Is it a repeat?

[Chris Marriott]

-----Original Message----- 
From: dinkypumpkin
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2013 7:19 PM
To: get_iplayer
Subject: Re: Is it a repeat?

>On 27/06/2013 12:52, Ian macdonald wrote:
>> Does this mean the PID stays the same, regardless of how many times
>> the program is repeated?
>
>I think so. Even after they roll off iPlayer, programmes are still 
>catalogued in the episode lists their series' sites, so I presume that 
>identifiers are meant to be long-lived.

Yes, the PID for a particular programme sticks with it for repeats. I have 
something like 3 years' download history on my PC, and often get told that 
I've previously downloaded a programme when it's a repeat within that 
timeframe.

That's why I say that, although you can't use the PID to tell with any 
degree of accuracy WHEN a programme was first broadcast, you can often 
identify from the PID that a program IS a repeat. All current programmes 
have a PID starting in "B03x", so if you find a program with a "B01" or 
"B00" PID you know for certain that it's a repeat, and a "B02" PID, although 
not 100% definitely a repeat, very likely is. (The occasional "Pxxx" PIDs 
don't fit into this pattern, of course).

I don't know if this is of any practical use to anyone; it's simply what 
I've observed, given that I always download via PIDs.

Chris