On Monday 16 June 2008 10:19:31 Paul Tansom wrote:
> ** Alan Pope <alan@???> [2008-06-15 20:13]:
> > On Fri, 2008-06-13 at 19:11 +0100, Tim wrote:
> > > Any particular reason you run BBCi Player under windows and not linux,
> > > mine runs quite happily under Firefox 2.0.0.11 on Mepis7
> >
> > The BBC in their infinite wisdom use the brand name "iPlayer" to mean at
> > least 3 different platforms. The flash based online player, the download
> > version for windows, and the online player for iPhones. Oh, and the
> > version for the Wii, which should soon be implemented as a "channel".
>
> ** end quote [Alan Pope]
>
> Am I alone in finding these online catchup TV services a complete
> failuer? I tried the Channel 4 one a while ago, and apart from finding
> it very badly coded [1], when I finally instaled it and rearranged my
> desktop to enable it to work I found the programme I wanted to see
> wasn't available. I found the same thing on ITV when I looked, although
> thankfully I didn't have to install an application to find that out.
>
> The BBC were a slight improvement in that the show I wanted to watch was
> available, but not for long enough. I watch the first episode of a 3 or
> 4 parter and completely forgot the second until the following week. I
> recorded the third on the basis I could catch the second on iPlayer only
> to find that the second episode was only kept for 7 days, so it was gone
> before I got to it (I only noticed about 5 minutes before the third
> episode was on).
>
> All this can be considered as largely academic in some ways, since it is
> not easy to actually watch the programmes. I don't really want to sit in
> my office to watch them, and there's no way the whole family would
> manage that. With all the DRM issues there is no practical way of
> actually viewing the programmes on a TV, so after these few failed
> attempts at finding the facility useful I've written it off as a wast of
> time and effort.
>
>
> [1] I doubt most users would notice the bug, but I use dual screens and
> mouse over focus (noting this is Windows before anyone asks!). The
> applet sat in the task bar on my left hand screen, but the menu
> associated with it popped up on the right hand screen every time, and it
> was impossible to get the mouse to it because the focus change as you
> moved it across got rid of the menu!
>
> --
> Paul Tansom | Aptanet Ltd. | http://www.aptanet.com/ | 023 9238 0001
> ======================================================================
> Registered in England | Company No: 4905028 | Registered Office:
> Crawford House, Hambledon Road, Denmead, Waterlooville, Hants, PO7 6NU
Well I must admit I have used it to watch Dr Who (I was brought up watching
the cybermen from behind the sofa), I think the 7 day rule is stupid. I have
only had problems with one episode that had a bad sound track (which is the
current episode which is available). I have found the screen resolution
pretty naff, while watching it in its default size is smooth but quite small
knocking it out to full screen is dam right horrible mess.
I don't think I would ever record anything, can't remember the last time we
even started our old video recorder to record a program.
Tim
