Hi Folks, Hoping you've been enjoying the Statutory Idleness!
A query for any of you who use get_iplayer.
I wanted to download the programme "Thinking Allowed" from Radio 4, first broadcast 08/04/2009, last broadcast last night at 00:15-00:45 (i.e. this morning), which is when I first heard it. It is the one about a Leeds art exhibition in which classic artists depict the social order (I found it very interesting, and recommend it to you even if you don't want anything to do with this query).
The following refers to my latest attempt, this morning, to download the programme. It is similar to what happened last night -- a few incidental details differ.
1. I did the usual get_iplayer search, with a standard result:
get_iplayer --type radio "Thinking Allowed" Matches: 12855: Thinking Allowed - 08/04/2009, 'BBC Radio 4', Factual, Science, Nature & Environment,Radio INFO: 1 Matching Programmes
2. I did a standard download request, using its index 12855:
get_iplayer --get 12855 INFO: Additionally getting cached programme data for radio Matches: 12855: radio, Thinking Allowed - 08/04/2009, 'BBC Radio 4', Factual,Science, Nature & Environment,Radio
INFO: 1 Matching Programmes INFO: Attempting to Download: Thinking Allowed - 08/04/2009 INFO: Getting version pids for programme b00jj0f6 INFO: Getting media stream metadata for Thinking Allowed - 08/04/2009, b00jj025 INFO: iPhone stream URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/3/auth/stream/ httpdl_iphone/direct/radio4/ secure_auth/RBN2_radio_4_fm_-_wednesday_1600_b00jj025_\ 2009_04_09_14_31_37.mp3 INFO: Checking existence of default version INFO: File name prefix = Thinking_Allowed_-_08_04_2009_b00jj0f6_default
WARNING: Retrying download for 'Thinking Allowed - 08/04/2009' INFO: Attempting to Download: Thinking Allowed - 08/04/2009 INFO: Getting version pids for programme b00jj0f6 ERROR: Required mplayer does not exist, skipping
which was unexpected -- usually such a command simply downloads the MP3 without more ado, and doesn't witter on about mplayer not existing!
3. As a test of get_iplayer, I tried another of yesterday's programmes. First, find its index:
get_iplayer --type radio "The Reunion" Matches: 12793: The Reunion - 12/04/2009, 'BBC Radio 4', Factual,Entertainment,Life Stories,Radio INFO: 1 Matching Programmes
4. Do the download (exactly the same syntax as before):
get_iplayer --get 12793 INFO: Additionally getting cached programme data for radio Matches: 12793: radio, The Reunion - 12/04/2009, 'BBC Radio 4', Factual,Entertainment,Life Stories,Radio
INFO: 1 Matching Programmes INFO: Attempting to Download: The Reunion - 12/04/2009 INFO: Getting version pids for programme b00jlxjp INFO: Getting media stream metadata for The Reunion - 12/04/2009, b00jlwpw INFO: iPhone stream URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/3/auth/stream/ httpdl_iphone/direct/radio4/ secure_auth/RBN2_radio_4_fm_-_s unday_\ 1115_b00jlwpw_2009_04_12_11_20_37.mp3 INFO: Checking existence of default version INFO: File name prefix = The_Reunion_-_12_04_2009_b00jlxjp_default
and then it happily started to download. Stopped it, since I don't want to keep that programme.
The above info is essentially the same as for "Thinking Allowed" until the former gets to the "WARNING" line.
5. Went back to "Thinking Allowed" and proceeded as before. Same result as before.
So, QUERY: Can anyone explain why one programme ("The Reunion") downloads without problems. while the other (by all appearances on the same sort of footing) fails to donwload?
Is there possibly some hidden "flag", planted by the BBC for some programmes, which allows them to be listened to (which one can do for "Thinking Allowed") but not downloaded, that get_iplayer picks up but does not tell you about?
Or is there a bug in the version (1.03) of get_iplayer I'm using?
With thanks, Ted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) Ted.Harding@manchester.ac.uk Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 13-Apr-09 Time: 10:38:16 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------