Showing posts with label bbc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bbc. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

UK Public Radio Browser hits Beta


Come a long way but finally the latest version has moved to Beta and is now feature complete, I've cut down what needs to be downloaded to just the executable and logo pack and the first time it's run it'll create the directories and xml's needed to manage the application - just copy the contents of the zip file to an empty directory and launch the exe - there isn't an installer so if you want to remove just delete all files in the folder/sub folders where the exe resides.

Following are some screenshots to help you out a tad figuring your way around the application 

requires Windows with minimum .Net Framework 4.0 installed

First tab you're see when you launch the application, click on the AZ the first time and it'll download all the metadata, once complete click again to see programmes currently available or soon available

Double click on a programme that interests you to be taken to the next tab to see available episodes, from this tab you can add the programme to your favourites and schedules


Example of programme in your favourites list, I use this to keep track of programmes I don't listen to regularly but want on keep a eye on to see if the odd episode interests me.


Example of programme added to the schedule list, this I use to keep track of programmes that I want to be notified of being available.  Note that the application it's self doesn't do this notification but instead executes an external command (ie batch script).  I've developed like this to keep it flexible and it's an area where one size won't fit all and could easily become a drain on development time.

An example is included which shows metadata being passed to an external command as shown in the screenshot - the application can't control the external command but can read return codes to indicate within application how the command have performed.  At bottom of post is an example for passing a parameter to get_iplayer.

Return Code Translation
Success 0
Failed 1 or greater
Unprocessed -1


Details of schedule run, if a episode is marked as success then it won't be picked up on the next schedule run.  Currently there is no option to process just the latest addition on the first run, as seen below where many episodes are available which you may not be interested in


Final tab, you can switch on the scheduler rather than manually running it.  Be mindful as to how often the metadata is polled, for most using the application once or twice a day then 8 - 12 hours would be a suitable period, currently I've got it set so if a local version of the metadata is less than 4 hours old than that version will be presents instead of the online version, so no point in setting any lower than 4.

Finally is the details for calling the batch file and the parameters that can be passed from the metadata



Script example of calling get_iplayer
create get_iplayer.bat (create in root folder) with following:-

SET iplayer_path="C:\Program Files (x86)\get_iplayer"
SET ffmpeg_path="C:\Program Files (x86)\get_iplayer\FFmpeg\ffmpeg-shared\bin\ffmpeg.exe"
SET Lame="C:\Program Files (x86)\get_iplayer\LAME\lame.exe"
SET RTMPDump_path="C:\Program Files (x86)\get_iplayer\RTMPDump\rtmpdump.exe"
SET Meta_Path="C:\Program Files (x86)\get_iplayer\AtomicParsley\AtomicParsley\AtomicParsley.exe"
SET MPlayer="C:\Program Files (x86)\get_iplayer\MPlayer\mplayer-svn-36348\mplayer.exe"

%iplayer_path%\get_iplayer.pl --type=radio --pid=%1 --modes default --rtmpdump %RTMPDump_path% --ffmpeg %ffmpeg_path% --atomicparsley %Meta_Path% --mplayer %Mplayer% --lame %Lame% --tag-podcast --file-prefix="-" --force > .\log\%1.log

exit %ERRORLEVEL%



Modify setupCMD.xml in folder root/setup to following:-


name = Get_iplayer
    command = get_iplayer.bat
    argument = PID

Sunday, July 14, 2013

UK Public Radio Browser - v003 now available


New release available, still alpha, no instructions so you'll need to figure your way around - isn't that what everyone does?  or you can watch the quick video shown below to get the picture ;)




Monday, July 08, 2013

New Release

Change Log
Prerequisites reduced to minimum .Net Framework 4.0
Schedule section updated, not currently usable but any programmes can be added
Installer removed, extract contents of zip including directories anywhere on your local harddisk and run UK Public Radio Browser.exe to start the app

UK Public Radio Browser - Alpha v002.zip

To download, select on menu [File] then [Download] to get the zip

This release has been tested on the following systems
Windows 7 with .Net Framework 4.5 - 20sec delay on initial call to internet, ok after
XP with .Net Framework 4.0 - no delay noted

Sunday, July 07, 2013

UK Public Radio Browser - Alpha

A couple of weeks back the excellent Radio Downloader application became no more due to the author being asked by the BBC to remove the application from his site, reasons are unknown but guessing it could be due to the BBC planning to offer next year radio programmes for download on a 30 day availability basis.

Excluding the download feature this applications had alot of useful features to help keep track of radio programmes the BBC has broadcast so I didn't missing the start of a new radio series.  When these features now unavailable and not finding an alternative I've attempt to build my first app using Visual Basic 2012 Express.  Today I'm releasing a very early alpha release and what I've coded over the past few days.

It's been tested on Window 7 with .Net 4.5 framework installed, it won't install on my XP PC with checks pointing to the Visual Studio Express 2012 installer not being compatible with XP, so think minimum is Vista or above.

Go to the link below, on the file menu is a download option to get the zip file, extract to a temp directory and run setup.exe

UK Public Radio Browser v001.zip
See recent post for latest version

Currently Features
A - Z of all currently programmes
Find programme from A - Z list
Favourites
Open Favourite in web browser
Send to external command (example provided on notify details in dos prompt)

Proposed 
Add A - Z to web browser
Scheduling
See if the install can be improved, currently the install is hidden in the depths of the user data
Alter sections that are currently double click to select (A-Z programme list, Favourite programme list)

Sunday, January 09, 2011

BBC2's Antiques Road Trip - Kendal - Levens Hall - Cockermouth

Got home on Friday to find rest of household switched onto BBC2, different from the usual fair of Ch4's Come Dine With Me.  Reason - they'd been tipped of that a local antique shop in Kendal would feature.

It's a series that follows two antiques experts in competition with each other, they spend the week travelling to various places buying antiques with the aim of selling them for a profit at the end of the week at auction - sounds familiar !!

This episode saw them visiting auction shops traveling between Morecambe, Lancaster, Kendal then at an auction in Cockermouth.  One of the experts after buying all his antiques visited Leven's Hall for a guided tour by the wife of owner Susie Bagget, the other expert was up the Kendal to visit Sleddall Hall Antique Centre on Wildman Street where he bought a picture from owner Robert Aindow for £30.

The episode can be viewed on BBC iPlayer until Friday 14th January 2011, watch from 24mins in for feature on Levens Hall then Kendal

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Automatically download BBC Listen Again Programming to your iPod


I like to listen to a lot of speak based radio, but I tend to never have the time to listen when they are broadcast and while the majority of these programme are available on BBC Listen Again this is no good when you want to listen to them in your car on a long commute to/from work.
For the last year or so I've been using Radio Downloader from http://www.nerdoftheherd.com/tools/radiodld/
which has solved all my problems, it will automatically download my favourite BBC Listen Again programmes  to my PC with iTunes will automatically pick-up for sync'ing to my iPod touch to listen in my car.
I've produced a short walk through on how it all works, below press the right button to watch full screen (esc button to return to browser)  

I've also put a longer version (quality lower) on YouTube, 

Friday, October 15, 2010

Health and Safety: Wasting your time or saving your life?

On my drive into work this morning I listened to Five Live Breakfast Your Call which was on whether health and safety had gone too far.  The timing of the phone in was fitting as on the news tonight was a report on Tate Modern who have stopped visitors walking on an interactive exhibit of 100 million porcelain "sunflower seeds" for fear that it'll cause dust that visitors to breath in.

Now you would of thought that the Artist and the Tate would of assessed before hand the likely hold of the dust problem happening and looking into ways to avoid not allow visitors to interact with the installation.  Few years ago the Tate had another installation known as The Crack, in which a number of visitors fell into, this didn't result in the Tate altering how the visitors interacted, they assessed the risks and had people in place to warn of risks but didn't stop visitors interacting as they wishes.  

Why not let visitors make the choice for them self with the sunflower seeds.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

BBC Doctor Who - On Screen Graphics

BBC hit a new low last night with the introduction of a new form of on screen programme advertising to promote it's three main Saturday night programmes.  As you can see from the screenshot below one of these adverts was plastered on screen at a key moment in Doctor Who's climatic speech, totally distracting the audience from the story.


These graphics were part of a new set of channel promo for Total Wipeout, Dr Who and Over the Rainbow, which being programme specific will become redundant once any of these programmes come to an end in the Saturday night schedule.


Last night BBC1 took the format of having a long advert on the programme coming up after the next programme, then advert cartoon of the main three programmes for the Saturday night, then they showed the scheduled programme, then within that programme show on screen graphic of what the next programme coming up is and finally in case you hadn't got the message squeeze the credits and tell the audience what's coming up next.

 For sometime the BBC has squeezed the end credits which makes it very difficult to read any names of the cast and production team, in Dr Who's squeezed BBC used it to advertise some Dr Who books which to me is a commercial advert which shouldn't been appearing on the channel.

Finally Over The Rainbow didn't get the in show graphic ads, only Total Wipeout and Doctor Who had to suffer these distractions.