Some questions on PVR

[Kevin Lynch]

This explanation is really off-topic but maybe it's helpful to
understand the strategic goals of iPlayer which affect the delivery of
content we access through get_iplayer.

The iPlayer and BBC sounds are very much a product of the current
licence fee arrangement and the BBC's response to streaming media.

BBC Radio 4's "In Our Time",and BBC Radio 5 live's "Fighting Talk"
were one of the first radio programmes to be 'podcast'. I think this
would have been around 2013. Since then the BBC had an "audio product"
whose name escapes me that then was rewritten to be "BBC Sounds". If
you look carefully the BBC doesn't promote "BBC Radio" anymore. It's
all "BBC Sounds". The BBC now deprecates podcasts, driving users to
BBC Sounds, It's kind of weird as I still have IOT in my podcast app
and it turns up 4 weeks after broadcast. The Fri Night comedy spot on
BBC Radio 4 turns up 4 weeks late. I don't care which is a bit
pointless for "The News Quiz" and "The Now Show". "Fighting Talk"
being a topical sports comedy show, turns up straight after broadcast.
because there's a different remit at 5 live and the team made their
case.

Local Radio doesn't fit into the vision of streaming based content.
BBC Local radio in England is being decimated at the moment as well
loved presenters are applying to do their jobs in regions that used to
span one county becoming regions like Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent
a listener in Hunstanton talking about seals on the beach is not going
to be relatable to the listener in New Romney. My Nephew is a choral
scholar and he's appalled at the changes at Radio 3 and the proposed
axing of BBC Singers. This group is actually one of our cultural crown
jewels. They are extremely talented singers and are known for their
ability to quickly sight read and pick up new music. This is one of
the reasons that many of the classical composers write for the BBC
Singers as they are so good at delivering what the composer intended.

This is a strategy because it means BBC Sounds has a place on
smartphones beside Spotify, Amazon, Netflix, Apple Music etc.
Additionally BBC executives who "created" BBC Sounds are well
positioned for lucrative positions in streaming media companies..

There is an ITU conference in 2028? where they are looking into the
question "Do Broadcasters Need Dedicated Radio Frequency Spectrum?"
Around the world mobile phone networks say "No", most Broadcasters say
"Yes". In the UK the Radio and TV networks are owned and operated by
Arqiva so the BBC is inclined to say they want to ditch Digital
Terrestrial Television as a transmission medium.
https://cleanfeed.thetvroom.com/15797/news/campaign-to-save-terrestrial-tv-hits-a-snag/

In this context you can see the way the BBC are going and how that
influences their media store (iPlayer and Sounds)


One last thing someone was looking for "flac" streams. I think they
are now deprecated. Youtube delivers high-quality audio through 256
kbps AAC and OPUS I'd say that the modern codec development means that
the audio in a flac format is easily accommodated in the smarter
packing arrangments in the 256k Opus file. I'd say BBC Sounds will
look to store audio in the 256k Opus format, Possibly streaming it in
a drm wrapper to the BBC Sounds app.


Kevin

On Sat, 13 May 2023 at 09:43, Budge <ajebay at errichel.co.uk> wrote:
>
> On 12/05/2023 23:53, MacFH - C E Macfarlane - News wrote:
> > On 12/05/2023 23:34, Kevin Lynch wrote:
> >>
> >> On Fri, 12 May 2023 at 19:17, MacFH - C E Macfarlane - News
> >> <news at macfh.co.uk> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Amid a lack of current programmes to test with, that was just a guess on
> >>> my part; it could well be that your suggestion turns out better than mine.
> >>
> >> C:\Users\kevin>get_iplayer --info --pid b09k1f9h
> >>
> >> <Etc>
> >
> > All that you say is true, but the above is not one of the programmes the OP was asking about, none of which appear to be available ATM, hence my saying that I couldn't verify anything for those programmes.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > get_iplayer mailing list
> > get_iplayer at lists.infradead.org
> > http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/get_iplayer
> Many thanks to Kevin and MacFH,
> The fact that podcast is deprecated makes sense and I can avoid in future if necessary.
>
> I haven't yet looked for or found a podcast but I recall they are used on the iPlayer website.  I shall examine further when I have time but it is not an issue at present.
>
> I note Kevin's advice and I recall using --pid-recursive in the past.
>
> My history file is a trip down memory lane, as is my .mp4 and .m4a database.  Re-activating my pvr list was fun and amazingly some programmes missing from my library turned up and helped me fill the gaps.
>
> Good to be in touch once more and thanks for the help.
> Regards,
> Alastair
>
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