BBC I Player

Karen4 · March 07, 2014, 11:44:16 AM

We use www.hola.org, via Chrome. Excellent picture and sound, can watch any live programmes on the BBCs, the ITVs and Channel 4s including watching on demand, and the iplayers to catch up if we've missed something. Absolutely brilliant!

Optomist · March 07, 2014, 10:49:27 AM

Most of you will already have found and are using the link below but for anyone that hasn't noticed it before its a method of testing your Streaming for the BBC Iplayer and the results will show if you are getting sufficient for it to play properly in a straightforward easily understandable way . Something else i noticed is that you can select a lower bandwidth to help , once you select what you want to watch there is a bar along the lower part of the screen , on the left of it the words " LOWER BANDWIDTH " .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/diagnostics#results

DieSse · February 19, 2014, 18:15:54 PM

Graeme - I suggest you contact both Tunnel Bear support and your ISP and ask them why this anomaly. I suspect (but don't know) that it's something to do with the fact you use a satellite link, as my AOLine service is pretty much the same with and without Tunnel Bear running.

I'd be interested to know the answer, as it's all useful support information.

Optomist · February 19, 2014, 14:30:11 PM

Out or interest i just tried downloading Eastenders , no problem at all , even closed BBC player and still coming through at 280 KB/s , pauses and restarts also . The other day i left it for hours trying to download the same program and didnt download anything so it is working now although i doubt we will ever need it .

Its now completed and plays .

dafydd51 · February 19, 2014, 12:41:58 PM

No confusion, when tunnel bear is on and trying to download an iplayer programme and it freezes at 14mb. Goes no further.
Just done another test without tunnel bear 8.63mbps with tunnel bear 0.63mbps

dafydd51 · February 19, 2014, 12:29:22 PM

Nothing at all Graeme, but it was worth asking. Going to try another VPN programme later to see if that any better.

Dave

dafydd51 · February 18, 2014, 16:28:26 PM

Installed Tunnel Bear yesterday and tried to download a prog from iplayer stalled after 14mbs. Just done a speed test without TB got 15.96mbps, tried it with TB running and unable to get the test started, also when trying to get onto other web sites times out. sorry Mr Tunnel Bear but not for me.

Dave

DieSse · February 18, 2014, 14:07:00 PM

ha - are you on a satellite internet system? That might make a difference, depending on where their servers are based. Don't quite know how, but 'tis possible.

BTW - re others comments. There's nothing illegal about picking up something distributed by satellite broadcast, if you can receive it. The people who pick it up then resend it via Internet are definitely doing something illegal tho'. Getting UK stuff via a VPN service is in a muddier area - probably not illegal, but a civil offence - same as having a Sky card here registered with a UK address - these are civil/contract matters. Sky are unlikely to take action tho', unless you flaunt it to them, as around 5% of their revenue comes this way - and that's an awful lot of revenue.

NormanM · February 18, 2014, 12:14:28 PM

If you are the kind of person who might be tempted do do something illegal, if you Google "Save bbc iPlayer files" you could find out how to remove the DMR component so that you could save your files permanently.......

DieSse · February 17, 2014, 23:35:54 PM

What do you mean by "it totally destroyed my download rate"?

How are you measuring that? Certainly iPlayer programmes do not download particularly fast individually, but I have downloaded three simultaneously, and they all come in at about the same rate as one. Which probably indicates that the BBC are not sending them particularly fast - not that your individual connection is slow.

I've just done a test with ookla, I use Albox OnLine with 6Mbps download. To a London server, I got just over 5Mbps with Tunnel Bear - and just over 5Mbps without it - and a similar ping. Indicates to me it makes little or no difference.

Don't forget that the rate at which something downloads is FAR more dependant on the supplying server and intervening routing than the initial link from you to your ISP.

DieSse · February 16, 2014, 23:09:34 PM

Perhaps I was too general in my conclusion, then. I've tried Tunnel Bear (paid for) on two computers, and the free adtelly - one with Windows 7, the other with Windows 8.1, right after one another (ie, more or less the same time)

Tunnel Bear allows watching iPlayer and downloading iPlayer consistently. Adtelly won't download in either case - though it does allow watching live.

I prefer to download as it doesn't suffer because on internet speed or capacity (though it can take longer if things are slower, of course). Plus, the quality of the picture is noticeably better - though still not up to a satellite picture, of course.

DieSse · February 16, 2014, 15:38:06 PM

I use Tunnel Bear VPN paid version. All works as it should.

I Tried the free adtelly add-on - and nothing happens when you try to download.

Seems like the answer is to use a decent VPN if you want to download.

Blue Moon · February 16, 2014, 14:34:43 PM

It works perfectly for me. I have Windows Vista as my operating system and I have subscribed to VpnOneClick at a cost of $2.99 a month, which was £1.88 in sterling.

antatoo · February 16, 2014, 13:44:15 PM

Quote from: dafydd51 on February 16, 2014, 13:01:49 PM
Yes Blue Moon and Graeme are correct and I have also down loaded the I player for windows and Mac but when you try and down load a programme to the folder nothing happens.

Dave

Dito

I used to use it a while ago when it used to download and play through windows media player, but since they changed to this special 'Iplayer download manager' it won't work.
I thought perhaps it was because we are all using VPN thingymibobs on our browsers to play Iplayer and the like but this 'Iplayer manager' is a separate box that doesn't come through the browser?
Or maybe that's a load of tosh ........ anybody techy?

dafydd51 · February 16, 2014, 13:01:49 PM

Yes Blue Moon and Graeme are correct and I have also down loaded the I player for windows and Mac but when you try and down load a programme to the folder nothing happens.

Dave

Optomist · February 16, 2014, 11:22:02 AM

Quote from: Blue Moon on February 16, 2014, 11:17:11 AM
To download a file from BBC Iplayer you first need to install some software from the Iplayer website. On the Iplayer home page under "Categories" there is a box with the title "New BBC Iplayer Downloads". If you open that box you can then install the software by clicking on "BBC I player for Windows" or for Mac or whatever. This will create an Iplayer Downloads folder on your desktop. When you then select a programme to download a popup box will ask if you have downloaded the software. Click on Yes and the programme will download into your folder. You then have 30 days to watch the programme, but because it is a download you do not have to be online and the quality is very good.

All who posted saying it wont download will have done that already , in fact you have to go through the process you outlined or you cant download anything . The problem we seem to be having is that nothing is actually downloading to the file , the program shows in the folder but that's all , the downloads don't even start .

Blue Moon · February 16, 2014, 11:17:11 AM

To download a file from BBC Iplayer you first need to install some software from the Iplayer website. On the Iplayer home page under "Categories" there is a box with the title "New BBC Iplayer Downloads". If you open that box you can then install the software by clicking on "BBC I player for Windows" or for Mac or whatever. This will create an Iplayer Downloads folder on your desktop. When you then select a programme to download a popup box will ask if you have downloaded the software. Click on Yes and the programme will download into your folder. You then have 30 days to watch the programme, but because it is a download you do not have to be online and the quality is very good.

oldbirchy · February 15, 2014, 19:58:30 PM

My experience is that it dies not really download a file to your PC that can be viewed independently, you still have to use iPlayer to play them back. Bit of a bummer, as I was hoping to be able to download any watch anytime using a video player on my PC!
But, no such luck, you have to go back through iPlayer and watch within the number of days stated.
Unless someone knows how to get around it ?????????

Regards Andy

dafydd51 · February 15, 2014, 15:19:01 PM

Thanks for the reply, however the programme is not being downloaded to the iplayer folder for viewing later. Any ideas.

Dave

DieSse · February 15, 2014, 14:44:02 PM

It's downloaded to your PC and you can view it later, usually for up to 30 days. The downloaded files are noticeably better quality than on-line streaming (which is to be expected, as they don't have to be compressed so much). Also, as it's in your system, it plays without any pauses or buffering, assuming your system is working OK.

To watch, start the download program, and you should see the items you have stored - click the picture to play them.

That's what I am doing now - you get good pictures, no delays, you simply have to watch them from the day after they were screened.

dafydd51 · February 15, 2014, 13:38:42 PM

Hi Folks,
A simple question, when you are on the BBC I player site pick a programme and then click download should that programme be downloaded to you pc or is it just a link. The reason for asking, is its tells me that the programme is being downloaded to a folder for later viewing, but that folder is empty.

Dave