get_iplayer Digest, Vol 32, Issue 16

[Simon Ritchie]

On Thu, Dec 27, 2012, at 04:02 PM, Chris J Brady wrote:

> I would like to set up a service on a server somewhere that would capture the stream into a file and store this  so that I can download it at a more convenient time.


Lots of Internet Service Providers will rent you a  Virtual Private Server (VPS).  This is essentially a computer connected to the Internet onto which you can install anything you like.  They are often used to run web servers.  My VPS runs under Ubuntu Linix, but you can get a Windows server if that's what you are used to.  You could install getIplayer on your VPS box and use SFTP (secure file transfer protocol) get files off it and onto your local machine.  To install getIplayer, take the correct version for your VPS environment, download it to your computer at home, upload it to your VPS box using SFTP and then install it.

Your ISP will explain how to connect to your VPS to control it.  A piece of free software called putty is often used.   

I pay 12 UK Pounds per month for my VPS, but I am running a web server on it and I need a LOT of disk space and bandwidth.  The cheapest ones are probably in the USA, but you should get one that is physically in the same country as you, to make the file transfer go reasonably fast.  Watch out for local suppliers that rent space on servers that are actually located on the other side of the world.  I'm in the UK and for my first attempt, I hired a VPS through a company in Scotland but the servers were in California.  Shipping big files across the Atlantic Ocean is not quick. 

It would not be smart to use the web interface to control your remote getIplayer because it would be public - anybody could connect to it.  Instead, you would need to use the command-line interface.

Search for "cheap VPS" using your favourite search engine.  Avoid ones that offer "unlimited bandwidth" or don't specify what you get - in truth these all have an arbitrary "fair usage" limit, but they don't tell you what it is.  look for one that gives you a sensible amount of bandwidth.  Also, ask about incoming bandwidth as well as outgoing.  Your getIplayer will be transferring data in both directions, first to download it and then again to upload it your computer at home. 

Hope this helps

Simon