A cock-up, not a conspiracy

It turns out that the reason that iPlayer TV downloads aren’t working is not that the BBC have changed anything. It’s just that their system’s broken down again for the second time in a couple of weeks. A page on the iPlayer Help system currently announces:

There is currently a problem with the availability of content on BBC iPlayer on iPhone, mobile WiFi and 3G.

My downloader emulates an iPhone, so if you can’t download something at the moment, that’ll be why.

2010-03-08 22:07 UTC. Comments: 9.

Comments

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  1. Andy Stewart

    Wrote at 2010-03-09 09:19 UTC using Unknown browser on Mac OS X:

    Hanlon’s Razor?

  2. diva divan

    Wrote at 2010-03-10 09:40 UTC using Firefox 3.5.8 on Windows Vista:

    downloads seem to be working now :)

  3. John

    Wrote at 2010-03-10 18:51 UTC using Chrome 5.0.342.2 on Windows XP:

    The download does not work for me. The “iPlayer unavailable” announcement from BBC is gone from their website, but it seems the problem still exists.

  4. Jason

    Wrote at 2010-03-11 18:35 UTC using Chrome 4.0.249.89 on Windows Vista:

    Seems that you can download programmes put on since the bug, but not those from last week during the bug. Just started downloading The Bubble and is working fine, but the final episode of Five Days from last Friday still refuses to download (and is only online for one more day – aargh!)

  5. Ian

    Wrote at 2010-03-11 23:07 UTC using Firefox 3.6 on Windows XP:

    Firstly, Paul thanks for creating & maintaining such a useful tool.

    Secondly, Jason, as I understand it from postings on the BBC iPlayer support boards the source for the iPhone version of shows is the transmitted signal at the time of broadcast. This, apparently, differs from the regular iPlayer version of shows which, I imagine, are derived from the program tapes themselves.

    With the iPhone version based on the ‘live feed’ there is currently, as I understand it, no system at the BBC to go back and replace missing shows when a problem like the one that happened last weekend occurs. So you may be out of luck on that Final Episode of Five Days, sorry.

  6. Simon

    Wrote at 2010-03-14 18:46 UTC using Opera 9.80 on Windows XP:

    Hi Paul

    Just in case you haven’t seen this, the BBC have blocked 3rd party apps:

    http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/356230/bbc-blocks-third-party-iplayer-apps

    It’s not just yours, I use 3 other downloaders and they have all been blocked too.

    I hope you can come up with a skillful workaround. I loved your downloader – it was so simple. If not, then thanks for your past efforts. It was good while it lasted.

  7. by_tor

    Wrote at 2010-03-15 07:10 UTC using Firefox 3.6 on Windows 7:

    Despite the post from Simon (above) the iPlayer downloader still seems to be working fine for me. Downloading the 2nd ep of Wonders of the Solar System now. The loopholes the BBC closed obviously don’t affect Paul’s app (yet)! :)

  8. Simon

    Wrote at 2010-03-15 14:44 UTC using Opera 9.80 on Windows XP:

    I have to agree with by_tor today. After a week of not being able to download anything, everything seems to be back to normal today (Monday).

  9. Casey

    Wrote at 2010-03-16 21:42 UTC using Firefox 3.5.8 on Linux:

    I’m also currently downloading the 2nd episode of WotSS but I just tried downloading the 1st episode and couldn’t. So, it seems Jason and Ian are correct.

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