downloaded version query

[Vangelis forthnet]

On Sat Jul 9 01:33:36 BST 2016, Alan Milewczyk wrote:

> Up to version v2.94 my downloaded programmes
> had the file suffix "default".
>
> I've installed v2.95 on my Windows 7 laptop
> and now the downloads mainly seem to have
> the "original" file suffix. A few have the suffix
> "editorial", which I've never seen before.

 Hi Alan, dear friend ;-)

 What you are seeing is the result of commit git-348bbea:

https://github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/commit/348bbea

pushed on 08/10/2015.

> Does anyone know the difference between the various versions

 For a specific iplayer program (i.e. PID), be it TV or radio,
the beeb make it available on line as a specific "version",
usually only one (not including AD+SL).
That version is labeled with an identifying
"name" or "alias"; when the programme is first uploaded
for catch-up, that "name" is usually "original".

 For some programmes, the beeb deem it necessary to
replace the "original" version with a second one, which
carries a different label - "editorial" is a usual candidate
for that label, which suggests that the new version is
possibly the product of editing the "original" one -
"shortened" is another possible label for a re-upload,
but I've also come across other version labels
(technical, lengthened, other...).

 In many cases, the second version is not a replacement
to the first one, but a complementary one, i.e. both are
present to the metadata GiP accesses to determine
available versions (though when you use the official
iPlayer site only the later one is picked...).

For a specific PID, you can use

get_iplayer --pid=<PID> -i | FindStr versions

to query available versions.
For PID=b07hx40t (--type=tv), GiP 2.94 would print:

versions:       audiodescribed,audiodescribed2,default,original,signed

GiP 2.94 would choose by default the non-AD, non-SL version
(=original), mark it as "default" and add it to the list of available
versions. So, in the above example, "default" eq "original".
If you do not specifically ask for --versions=audiodescribed
(/audiodescribed2/signed) in your download command,
then the original version will be fetched, what you mention
as having the "default" suffix.

Due to commit git-348bbea, when you query GiP 2.95 you get:

versions:       audiodescribed,audiodescribed2,original,signed

Again, the "original" version will be fetched by default,
but this time clearly marked as such by the corresponding suffix
in the default filename.

> and what determines which one is downloaded?

 In the cases where more than one non-AD, non-SL versions
exist, GiP 2.94 would pick the longest one in duration
as the default to fetch, e.g if all three original, editorial, shortened
versions are available and
editorial > original > shortened (durationwise), then
the "editorial" will be downloaded; if user wishes otherwise,
the user should declare this with --versions option.

 The above behaviour was changed in GiP 2.95 by
following commit git-4a4796a:

https://github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/commit/4a4796a

so that the "default" version is chosen via default order:

original iplayer technical editorial lengthened shortened podcast 
opensubtitles other

Again, user can select otherwise via  --versions switch.

(although what posted was carefully searched for,
I am not immune to errors/misjudgements; feel free
to contribute with revised information :-) ).

I do hope it makes sense to you now, Alan.

My best regards,
Vangelis.