[Nottingham] BBC iPlayer - browser whitelist?

[Jim Moore]

David Aldred wrote:
> Has anyone heard anything about the BBC having a browser whitelist?
>
> The problem: On my main system (Sidux, Iceweasel 3.0.3, about:plugins reports 
> libflashplayer.so, Shockwave Flash 9.0 r124), if I go to the iPlayer site and 
> click on any programme, I get a black (well, very dark grey) screen with the 
> iPlayer logo and navigations tabs across the top, the programme name some way 
> down and links to other programmes and general footer stuff at the bottom.  
> It worked fine a few weeks ago - I don't use it all that often so can't be 
> sure exactly when. 
>
> On the Aspire One (Firefox 2.0.0.14, same libflashplayer identified) I get the 
> expected programme available to play.
>
> Investigating further, if I use the User Agent Switcher to say I'm using IE7  
> or Opera, it works.
>
> So it looks as though the BBC won't serve iPlayer stuff to Iceweasel - can 
> anyone confirm/deny this before I email them to ask what's going on? 
>
> (I actually usually use get_iplayer rather than viewing stuff direct, as more 
> often than not someone else in the house wants to watch it at a different 
> time and I like to preserve bandwith!   However it'd nice to have the option 
> without having to fiddle with user agents!
>
>   


Looks like they're using a UA whitelist. I just switched the UA string 
on my Wintendo to "Bob" (from Firefox 3.0.3) and found I couldn't get my 
News24 feed anymore...

TLP