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All change on the BBC app train

Rack Kit said:
  • "After reviewing the usage data, we decided that as only a very small number of users opted to use the higher quality downloads on iPlayer Radio, we would not offer them on BBC Sounds."
This is the kind of thing that really grinds my gears.
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I dare say most people never even noticed that there was a setting hidden in the menu. It irritates me, too, that the people who used to lead the way in radio sound quality, both analogue FM and digital, are now setting the bar so low.
 
Whatsisnaim said:
I dare say most people never even noticed that there was a setting hidden in the menu. It irritates me, too, that the people who used to lead the way in radio sound quality quality, both analogue FM and digital, are now setting the bar so low.
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As you say, the HQ option was hidden away so it's no wonder few people selected it. I had it enabled when downloading content - that makes me one of the few I guess. It's all about cramming as much content at the lowest quality they can get away to stop the app from grinding to a halt trying to push out high quality streams.
 
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I often download some r6 to listen to when below ground travelling. Didn’t know there was sq quality options :(
 
Whatsisnaim said:
There was an update for the iPlayer iOS a few days ago, supposedly 'Minor bug fixes', I wonder if it was to plant a ticking time bomb in there.
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At about the same time the way URLs sent to the standard webpage-based IPlayer were parsed (recognised) changed, so that simple addresses which had worked for years, failed. I've managed to find the 'new' URLs for the same pages of material, and *they* took a day or so to fully work. This may be a side effect of some deckchair shuffling for 'Zounds!"

I'm currently trying to find out more about this. But so far as I can tell thus far, the web-browser based iPlayer interface should continue, and will still offer 320k aac.

Can't mobile devices use that and get the 320k aac? i.e. do that have web browsers that will then let them listen to the streams via the webpage links?

I don't have any such devices, only an ancient *phone*, so can't check directly. But all being well, I'll learn more soon.

I'm wondering if part of the problems here is that people simply don't know what is available, how, so then don't take up the best audio options because no-one has explained that they exist, how to get them, and why it matters.
 
If people want to check using the BBC webpage interface they may find this useful

http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/temp/JimHomePage.html

Its a cut down version of my current 'home page' for the browsers I use. It gives links to the main BBC stations for today and yesterday, etc. They should give you the schedule pages from which you can select a programme to listen to or watch. Here they give 320k aac for radio. I don't have a mobile 'device' so have no idea what they can do in this regard. So I'll be interested to hear what people get (or not!)
 
Jim Audiomisc said:
I'm currently trying to find out more about this. But so far as I can tell thus far, the web-browser based iPlayer interface should continue, and will still offer 320k aac.
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That's how I interpret the limited discussion on the BBC iPlayer plugins support thread on the slimdevices forum. In particular posts #776 here and #781 on the following page from the current maintainer.

So I am still expecting (hoping for?) my LMS access to BBC live broadcasts to continue (BBC iPlayer plugin) but maybe access to past broadcasts may change (BBC iPlayer Extras plugin).
 
Jim Audiomisc said:
At about the same time the way URLs sent to the standard webpage-based IPlayer were parsed (recognised) changed, so that simple addresses which had worked for years, failed. I've managed to find the 'new' URLs for the same pages of material, and *they* took a day or so to fully work. This may be a side effect of some deckchair shuffling for 'Zounds!"

I'm currently trying to find out more about this. But so far as I can tell thus far, the web-browser based iPlayer interface should continue, and will still offer 320k aac.

Can't mobile devices use that and get the 320k aac? i.e. do that have web browsers that will then let them listen to the streams via the webpage links?

I don't have any such devices, only an ancient *phone*, so can't check directly. But all being well, I'll learn more soon.

I'm wondering if part of the problems here is that people simply don't know what is available, how, so then don't take up the best audio options because no-one has explained that they exist, how to get them, and why it matters.
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For me, the purpose of iPlayer is to download programmes so that I can listen to them when not at home, as I often have no other reliable way of listening. I don’t really want to fire up a computer just for that, and it works fine on an iPhone. But as far as I’m aware, iPlayer Radio/Sounds is the only way to do this, so it looks like I’ll be stuck with whatever ultra low res format the BBC have chosen for Sounds.
 
If you have a computer/device that can run the required perl scripts, then the 'get-iplayer' utility allows you to fetch the files and then transfer then to whatever device you prefer to play them. For radio, you can get 320k aac. The TV currently maxes at 128 k aac. But all being well, may go up (again) to 320k aac at some future point. get-iplayer lets you choose the version you want. IIUC It can run on Windows/Macs/Linux, but I use it on Linux and don't use the others.

In principle, it should be possible to get it to work on mobile devices. But I can't say beyond that as I don't own one and never have, so can't say how it would be achieved. I suspect the main snag is if the OS is closed and not under the control of the user, then you can't install what would be needed. If so, complain to the device maker, etc.

FWIW I tend to download batches of programmes in the morning when I'm making breakfast. I can then transfer them to another machine later if that's convenient. If I had a device which would accept files over my home network I'd probably send them to it via that. As it is, for 'portable audio' I use USB to move things onto a (Questyle) DAP. Used that yesterday when making dinner and listened to the Prom of Ellington's 'Sacred Music' on headphones. :)

I don't know what the new 'Sounds' app will offer, but am trying to find out. Ideally, it would be 320k aac. But the BBC have had problems with devices that *seem* to accept high detail formats, but then bork when fed them, causing the user to blame the BBC for the undocumented limits of the device! Thus they've tended to be wary. (That's why the TV streams aren't currently providing 320k aac sound.)

Can you access the URLs on the 'HomePage' I provided upthread? if so, the programme pages/sections linked from them *should* be able to offer 320k aac *if* yor device can accept it.
 
Rack Kit said:
  • "After reviewing the usage data, we decided that as only a very small number of users opted to use the higher quality downloads on iPlayer Radio, we would not offer them on BBC Sounds."
This is the kind of thing that really grinds my gears.
Click to expand...


well they started the down trend with DAB, so shouldnt surprize any one?
 
I'd still be interested to know: Are people using mobile 'devices' that provide a browser able to access iPlayer via the links on the webpage I put up for people to try? if so, it is possible you'd get 320k aac. I guess I should ask someone about this...
 
Jim Audiomisc said:
I'd still be interested to know: Are people using mobile 'devices' that provide a browser able to access iPlayer via the links on the webpage I put up for people to try? if so, it is possible you'd get 320k aac. I guess I should ask someone about this...
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The linked web page works for me, using Safari on an iPhone. Whether or not it’s 320 aac, I don’t know, but I can listen to R4.
 
Whatsisnaim said:
The linked web page works for me, using Safari on an iPhone. Whether or not it’s 320 aac, I don’t know, but I can listen to R4.
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Thanks. :) That establishes that people should be able to choose to bypass "Zounds!" or the BBC 'apps' and use a web browser.

The question then in my mind is, "Do the mobile devices run Perl, and can use the relevant Perl items to support get-iPlayer?" If so, the owner can use that to find out what audio format is available to them, by fetching a programme as a file.

Alternative is to ask if the device has a way to tell the user how much data they have fetched, and use it before and after listening to a programme. Then work out the implied bitrate. (Although that isn't accurate as the transfers require other data.)
 
EIffel said:
So far, the BBC still streams at 320kbps VBR using AAC LC (according to my squeezebox touch)
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Adding another data point, for the BBC iPlayer plugin for LMS (Logitech Media Server) which AIUI uses the web interface although it's not a mobile device:
  • The BBC R3 "Listen Live" stream just now reports "339kbps VBR, AAC LC".
  • Listening again to the In Tune Mixtape from last night, this reports "128kbps VBR, AAC LC".
  • Listening again to the In Tune Mixtape from last night, but using LMS's BBC iPlayer Extras plugin instead, this reports "320kbps VBR, AAC LC".
 
Not that there's a choice anymore but one feature that is a big step forward is being able scroll back a live stream on the Sounds App to the start of the programme.
 
Back a from a couple of weeks away and now the 'Sounds' app is my only Beeb choice for domestic (i.e. chromecast audio) use.

Oh what an utter turd it is... from UI to what it actually does (and doesn't): appropriate, and detailed, feedback left.
 
Much preferred the old BBc iPlayer, wish I hadn't bother changing... what was wrong with the previous app?
 
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