iPlayer has any such mechanism built in which will stop you doing
such a thing, just as the Windows version does. I'm not sure whether
that is Windows DRM or whether it's built into the iPlayer itself.

One more thing, is BBC WM available through the iPlayer?

I'm just thinking out loud, I only really wanted to make the point about
Central region newsreaders' hair.

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