End of get_iplayer is nigh?

[Jonathan Larmour]

This BBC News article has appeared today:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68283165

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The BBC's iPlayer streaming service is to end downloads for users who 
watch on desktop or laptop computers.

Programmes will still be available to download on tablets and phones via 
the mobile iPlayer app.

Currently viewers on PCs and Macs can save programmes via the iPlayer 
Downloads app, but that will be closed.

The changes were "due to the low number of people using it and the cost 
required to keep it going" the BBC said.

"This does not affect downloads on the BBC iPlayer mobile or tablet apps 
and viewers can continue to stream programmes on BBC iPlayer on their 
PCs and Macs," a spokesperson added.

The BBC has published a timeline of the planned changes:

2 February - new downloads of the BBC iPlayer Downloads app end
11 March - downloading programmes from the web will end. Users will 
still be able to watch any existing downloads until 8 April
8 April - the BBC iPlayer Downloads app will be closed

[...]
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My understanding is that get_iplayer works by scraping the BBC iplayer 
web frontend for the download information. So does this mean that the 
BBC will finally close the last available method for letting get_iplayer 
work?

Jifl