What is the source of files downloaded by GiP?

[David Cantrell]

On Mon, Dec 21, 2015 at 12:08:11PM +0000, CJB wrote:

> As the truncation issues pertain - the last Cabin Pressure was the
> latest - I was wondering exactly where the programmes offered via
> iPlayer and/or downloaded by GiP are actually sourced from.
> 
> It appears to me that the Beeb uses a capping system to record
> programmes for iPlayer as they are being aired. That is they record
> programmes off air - as they are being transmitted - much like the
> pubic might do with a programmable VCR.

It Depends.

My understanding is that they don't normally capture "off air", but from
the broadcast stream so it's the same as off air but without drop-outs
caused by birds nesting on the aerial etc. And only some stuff is
captured that way.

> This would explain the truncations - especially pertinent to radio
> programmes. If a programme was delayed due to say an extended news
> bulletin, then it would no longer be correctly capped at the scheduled
> time, and the end would indeed be truncated.

TV broadcasts contain enough metadata that they can tell what programme
is correctly showing without having to look at the schedule. Radio
broadcasts don't, so for radio they have to go by the schedule and pad
it a bit at both ends. If the broadcast has gone way off schedule then
you might get truncations.

> I guess that if complaints are received that a programme has been
> truncated then the staff replace the file with a complete one kept for
> that purpose.

Not kept for the purpose of replacing what's on iPlayer, but kept for
archival and for repeating on Dave every week for the next 70 years :-)

-- 
David Cantrell | Reality Engineer, Ministry of Information

Please stop rolling your Jargon Dice and explain the problem
you are having to me in plain English, using small words.
  -- John Hardin, in the Monastery