I am blown away at how clear and concise this video is! Extremely informative and to the point with zero messing around, yet polite and emphatic. Thank you!
One of the most accurate, clear and useful presentations I've used on TH-cam! This presenter should be doing a lot more of this, teaching non-techy people like me on the common aspects of computing and solving the issues/problems that we always get along the way... eg. trying to understand/use the maddening Windows file-permissions system!!
Wow! Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the tutorial. It’s always extremely pleasing to hear that someone has found the content useful, and it’s always appreciated that you have taken the time to say so, making the process of creating content worthwhile. If you like the presentation style, you may be pleased to learn that you’ll find much more of the same at th-cam.com/users/TechFixFlix, where we’ve just posted our 100th video, and will pass our two year anniversary next week. Every week we publish a new video with the intention of being fully accessible at all ability levels, covering the full range of operating systems with step-by-step instructions. There’s certainly plenty of content for Windows users, including this week’s tutorial dealing with User Account Control and Windows Defender SmartScreen.
Hi again @Svengali, and nice to hear from you once more. The short answer is that it’s automatic. The slightly longer answer is found at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes where we are told that “by default, get_iplayer will download the best quality available from the default mode list for the given programme type.” So you’ll inevitably be dealing with some form of compression, and “best quality” is already the default.
I just found this following the BBC's recent decision to axe their own Download Manager for the iPlayer. This is a fantastic alternative, which is easy to set up and use. It's a real godsend now. Thank you! PS You should promote this video again.
Glad you found the content useful @Julianpms. It’s the second most-viewed video in our channel’s history, with just under 100,000 views at the time of writing, and it largely promotes itself as there are very few videos on the topic on the web, and we tend to see recurring interest whenever the B.B.C. have significant new content, especially Glastonbury. It’s also enjoying a renaissance now following the removal of native iPlayer download functionality.
Hi and thanks. This still works brilliantly in 2024. Just a suggestion that you might want to update your video title to say this; as I nearly didn't watch as I thought a 2019 video would be too old for today's technology. Thanks again 🙂
Hi @JacquelynWilliams-if1iw, and thanks for the suggestion. Both this video, and our other get_iPlayer video featuring the graphical user interface (see th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html for our video “Download From B.B.C. iPlayer - Get iPlayer Graphical User Interface”) have a certain timelessness, and indeed could have been made several years earlier, because get_iPlayer has remained incredibly stable with the passage of time. We could easily update the title or create a reworking of our original video, but this might feel slightly fraudulent, given that the essence of the video in largely unchanged, although, as you rightly note, viewers won’t necessarily expect to find a five-year-old video to remain valid.
Clear , visual instructions and ofcourse it helps that you are from the UK ;) so easier to understand . Please make more videos like this , esp UK focussed content . Subscribed and keep up the good work . Will tell my friends . With such clarity in your videos - you will go far ....
Thank you very much indeed.That is incredibly kind of you. We are extremely grateful for the subscription, and we’re glad that you are spreading the word to your friends, which is truly appreciated. You can rest assured that we will always continue to produce new U.K. focussed content to serve our domestic audience, as well as more universal material, and we hope you’ll find it useful. Thank you very much for your support.
That’s really pleasing to hear. Glad you were able to follow the tutorial with a successful outcome. Thanks for the feedback, which is always appreciated.
Absolutely brilliant. I have downloaded excerpts for a presentation to an over 60s-group (where they have all the appropriate licences. Thank you so much.
Program loaded so went into iplayer to video required, cut and pasted link in and got "is not recognised an internal or external command, operable program or batch file" so checked what I did and same result. Saw your 2nd video, Used the PVR MANAGER, Absolute magic, brilliant. Finally managed to get Mary J Blige live at Glastonbury singing drama which is now ripped to ipod😃 100%
Hi @johnpoole423. Glad you got this working via the P.V.R. as described in our second video, which was always intended to be used should the typed commands prove unsuccessful. Glastonbury performances always account for huge spikes in the popularity of this video, although not every performance is accurately catalogued by the P.V.R., so it’s often helpful to use the typed commands in order to access the full library of iPlayer content. Don’t forget to include the word get_iplayer before pasting in the typed command. So, to download Mary J. Blige At The B.B.C. (first broadcast 14th October 2023), we would type: get_iplayer www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001rk9k/mary-j-blige-at-the-bbc …and this worked for us today (although the content will expire from iPlayer itself next month).
You are very welcome @Sloposse. This is very much an evergreen tutorial, and get_iPlayer in mid-2024 works in exactly the same way as it did when we originally published our tutorial back in August 2019. Indeed, it had worked in much the same way for some time before we created our video. It really just does exactly what it needs to.
Most in depth and informative tutorial ever, even though I didn't need to follow fully for those less tech savvy I can this being really handy for them - Thank you!
Thank you very much for your kind words about the video. You might also be interested in the follow-up, which highlights the point-and-click interface provided by the PVR, further simplifying the process of searching for and downloading content. You’ll find the video at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
brilliantly presented tutorial - precise and to the point - your cleverly written software (get_iplayer-3.29.0-windows-x64-setup.exe) has allowed me to hold on to a Stonehenge documentary which was about to expire - many thanks! 🙂
Hi @RickInDorset, and many thanks for your kind words about the tutorial, which are very much appreciated. We’re glad that you were able to put this to good use to preserve the Stonehenge documentary, and this was the type of scenario we had in mind when publishing the video. We can’t claim the credit for writing get_iPlayer, although we are aware that the publisher has featured our tutorial on their GitHub page, and we are delighted that they have used our material to showcase their excellent product. We hope you continue to find it useful. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your comment. We have been extensively pursuing activities outside of the TH-cam platform for the past six weeks, and consequently we are only now catching up on feedback and questions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
That is soooo useful, Thanks. A few tiny points, the website now offers 'get_iplayer-3.26.0-windows-x64-setup'. Most people now have 64 bit systems as I have, and for some reason you can't 'ctrl V' into the dos command window, you get ^U, whatever that means, you have to right click 'Paste' as you suggest. A simple tutorial on OBS Studio to record any screen video ie games would also be useful.
Thank you very much for the feedback Peter. Like you, we too use the 64-bit version, and have been using 64-bit systems since the introduction of Windows Vista in 2006 (we had to look that up). Although we wouldn’t want to overgeneralise, we make the assumption the majority of our Windows users are using a 64-bit platform. We’re therefore grateful to you for highlighting that our video references the 32-bit version, which we’d consider to be relevant to a minority of users now. Consequently, we’ve amended the link in our written description to point directly to the 64-bit version which will be beneficial for most users. We’re not sure why the common keyboard shortcut for paste hasn’t been implemented, and it’s been necessary to right click for as long as we can remember. Finally, thanks for the video suggestion for recording screen video, which is a topic we haven’t addressed on the channel thus far. Although we don’t use OBS Studio, we’ve still added this topic to our list of potential video ideas, as it’s something which many would find useful.
Hi @Divide, and thank you for your very kind feedback. We hope that you’ll find this straightforward when you try it. If not, we’ve published a follow-up video which demonstrates the P.V.R. point-and-click interface, which offers an alternative method for downloading iPlayer content. You’ll find that video at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
@@TechFixFlix Sure did thanks and I hope you do more like this you really explained it so perfectly and I know how much time.and effort it takes to create this sort of.video as I make similar things but for gaming guides. :)
@@TechFixFlix Hey had a question, I've been loking for an Amazon Prime Video downloader. I have one for Netflix, I was wondering if you know of any? I have Amazon Prime Video and I'm also willingto pay for software to download and keep the files. Do you know of any that can download in HD or have a tutorial?
Thank you, download appears to be downloading okay. A good way to view and hold onto must watch programs. Very clear and concise. A must have app for personal use viewing!
Great tutorial. Install was smooth and easy. Unfortunately the program I want to record keeps failing, getting a 403 error even though it streams with no problems. Not sure what to try next.
Thank you for your kind words about the tutorial. Depending upon how recently you performed the installation, you might find that heading back to the download page and installing the latest version may provide a fix, with the latest version being released some 23 days ago at the time of this reply. If you’ve installed more recently than that, it’s often the case that errors which prevent downloads at present will be fixed in future releases, so it could well be worth checking back at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/releases to see if this is fixed further down the line. Three days prior to the latest release, the 403 error was documented at forums.squarepenguin.co.uk/portal.php and also www.tenforums.com/software-apps/145277-bbc-get_iplayer-users-download-bbc-radio-tv-fix-url-errors.html with a workaround suggested at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/issues The workaround suggests targeting specific streams, which is somewhat more advanced than the basic overview presented in our tutorial, although the article mentions that the missing streams will be restored in the next release, so again it will be worth revisiting the download page in future.
Thank you very much indeed. It’s very kind of you to say that. You might also like the follow-up video, which moves from typed commands to a graphical user interface. You’ll find it at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
You’re very welcome @andreymor5201. Get_iplayer can be a little “chatty” in terms of process feedback / error messages, which can be somewhat reduced by keeping the software updated. Even then, there may still be issues…Our last comment mentioned the current error “failed to download the BBC One schedule page / Response: 404 Not Found,” which remains unresolved. Nevertheless, as you mention, the output video is still exactly what we need.
Glad you got this working. We’ve had some feedback from V.P.N. users suggesting that success may be temporary, and we’re aware that the B.B.C. take active measures to block overseas access, so do be aware in case it eventually stops working.
Best and clearest tutorial I've ever seen. Just a shame it doesn't work. Using a vpn service might be the issue? verified connection to uk, BBC Iplayer works fine. But get_iplayer gives error 403
Thank you very much for your kind words about the tutorial, and it’s unfortunate that this isn’t working for you. We certainly think that your suspicions about your V.P.N. are correct, and the key areas where get_iPlayer consistently struggles are access to content outside the U.K. and V.P.N. use. This is typically attributed to the B.B.C., which actively geofences its content and takes active countermeasures against V.P.N. usage, with the ultimate aim of restricting its content purely the those viewers physically located within the United Kingdom. Your case is made more intriguing by your report that iPlayer itself works fine for you, and we would have expected it to also fail.
Hi @DanielRVW, and nice to hear from you again. We’d certainly recommend also using get_iplayer for B.B.C. Sounds content. There’s an introductory overview at www.squarepenguin.co.uk/guides/radio-download-guide/ Hopefully this will meet your needs.
Hi @Catalina & Max Cisternas Jofre. Our experience suggests that both iPlayer and get_iPlayer are most unlikely to work outside of the U.K., and this is because the B.B.C. take active measures to geofence their content, making it available only to viewers physically located within the United Kingdom. Typically, users would look to a V.P.N. as a means to bypass this restriction, but again results here are mixed, and a V.P.N. which works on one occasion may not be as successful the following day. For this reason, we always advise against spending money on a V.P.N. purely in an attempt to access iPlayer content.
Thank you very much @Schnipps. The feedback we have received from V.P.N. users indicates that the position is rather complex. The B.B.C. take active measures to geofence their content, restricting it to only those viewers physically located within the United Kingdom. As part of that, measures designed to counter V.P.N. use are also deployed. Feedback from our viewers suggests that a V.P.N. which may work on one occasion may well fail on a subsequent day. For this reason, we strongly advise against purchasing a V.P.N. specifically for use with get_iPlayer.
An additional video (Part 2 if you like) would be great to show how to get any associated subtitles. I suspect there is a command line to do this, but I'm not that tech savvy. Not sure if the command line can be entered to get both video and subtitle at the same time OR, it has to be done video then subtitle separately, hence the request for a video.
Hi Mike, Thanks for the feedback, and the video suggestion, which is always appreciated. As it takes a little time to produce a video, here’s a quick fix to help with subtitles. In the video, we used the command: get_iplayer [programme U.R.L. copied from iPlayer web page] Modifying this to include subtitles is as straightforward as entering: get_iplayer --subtitles [programme U.R.L. copied from iPlayer web page] ...noting that it is a double dash preceding the word “subtitles” So, to download tonight’s EastEnders with subtitles, we would enter: get_iplayer --subtitles www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000csm9/eastenders-25122019 More information and options can be found at: github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/subtitles
I have done everything u advised but all l get "IS NOT RECOGNISED AS AN INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL COMMAND, OPERABLE PROGRAM OR BATCH FILE. can you please help ?
Actually, please disregard our last reply in its entirety (which we’ve now deleted to avoid confusing anyone reading this thread). Reading your error message, we mistakenly thought that you were following one of our VirtualBox tutorials, where errors of this type are far more common. We hadn’t appreciated, until second reading, that you were following the get_iplayer tutorial, so apologies for our misreading of that. You might like to try our follow up video “Download From B.B.C. iPlayer - Get iPlayer Graphical User Interface” which somewhat simplifies the process, taking away the need for typed commands, and using a graphical user interface. This might be a better method for you if the typed commands are generating errors. You'll find it at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
Absolutely. This works purely with content provided by the B.B.C. via iPlayer, and doesn’t cover any other channel. We aren’t aware of equivalent applications covering I.T.V., Channels 4 and 5 etc, nor is there any general application which works across a range of channels, so it’s purely a mechanism for downloading B.B.C. programmes.
Very clear explanation, however when I tried it, I got the following message: "get.iplayer is not recognized as an external or internal command, operable program or batch file. Included the gap before the programme url. Do you think the BBC might have brought in recent changes to prevent this method of downloading programmes that won't expire?
Hi @ Foogou Films. One thing which immediately stands out about your error message is the full stop/decimal point in get.iplayer. This isn’t a full stop, but rather should be an underscore. If you’re using a full stop instead of an underscore, this may well be why the command isn’t recognised. So your full syntax should be get_iplayer [U.R.L.pasted from the web] Hope this helps. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your comment. We have been extensively pursuing activities outside of the TH-cam platform for the past six weeks, and consequently we are only now catching up on feedback and questions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Hi @@TechFixFlix First of all, absolutely no apology needed; you replied to my query very promptly. I think I know why I ended up typing the wrong command. While you first of all instruct to place and underscore between "get" and "player", on looking at your video again, I notice at the 140sec timestamp th-cam.com/video/l2GEododxjQ/w-d-xo.html that the green banner that appears onscreen actually reads "get.player", with a full-stop. Anyway, I put in the underscore and the download worked perfectly. I thought I would mention the above in case anyone else made the same mistake as I did. Thanks again for such easy to follow technical videos. I'm now a subscriber.
Thanks very much @Foogou Films. We’ve checked out the caption and we can see exactly why you’ve interpreted that as a full stop. It certainly does look like one, and we’ll be wary of this for anyone in a similar predicament in the future. In our defence, that actually is an underscore, but it doesn’t look at all like one given the font we use in the captions, and we’ll have to give some serious consideration for future videos, so our thanks to you for flagging that up. Thanks also for the subscription, which is very much appreciated, and glad you got get_iplayer to work.
Thank you for this tutorial, it works perfectly, but you need to know that some old BBC shows are not in HD because it was not broadcast in an HD channel.
Absolutely. In fact, given the extensive historical archive available to the B.B.C., you’ll also find recordings filmed in black and white, which predate the widespread adoption of colour television. You’ll also find content filmed in square format rather than widescreen for material produced prior to the early 2000s. This is a channel with significant history. Get_iplayer will download the highest resolution available by default, although you can specify manually using amended commands which are detailed on the download page.
Excellent video, thank you. Version 3.35 working as of Feb 27, 2024. Is this application linked to BBC iPlayer's native download function? Because that function is ending March 11, 2024 and I wondered if get_iplayer will continue to work?
Hi @mmmcomfy, and thank you for your kind words about the video. To the very best of our knowledge, get_iPlayer is not dependent upon the native download functionality provided by iPlayer. If we are remembering correctly, get_iplayer actually existed long before iPlayer offered a native download facility, and we fully expect it to survive and become more popular when iPlayer withdraws native downloading in March.
@@TechFixFlix A comment I saw on the subject said the app disguises downloads as streaming activity so you could be right. Few more days and we'll know either way. Cheers. (btw. love the accent - where is that from?)
Hi again @mmmcomfy. We think that’s probably a good way of describing how get_iPlayer works, in that, from what we can see on screen, it appears to fully stream the content, before collating it into a single .mp4 file, and you can follow these processes as they are described in the text which is displayed at the command prompt. This activity seems more convoluted than we’d expect if get_iPlayer was simply piggybacking on native iPlayer download functionality, but we’ll find out for certain in under a week. It’s not often that the accent gets too much love, so thanks for that. It’s from Durham (which, for our international audience, is in the North East of England, absolutely nowhere near London). There are way too many A.I. voices on TH-cam at present, so we’re very much keeping it human.
@Willzzz123 Thank you for your kind words about the video and the subscription, both of which are very much appreciated. Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your comment. We have been extensively pursuing activities outside of the TH-cam platform for the past six weeks, and consequently we are only now catching up on feedback and questions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Hi there. There are several possible fixes when get_iPlayer fails to download content. 1 )..It should be noted that get_iplayer will only download content published through B.B.C. iPlayer. It’s not a generic downloader, and won’t work with content from any other source. When entering a U.R.L., it should always originate from the B.B.C. 2 )..When obtaining a U.R.L. from the iPlayer web pages, it’s important to navigate to the specific episode rather than any higher level page. Make sure that the U.R.L. you copy relates to the page which actually plays the content you’re attempting to download, rather than simply being a higher-level link. 3 )..Be sure to download the latest version of get_iPlayer from github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer_win32/releases (for Windows installations). If your installation is more than a few weeks old, it’s possible that changes to iPlayer may make content inaccessible. It’s therefore good practice to keep your installation up-to-date, especially should you encounter download errors. 4 )..It may be possible to use an alternative download command to access your content. A full summary of available commands can be accessed at: github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/record 5 )..To avoid typed commands entirely, our follow up video features a point-and-click graphical user interface, which removes the needs for commands entirely. You’ll find that video at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
Hi @SportWomenAndDivas. As a very quick fix, check out our follow-up video, which replaces typed commands entirely, using a point-and-click interface instead. You’ll find that video at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html As to why the command isn’t recognised, this is more of a puzzle. The basic syntax of the command should be: get_iPlayer [PASTE URL OF YOUR PROGRAMME HERE] There aren’t too many traps here. Be sure to insert an underscore between “get” and “iPlayer,” and avoid misspelling anything. Then leave a space, and ensure that you have correctly pasted the full address of the programme you wish to download. If that doesn’t work, we could be in the realm of rare glitches. You might want to take a look at this discussion, which generates a similar error message to yours: forums.squarepenguin.co.uk/thread-1113.html
Hi @Howard Pitfield. Taking a look at the extensive notes at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes it remains the case at the time of this reply that the maximum resolution which can currently be obtained is 1280 x 720 (aka 720p resolution). So, not only are we currently unable to download 4K programmes, but it also appears that the less demanding 1080p resolution is yet to be available, so we’re currently some distance away from where we’d like to be. Hopefully this position will improve in future, as we’re certain there are many viewers (ourselves included) who would very much welcome this.
Hi @absolutetrash2271, and thank you very much for your kind words about the tutorial. You will find an excellent written guide at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/subtitles which expands upon the basic command shown in the video. Hope this helps.
I just downloaded the new version and when i start it it says in the black box 'cannot find encoding 'cp720'' at c: .......... what can i do to get it working? thanks
That’s an error we haven’t seen before, but is documented here: forums.squarepenguin.co.uk/thread-2039-post-8623.html#pid8623 Cp720 appears to be code page 720, the DOS code for the Arabic language. Presumably you would want (and get_iplayer would expect) to run in U.K. English, which would need to be set using chcp 850 or chcp 1252 before running get_iPlayer. As we haven’t experienced the error, we haven’t had the opportunity to test this fix, and we’re entirely relying upon the source article here. Apologies if this answer makes matters worse rather than better.
Hey TechFix, thanks for the installation guide! It worked perfectly on the first run, but when I tried to download a second episode using the full URL it just...doesn't do it. It registers the episode then goes back to asking for a user command. I've even tried triggering the episodes using the Web PVR manager and it sends out a massive string to the DOS box and still does nothing. Have refreshed caches in both browser and Get Iplayer...what do I need to do? I don't even get an error message, it acts like it's going to download then resets as if I never asked anything...? Just to add, if I uninstall and reinstall it works again, for one episode...then stops working...
Hi Kairra. It certainly seems as though you’ve carried out all of the tests we’d suggest, including trying the PVR as well as uninstalling and reinstalling, and your setup seems to behave in a predictable way, working once and then failing. It does appear from the comments we’ve received that get_iPlayer does seem to be sensitive to the operating environment on certain machines, and we’re wondering if you’re experiencing interference from antivirus or security software, or whether another form of conflict or setting is having an influence. If you’re fortunate enough to have access to a secondary device, it might be worth giving that a try to see if you can achieve a better outcome. If you don’t have access to a secondary machine, you might like to try performing a “clean boot” of Windows, using the method shown in this tutorial: th-cam.com/video/DG2WgGRXYBU/w-d-xo.html, before running get_iPlayer in the clean boot environment. Alternatively, you might like to try running get_iPlayer in Windows Sandbox (see th-cam.com/video/HiKTW-o6zeU/w-d-xo.html) or VirtualBox (see th-cam.com/video/zqbMXXDJEyI/w-d-xo.html). Hopefully using one of these three options will create an environment more suited to running get_iPlayer.
Hi @Lucyverse, and nice to hear from you. We can understand the error you’re receiving, but the solution might have something to do with your setup. Essentially, the get_iplayer command isn’t recognised by default in Windows, so, for example, if we simply typed the command on a machine which didn’t have get_iplayer installed, we’d fully expect to receive the error message “'get_iplayer' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file” because Windows simply wouldn’t understand how to process the command. So, the first thing we’d check is whether get_iplayer is definitely installed on your system. Typically, if it has installed its icons on the desktop and in the Start menu, everything should be fine. If you have any doubt, it might be worth uninstalling then reinstalling just to be certain. If it has successfully installed, and you’re still receiving the error, we’d recommend checking to see if you can use the PVR version, by following the instructions in this tutorial: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html This will help us understand if get_iplayer is working properly, as well as giving you an alternative method for using get_iPlayer.
Hi @butterflyqueenuk and thank you for your kind words about the tutorial. Congratulations on finding the solution to the problem you were facing, and thanks for sharing it with us. If anyone reading this would like a wider overview of issues pertaining to video quality versus file size, we’d recommend github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes
Hi @paul bush. Our strategy for this scenario is a little bit cheeky, in that we would typically wait until the broadcast has concluded, and the stream in its entirety is made available on iPlayer, typically within a few hours of the stream ending. Given that a very high percentage of B.B.C. output is ultimately uploaded to iPlayer, this strategy has met our needs on the few occasions in which it has been called upon. Whilst this doesn’t strictly capture the live stream as broadcast, it does enable us to download the content shortly after initial transmission. Hope this helps.
Thank you very much for the feedback, which is appreciated. It does indeed still work, and has been a reliable method for a good few years now. If you do encounter any difficulties in downloading T.V. shows, it’s always worthy returning to the get_iplayer download page at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/releases to check for new versions, as regular updates are posted which can resolve issues when downloading content.
Thank you very much for your kind words about the tutorial. We’re very grateful for every view we receive, and, as a small channel, we’re more than happy with how this one is doing so far.
Thank you very much indeed. We appreciate that. You might also like our follow-up tutorial on the same subject, which uses a graphical user interface rather than typed commands, which some may find easier or preferable. You’ll find it at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
Hi @Ben_Kirkham, and thank you very much indeed for your kind comments about the video. The Github Wiki for get_iPlayer offers an explanation as to how to record a full series, and we’d draw your attention to github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/record#:~:text=Recursive%20(full%20series,b006q2x0%20%2D%2Dpid%2Drecursive%20%5B...%5D which we’ve reproduced in full below: Recursive (full series/brand) recording get_iplayer can download all episodes for a programme brand or for a single series within a brand. This is "recursive" recording. get_iplayer --pid=b006m8wd --pid-recursive [...] The value for --pid is the brand/series PID and --pid-recursive instructs get_iplayer to examine the brand/series metadata to pick out the associated episode PIDs and download them. To find the PID you need to download a brand or series, first locate an iPlayer/Sounds page where you can play any episode of that brand or series and follow the examples below. With recursive recording, be aware that programme clips will not be downloaded. Recursive recording can be used for iPlayer box sets, stacked series, or certain podcasts that are made available all at once. It can also be used for brands/series released normally over a period of time. TV Example: Doctor Who Navigate to the iPlayer page for Doctor Who Series 1 Episode 1; www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0074dlv/doctor-who-series-1-1-rose Click the "Programme website" link near the bottom of the page, which will take you to the programmne information page for Doctor Who: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0 Click the "All Available Episodes" link in the "On iPlayer" section of the programme information page, which will take you to an episode list for all series of Doctor Who: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006q2x0/doctor-who Note the presence of "episodes" - plural - in the URL. This URL contains the PID you need for recursive recording of all episodes in all series of Doctor Who: get_iplayer --pid b006q2x0 --pid-recursive [...] Hope this helps.
Excellent video, everything worked great, thankyou, can't figure out how to download lower quality videos, so I just use my workaround, download the episode (about 2gb an hour) then run the mp4 though the Handbrake program changing only the preset to "very fast 720p30" and renaming the output file, takes about the same time as downloading an episode, so while thats running I start downloading the next. filesize drops to 400mb an hour and personally i cant see a difference (then again I dont have HD eyes :) apart from the extra storage space. 18 (30min) episodes = 19gb after handbrake = 4.4gb even less if again if you set it at 480p (half the old programmes are filmed in less quality still not a huge difference in quality if any), and you still have the highest one you downloaded to fall back on. Just thought I'd share. Thanks again.
Hi @TheCpcaveman, and thank you very much for your kind words about the video as well as sharing your experience with Handbrake. You’ll find a full discussion of available quality options for get_iplayer at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes. To briefly quote the most relevant section: “By default, get_iplayer downloads the highest video resolution available, up to 720p.” You can reduce (or increase) this with the additional command --tv-quality followed by: “fhd” (for 1080p) “hd” (for 720p) “sd” (for 540p) “web” (for 396p) “mobile” (for 288p) Of course, Handbrake is an entirely acceptable workaround, and we featured it as part of our “Ditch The Discs” trilogy in early 2019, where we used it to compress video files extracted from D.V.D.s. You’ll find that video at th-cam.com/video/1GARkrrgZ-s/w-d-xo.html
An excellent instructional video for an excellent piece of software. I have one query, what if I don't wish to record a full BBC iPlayer program but, for example just the first 20 minutes, is there a way/command how to do it?
Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the video @brianadamson2700. This is an interesting question, and the first time it has been asked in our video comments. We believe that it isn’t presently possible to achieve a partial download, because the source material isn’t segmented into smaller chapters, meaning that get_iPlayer is obligated to download the entire episode. So we’d approach this task from different perspective, and would instead download the full episode, then use video editing software to cut and delete any unwanted sections from the full programme. Ideally, you’d want to use a utility which doesn’t need to fully re-render the video (which could take some time), but rather something which can simply cut and re-export, and we’re thinking here of tools like “LosslessCut,” which you’ll find at github.com/mifi/lossless-cut#:~:text=README.md-,LosslessCut,fueled%20by%20the%20awesome%20FFmpeg%20which%20does%20all%20the%20grunt%20work.,-Features
Hi mate thanks for the tutorial. The program runs smoothly and everything's alrite except for when pasting the URL it gives me the 403 Forbidden Error. I installed the latest version (3.25) so I don't know what else to do. Cheers.
Sorry that this isn’t working for you. You might like to try our follow-up video, which doesn’t require copying and pasting of the U.R.L., instead using its own interface for search. You’ll find the video at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
![ร้อยพ่อพันแม่ - WanMai [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XY2pNYASEbg/mqdefault.jpg)
I am blown away at how clear and concise this video is! Extremely informative and to the point with zero messing around, yet polite and emphatic. Thank you!
Thank you very much indeed @Nick Curry. This is an incredibly kind comment for which we are very grateful. Glad you found the content useful.
you have RESTORED my faith in online tutorials of this type. I thought it had all become click-bait / or inept advice at this point. Well done squire.
Thank you very much indeed. That’s incredibly kind of you.
One of the most accurate, clear and useful presentations I've used on TH-cam! This presenter should be doing a lot more of this, teaching non-techy people like me on the common aspects of computing and solving the issues/problems that we always get along the way... eg. trying to understand/use the maddening Windows file-permissions system!!
Wow! Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the tutorial. It’s always extremely pleasing to hear that someone has found the content useful, and it’s always appreciated that you have taken the time to say so, making the process of creating content worthwhile. If you like the presentation style, you may be pleased to learn that you’ll find much more of the same at th-cam.com/users/TechFixFlix, where we’ve just posted our 100th video, and will pass our two year anniversary next week.
Every week we publish a new video with the intention of being fully accessible at all ability levels, covering the full range of operating systems with step-by-step instructions. There’s certainly plenty of content for Windows users, including this week’s tutorial dealing with User Account Control and Windows Defender SmartScreen.
Ditto!
Thank you very much @Adam King.
The most excellent tutorial I've seen in a while. Subscribed
Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the tutorial and the subscription, both of which are very much appreciated.
One of the clearest tutorials I've ever seen!
Thank you very much indeed. That's very kind of you. Glad you enjoyed the tutorial.
@@TechFixFlix How do I download the original source file (highest quality) using get_iplayer without it compressing or is it automatic?
Hi again @Svengali, and nice to hear from you once more. The short answer is that it’s automatic. The slightly longer answer is found at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes where we are told that “by default, get_iplayer will download the best quality available from the default mode list for the given programme type.” So you’ll inevitably be dealing with some form of compression, and “best quality” is already the default.
@@TechFixFlix Thank you for the knowledge & continue helping people, you're doing a fantastic job! A very standout page, which is why I've subscribed.
You are very kind, and thank you very much indeed for the subscription, which is always appreciated.
If ONLY all descriptions of tech issues could be as clear and concise. Thank you! Excellen work 🙂
That’s really appreciated @Paul Leather. Thank you very much indeed.
Excellent video; instructions clear and straight to the point without any drama. If only all you tube instructional videos were to the same standard.
Thank you very much indeed. That is incredibly kind of you.
This is the best tutorial I've ever watched. Your narration is entertaining, thorough, and easy to follow. You're a techstar!
Thank you very much indeed. It’s really appreciated that you took the time to say you found the content useful.
Thank you so much. It's rare that I come across such detailed instructions nowadays. You deserve my subscription!
That’s very much appreciated. Thank you for both your kind words and the subscription.
I just found this following the BBC's recent decision to axe their own Download Manager for the iPlayer. This is a fantastic alternative, which is easy to set up and use. It's a real godsend now. Thank you! PS You should promote this video again.
Glad you found the content useful @Julianpms. It’s the second most-viewed video in our channel’s history, with just under 100,000 views at the time of writing, and it largely promotes itself as there are very few videos on the topic on the web, and we tend to see recurring interest whenever the B.B.C. have significant new content, especially Glastonbury. It’s also enjoying a renaissance now following the removal of native iPlayer download functionality.
Best Tutorial on iplayer! Still works in 2022! Subscribed!
Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the tutorial and the subscription, both of which are very much appreciated.
@@TechFixFlix no problem bro you're welcome!
Hi and thanks. This still works brilliantly in 2024. Just a suggestion that you might want to update your video title to say this; as I nearly didn't watch as I thought a 2019 video would be too old for today's technology. Thanks again 🙂
Hi @JacquelynWilliams-if1iw, and thanks for the suggestion. Both this video, and our other get_iPlayer video featuring the graphical user interface (see th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html for our video “Download From B.B.C. iPlayer - Get iPlayer Graphical User Interface”) have a certain timelessness, and indeed could have been made several years earlier, because get_iPlayer has remained incredibly stable with the passage of time. We could easily update the title or create a reworking of our original video, but this might feel slightly fraudulent, given that the essence of the video in largely unchanged, although, as you rightly note, viewers won’t necessarily expect to find a five-year-old video to remain valid.
Clear , visual instructions and ofcourse it helps that you are from the UK ;) so easier to understand . Please make more videos like this , esp UK focussed content . Subscribed and keep up the good work . Will tell my friends . With such clarity in your videos - you will go far ....
Thank you very much indeed.That is incredibly kind of you. We are extremely grateful for the subscription, and we’re glad that you are spreading the word to your friends, which is truly appreciated. You can rest assured that we will always continue to produce new U.K. focussed content to serve our domestic audience, as well as more universal material, and we hope you’ll find it useful. Thank you very much for your support.
Thank you so much for an excellent HOW TO video. I followed the step by step instructions and was able to download iplayer videos onto my windows PC.
That’s really pleasing to hear. Glad you were able to follow the tutorial with a successful outcome. Thanks for the feedback, which is always appreciated.
Absolutely brilliant. I have downloaded excerpts for a presentation to an over 60s-group (where they have all the appropriate licences. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much indeed. You are very kind. Glad you found the video useful, and hope the over 60s group find it helpful too.
Program loaded so went into iplayer to video required, cut and pasted link in and got "is not recognised an internal or external command, operable program or batch file" so checked what I did and same result. Saw your 2nd video, Used the PVR MANAGER, Absolute magic, brilliant. Finally managed to get Mary J Blige live at Glastonbury singing drama which is now ripped to ipod😃 100%
Hi @johnpoole423. Glad you got this working via the P.V.R. as described in our second video, which was always intended to be used should the typed commands prove unsuccessful. Glastonbury performances always account for huge spikes in the popularity of this video, although not every performance is accurately catalogued by the P.V.R., so it’s often helpful to use the typed commands in order to access the full library of iPlayer content. Don’t forget to include the word get_iplayer before pasting in the typed command. So, to download Mary J. Blige At The B.B.C. (first broadcast 14th October 2023), we would type:
get_iplayer www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001rk9k/mary-j-blige-at-the-bbc
…and this worked for us today (although the content will expire from iPlayer itself next month).
May 2024 and this is still working perfect THANKYOU so much
You are very welcome @Sloposse. This is very much an evergreen tutorial, and get_iPlayer in mid-2024 works in exactly the same way as it did when we originally published our tutorial back in August 2019. Indeed, it had worked in much the same way for some time before we created our video. It really just does exactly what it needs to.
Most in depth and informative tutorial ever, even though I didn't need to follow fully for those less tech savvy I can this being really handy for them - Thank you!
Thank you very much indeed. That’s incredibly kind of you.
Thanks man used this for my nan in hospital great help only video that helped me with this on TH-cam
You are very welcome @jabadee1. Hope your nan feels better soon.
Thank you so much for such a clear and helpful tutorial. Concisely produced, and very easy to understand - I wish all tutorials were so clear!
Thank you very much indeed. That’s very kind of you.
Best tutorial I've ever watched to cover a hard looking topic, thank you very much and keep it up!
Thank you very much for your kind words about the video. You might also be interested in the follow-up, which highlights the point-and-click interface provided by the PVR, further simplifying the process of searching for and downloading content. You’ll find the video at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
brilliantly presented tutorial - precise and to the point - your cleverly written software (get_iplayer-3.29.0-windows-x64-setup.exe) has allowed me to hold on to a Stonehenge documentary which was about to expire - many thanks! 🙂
Hi @RickInDorset, and many thanks for your kind words about the tutorial, which are very much appreciated. We’re glad that you were able to put this to good use to preserve the Stonehenge documentary, and this was the type of scenario we had in mind when publishing the video. We can’t claim the credit for writing get_iPlayer, although we are aware that the publisher has featured our tutorial on their GitHub page, and we are delighted that they have used our material to showcase their excellent product. We hope you continue to find it useful.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your comment. We have been extensively pursuing activities outside of the TH-cam platform for the past six weeks, and consequently we are only now catching up on feedback and questions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Top notch,the most simplest instructions on you tube subscribed
That's very kind. Thank you very much indeed.
I wish all tutorials were like this 10/10
Thank you very much Shaun. That’s very kind.
@@TechFixFlix Anytime :) could you do a video on how to get around pay walls for learning platforms like Study.com ... that would be so helpful.
That is soooo useful, Thanks. A few tiny points, the website now offers 'get_iplayer-3.26.0-windows-x64-setup'. Most people now have 64 bit systems as I have, and for some reason you can't 'ctrl V' into the dos command window, you get ^U, whatever that means, you have to right click 'Paste' as you suggest. A simple tutorial on OBS Studio to record any screen video ie games would also be useful.
Thank you very much for the feedback Peter. Like you, we too use the 64-bit version, and have been using 64-bit systems since the introduction of Windows Vista in 2006 (we had to look that up). Although we wouldn’t want to overgeneralise, we make the assumption the majority of our Windows users are using a 64-bit platform. We’re therefore grateful to you for highlighting that our video references the 32-bit version, which we’d consider to be relevant to a minority of users now. Consequently, we’ve amended the link in our written description to point directly to the 64-bit version which will be beneficial for most users. We’re not sure why the common keyboard shortcut for paste hasn’t been implemented, and it’s been necessary to right click for as long as we can remember. Finally, thanks for the video suggestion for recording screen video, which is a topic we haven’t addressed on the channel thus far. Although we don’t use OBS Studio, we’ve still added this topic to our list of potential video ideas, as it’s something which many would find useful.
Absolute legend... Cracking video... Thank you. :D
Thank you very much indeed. That is truly appreciated.
I haven't tried this yet but this is a very well made and explained tutorial video, thanks very much, amazing work!
Hi @Divide, and thank you for your very kind feedback. We hope that you’ll find this straightforward when you try it. If not, we’ve published a follow-up video which demonstrates the P.V.R. point-and-click interface, which offers an alternative method for downloading iPlayer content. You’ll find that video at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
@@TechFixFlix Hey no problem and I tried it and it worked fine, thanks so much! :)
That’s great. Glad you found the content useful.
@@TechFixFlix Sure did thanks and I hope you do more like this you really explained it so perfectly and I know how much time.and effort it takes to create this sort of.video as I make similar things but for gaming guides. :)
@@TechFixFlix Hey had a question, I've been loking for an Amazon Prime Video downloader. I have one for Netflix, I was wondering if you know of any? I have Amazon Prime Video and I'm also willingto pay for software to download and keep the files. Do you know of any that can download in HD or have a tutorial?
Brilliant video, followed it perfectly, thanks so much!💯%
You are very welcome. Glad you found the content useful.
excellent program allowed me to download a series I've been looking for for some time
That’s great @John Perczyk. Glad you found it useful.
Thank you, download appears to be downloading okay. A good way to view and hold onto must watch programs.
Very clear and concise. A must have app for personal use viewing!
@Charlotte Webb. Thank you very much for your incredibly kind feedback left on both of our videos on this topic. We’re glad you found it useful.
Great tutorial. Install was smooth and easy. Unfortunately the program I want to record keeps failing, getting a 403 error even though it streams with no problems. Not sure what to try next.
Thank you for your kind words about the tutorial.
Depending upon how recently you performed the installation, you might find that heading back to the download page and installing the latest version may provide a fix, with the latest version being released some 23 days ago at the time of this reply. If you’ve installed more recently than that, it’s often the case that errors which prevent downloads at present will be fixed in future releases, so it could well be worth checking back at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/releases to see if this is fixed further down the line.
Three days prior to the latest release, the 403 error was documented at forums.squarepenguin.co.uk/portal.php and also www.tenforums.com/software-apps/145277-bbc-get_iplayer-users-download-bbc-radio-tv-fix-url-errors.html with a workaround suggested at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/issues The workaround suggests targeting specific streams, which is somewhat more advanced than the basic overview presented in our tutorial, although the article mentions that the missing streams will be restored in the next release, so again it will be worth revisiting the download page in future.
thankyou so much, nice northern man. this was so clear, so concise, a child could do it. I'm impressed and very grateful ❤
You are very welcome. Thank you so much for your kind feedback.
Legend.. Used this to download an episode I featured in
Glad this helped you relive your moment in the spotlight.
finally now i can watch BBC iPLAYER thank you 😃😃
You are very welcome.
Unreal guide mate, thank you very much!
You are very welcome. Glad you found it useful.
I just logged in to subscribe, like this video and say you're a legend!!! Worked flawlessly.
Thank you very much indeed. That’s very kind.
Thanks very much my friend. Tutorial was very easy to follow and you were precise and to the point. Cheers !
You are very welcome, and thank you for your kind words about the tutorial.
This worked like a charm! Thank you so much good man. :)
Thank you very much indeed. Glad this worked well for you.
Brilliantly planned and executed video. It would make a fabulous teaching tool for anyone involved with UX!
Thank you very much. You are very kind.
cheers works great, and well documented, and very clear instructions, :)
Thank you very much indeed. That's appreciated.
Fantastic ... works like a charm .. No quality compromise
Glad you found this useful.
That's something special! Thanks for the incredibly well made video!!!
Thank you very much indeed. It’s very kind of you to say that. You might also like the follow-up video, which moves from typed commands to a graphical user interface. You’ll find it at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
Love you forever! Thank you for simple detailed steps.
That's very kind of you @Tropic101x. Thank you very much indeed.
Incredibly clear, well done.
Thank you very much indeed. That is very kind of you.
well done, straight to the point. no bull
Much appreciated. Thank you.
Works good! Thanks for all the clear explanations and links.
You are very welcome. Glad you found the content useful.
Thank you very much, great presenter, very clear and precise. !!
That is very kind of you. Thank you very much indeed.
Hot damn, it worked flawlessly. Thanks for this!
That's great @MrWokyman. Glad you got this to work.
Wow, amazing...thank you so much and hello Paolo Nutini at transmit last weekend on my pc forever 😊
Thank you so much. Glad you found the video useful.
deserves so many subs. this was great.
Thank you very much indeed. You are very kind.
Many thanks for such a detailed video and explanation. Worked great!
Many thanks for your kind words about the video @Ewen Hardie. Glad it worked for you.
Brilliant tutorial! So helpful and clear. Well done! 👏
Thank you very much indeed. That’s appreciated.
thank you! worked well for me. Getting lots of errors in the process but result is okay :)
You’re very welcome @andreymor5201. Get_iplayer can be a little “chatty” in terms of process feedback / error messages, which can be somewhat reduced by keeping the software updated. Even then, there may still be issues…Our last comment mentioned the current error “failed to download the BBC One schedule page / Response: 404 Not Found,” which remains unresolved. Nevertheless, as you mention, the output video is still exactly what we need.
Great video! Well explained, as well as being quick, simple & not boring!
Thank you very much. That’s really appreciated.
Very easy and still working in 2022!
Thank you very much @Sandy.
Although there are loads of error messages (500 and 403), it works well. I used ExpressVPN. Be patient, and you'll get what you want.
Glad you got this working. We’ve had some feedback from V.P.N. users suggesting that success may be temporary, and we’re aware that the B.B.C. take active measures to block overseas access, so do be aware in case it eventually stops working.
Wow! Thanks so much for this video. Very informative!
Thank you very much indeed @gsapiano. That’s very kind of you.
Best and clearest tutorial I've ever seen. Just a shame it doesn't work. Using a vpn service might be the issue? verified connection to uk, BBC Iplayer works fine. But get_iplayer gives error 403
Thank you very much for your kind words about the tutorial, and it’s unfortunate that this isn’t working for you. We certainly think that your suspicions about your V.P.N. are correct, and the key areas where get_iPlayer consistently struggles are access to content outside the U.K. and V.P.N. use. This is typically attributed to the B.B.C., which actively geofences its content and takes active countermeasures against V.P.N. usage, with the ultimate aim of restricting its content purely the those viewers physically located within the United Kingdom. Your case is made more intriguing by your report that iPlayer itself works fine for you, and we would have expected it to also fail.
Thank you for a very concise and useful video! It helped tremendously
Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the video @Zero. Glad you found it useful.
Absolutley amazing. Thank you so much 👏🙌
You are very welcome. Glad you liked it.
Ps, may i be cheeky and ask if same thing is possible for BBC sounds? 🤔
Hi @DanielRVW, and nice to hear from you again. We’d certainly recommend also using get_iplayer for B.B.C. Sounds content. There’s an introductory overview at www.squarepenguin.co.uk/guides/radio-download-guide/ Hopefully this will meet your needs.
You are amazing and much appreciated 👍👍👍 Hope you are having a good weekend 🎉
That's very kind @DanielRVW. You have a good weekend too.
Is this also work when you watch BBC iPlayer outside the UK using the VPN?
Hi @Catalina & Max Cisternas Jofre. Our experience suggests that both iPlayer and get_iPlayer are most unlikely to work outside of the U.K., and this is because the B.B.C. take active measures to geofence their content, making it available only to viewers physically located within the United Kingdom. Typically, users would look to a V.P.N. as a means to bypass this restriction, but again results here are mixed, and a V.P.N. which works on one occasion may not be as successful the following day. For this reason, we always advise against spending money on a V.P.N. purely in an attempt to access iPlayer content.
This video tutorial was very helpful. :)
Thank you very much indeed. That’s very kind of you.
Worked a charm, thank you
Brilliant. Glad this worked for you.
Just for anyone using a VPN to use it, it does work, and will be stick at the Episode description for a couple minutes before working.
Thank you very much @Schnipps. The feedback we have received from V.P.N. users indicates that the position is rather complex. The B.B.C. take active measures to geofence their content, restricting it to only those viewers physically located within the United Kingdom. As part of that, measures designed to counter V.P.N. use are also deployed. Feedback from our viewers suggests that a V.P.N. which may work on one occasion may well fail on a subsequent day. For this reason, we strongly advise against purchasing a V.P.N. specifically for use with get_iPlayer.
First class explanation!
Thank you very much @Tony Henriques. That is very kind of you.
An additional video (Part 2 if you like) would be great to show how to get any associated subtitles. I suspect there is a command line to do this, but I'm not that tech savvy. Not sure if the command line can be entered to get both video and subtitle at the same time OR, it has to be done video then subtitle separately, hence the request for a video.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the feedback, and the video suggestion, which is always appreciated. As it takes a little time to produce a video, here’s a quick fix to help with subtitles.
In the video, we used the command:
get_iplayer [programme U.R.L. copied from iPlayer web page]
Modifying this to include subtitles is as straightforward as entering:
get_iplayer --subtitles [programme U.R.L. copied from iPlayer web page]
...noting that it is a double dash preceding the word “subtitles”
So, to download tonight’s EastEnders with subtitles, we would enter:
get_iplayer --subtitles www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000csm9/eastenders-25122019
More information and options can be found at:
github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/subtitles
@@TechFixFlix Excellent, appreciate the quick reply. As soon as I can, will give this a shot.
Or you could use get_iplayer -subtitles-only -pid=XXXXXX (replace 6’s X for pid code from the programme) to get subtitles only.
I have done everything u advised but all l get "IS NOT RECOGNISED AS AN INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL COMMAND, OPERABLE PROGRAM OR BATCH FILE. can you please help ?
Thank you, just emailed you
Actually, please disregard our last reply in its entirety (which we’ve now deleted to avoid confusing anyone reading this thread). Reading your error message, we mistakenly thought that you were following one of our VirtualBox tutorials, where errors of this type are far more common. We hadn’t appreciated, until second reading, that you were following the get_iplayer tutorial, so apologies for our misreading of that.
You might like to try our follow up video “Download From B.B.C. iPlayer - Get iPlayer Graphical User Interface” which somewhat simplifies the process, taking away the need for typed commands, and using a graphical user interface. This might be a better method for you if the typed commands are generating errors. You'll find it at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
@@TechFixFlix tried but only bbc, not channel 4 on demand, is your only bbc
Absolutely. This works purely with content provided by the B.B.C. via iPlayer, and doesn’t cover any other channel. We aren’t aware of equivalent applications covering I.T.V., Channels 4 and 5 etc, nor is there any general application which works across a range of channels, so it’s purely a mechanism for downloading B.B.C. programmes.
Thank you. Absolutely lovely and clear.
You are very welcome. Thank you very much indeed.
Thank You So Much !!! I t Worked and I am so happy !!! You are amazing !
You are very kind. Glad you found the content useful.
Very clear explanation, however when I tried it, I got the following message: "get.iplayer is not recognized as an external or internal command, operable program or batch file. Included the gap before the programme url.
Do you think the BBC might have brought in recent changes to prevent this method of downloading programmes that won't expire?
Hi @ Foogou Films. One thing which immediately stands out about your error message is the full stop/decimal point in get.iplayer. This isn’t a full stop, but rather should be an underscore. If you’re using a full stop instead of an underscore, this may well be why the command isn’t recognised.
So your full syntax should be get_iplayer [U.R.L.pasted from the web]
Hope this helps.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your comment. We have been extensively pursuing activities outside of the TH-cam platform for the past six weeks, and consequently we are only now catching up on feedback and questions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Hi @@TechFixFlix First of all, absolutely no apology needed; you replied to my query very promptly. I think I know why I ended up typing the wrong command. While you first of all instruct to place and underscore between "get" and "player", on looking at your video again, I notice at the 140sec timestamp th-cam.com/video/l2GEododxjQ/w-d-xo.html that the green banner that appears onscreen actually reads "get.player", with a full-stop. Anyway, I put in the underscore and the download worked perfectly. I thought I would mention the above in case anyone else made the same mistake as I did. Thanks again for such easy to follow technical videos. I'm now a subscriber.
Thanks very much @Foogou Films. We’ve checked out the caption and we can see exactly why you’ve interpreted that as a full stop. It certainly does look like one, and we’ll be wary of this for anyone in a similar predicament in the future. In our defence, that actually is an underscore, but it doesn’t look at all like one given the font we use in the captions, and we’ll have to give some serious consideration for future videos, so our thanks to you for flagging that up. Thanks also for the subscription, which is very much appreciated, and glad you got get_iplayer to work.
Clear and helpful. Thanks a lot!
Thank you very much @SophC. Glad you found the content useful.
Thank you for this tutorial, it works perfectly, but you need to know that some old BBC shows are not in HD because it was not broadcast in an HD channel.
Absolutely. In fact, given the extensive historical archive available to the B.B.C., you’ll also find recordings filmed in black and white, which predate the widespread adoption of colour television. You’ll also find content filmed in square format rather than widescreen for material produced prior to the early 2000s. This is a channel with significant history.
Get_iplayer will download the highest resolution available by default, although you can specify manually using amended commands which are detailed on the download page.
Excellent video, thank you. Version 3.35 working as of Feb 27, 2024. Is this application linked to BBC iPlayer's native download function? Because that function is ending March 11, 2024 and I wondered if get_iplayer will continue to work?
Hi @mmmcomfy, and thank you for your kind words about the video. To the very best of our knowledge, get_iPlayer is not dependent upon the native download functionality provided by iPlayer. If we are remembering correctly, get_iplayer actually existed long before iPlayer offered a native download facility, and we fully expect it to survive and become more popular when iPlayer withdraws native downloading in March.
@@TechFixFlix A comment I saw on the subject said the app disguises downloads as streaming activity so you could be right. Few more days and we'll know either way. Cheers. (btw. love the accent - where is that from?)
Hi again @mmmcomfy. We think that’s probably a good way of describing how get_iPlayer works, in that, from what we can see on screen, it appears to fully stream the content, before collating it into a single .mp4 file, and you can follow these processes as they are described in the text which is displayed at the command prompt. This activity seems more convoluted than we’d expect if get_iPlayer was simply piggybacking on native iPlayer download functionality, but we’ll find out for certain in under a week.
It’s not often that the accent gets too much love, so thanks for that. It’s from Durham (which, for our international audience, is in the North East of England, absolutely nowhere near London). There are way too many A.I. voices on TH-cam at present, so we’re very much keeping it human.
Awesome video! Thank you so much! Subscribed!
@Willzzz123 Thank you for your kind words about the video and the subscription, both of which are very much appreciated.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your comment. We have been extensively pursuing activities outside of the TH-cam platform for the past six weeks, and consequently we are only now catching up on feedback and questions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Thank you SO much, so helpful and super clear instructions!
Thank you very much indeed. It’s always fantastic when someone finds the content useful and is kind enough to say so. That’s very much appreciated.
I keep gettin a ERROR: Failed to download URL (3/3) Can't connect to vod-dash-uk-live.akamaized.net:443 (Bad file descriptor)
Hi there.
There are several possible fixes when get_iPlayer fails to download content.
1 )..It should be noted that get_iplayer will only download content published through B.B.C. iPlayer. It’s not a generic downloader, and won’t work with content from any other source. When entering a U.R.L., it should always originate from the B.B.C.
2 )..When obtaining a U.R.L. from the iPlayer web pages, it’s important to navigate to the specific episode rather than any higher level page. Make sure that the U.R.L. you copy relates to the page which actually plays the content you’re attempting to download, rather than simply being a higher-level link.
3 )..Be sure to download the latest version of get_iPlayer from github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer_win32/releases (for Windows installations). If your installation is more than a few weeks old, it’s possible that changes to iPlayer may make content inaccessible. It’s therefore good practice to keep your installation up-to-date, especially should you encounter download errors.
4 )..It may be possible to use an alternative download command to access your content. A full summary of available commands can be accessed at: github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/record
5 )..To avoid typed commands entirely, our follow up video features a point-and-click graphical user interface, which removes the needs for commands entirely. You’ll find that video at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
it tells me it doesn't recognize the command, what can I do?
Hi @SportWomenAndDivas. As a very quick fix, check out our follow-up video, which replaces typed commands entirely, using a point-and-click interface instead. You’ll find that video at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
As to why the command isn’t recognised, this is more of a puzzle. The basic syntax of the command should be:
get_iPlayer [PASTE URL OF YOUR PROGRAMME HERE]
There aren’t too many traps here. Be sure to insert an underscore between “get” and “iPlayer,” and avoid misspelling anything. Then leave a space, and ensure that you have correctly pasted the full address of the programme you wish to download.
If that doesn’t work, we could be in the realm of rare glitches. You might want to take a look at this discussion, which generates a similar error message to yours: forums.squarepenguin.co.uk/thread-1113.html
Excellent! Could it be tweaked to grab new 4K BBC programmes?
Hi @Howard Pitfield. Taking a look at the extensive notes at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes it remains the case at the time of this reply that the maximum resolution which can currently be obtained is 1280 x 720 (aka 720p resolution). So, not only are we currently unable to download 4K programmes, but it also appears that the less demanding 1080p resolution is yet to be available, so we’re currently some distance away from where we’d like to be. Hopefully this position will improve in future, as we’re certain there are many viewers (ourselves included) who would very much welcome this.
Great video thank you! Do you know if there's a way to get the subtitle files too? Even if it's just downloading them separately?
Hi @absolutetrash2271, and thank you very much for your kind words about the tutorial. You will find an excellent written guide at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/subtitles which expands upon the basic command shown in the video. Hope this helps.
@@TechFixFlix thank you so much! I appreciate it :)
You are very welcome.
I just downloaded the new version and when i start it it says in the black box 'cannot find encoding 'cp720'' at c: ..........
what can i do to get it working?
thanks
That’s an error we haven’t seen before, but is documented here: forums.squarepenguin.co.uk/thread-2039-post-8623.html#pid8623
Cp720 appears to be code page 720, the DOS code for the Arabic language. Presumably you would want (and get_iplayer would expect) to run in U.K. English, which would need to be set using chcp 850 or chcp 1252 before running get_iPlayer. As we haven’t experienced the error, we haven’t had the opportunity to test this fix, and we’re entirely relying upon the source article here. Apologies if this answer makes matters worse rather than better.
Hey TechFix, thanks for the installation guide! It worked perfectly on the first run, but when I tried to download a second episode using the full URL it just...doesn't do it. It registers the episode then goes back to asking for a user command. I've even tried triggering the episodes using the Web PVR manager and it sends out a massive string to the DOS box and still does nothing. Have refreshed caches in both browser and Get Iplayer...what do I need to do? I don't even get an error message, it acts like it's going to download then resets as if I never asked anything...?
Just to add, if I uninstall and reinstall it works again, for one episode...then stops working...
Hi Kairra. It certainly seems as though you’ve carried out all of the tests we’d suggest, including trying the PVR as well as uninstalling and reinstalling, and your setup seems to behave in a predictable way, working once and then failing. It does appear from the comments we’ve received that get_iPlayer does seem to be sensitive to the operating environment on certain machines, and we’re wondering if you’re experiencing interference from antivirus or security software, or whether another form of conflict or setting is having an influence. If you’re fortunate enough to have access to a secondary device, it might be worth giving that a try to see if you can achieve a better outcome.
If you don’t have access to a secondary machine, you might like to try performing a “clean boot” of Windows, using the method shown in this tutorial: th-cam.com/video/DG2WgGRXYBU/w-d-xo.html, before running get_iPlayer in the clean boot environment. Alternatively, you might like to try running get_iPlayer in Windows Sandbox (see th-cam.com/video/HiKTW-o6zeU/w-d-xo.html) or VirtualBox (see th-cam.com/video/zqbMXXDJEyI/w-d-xo.html). Hopefully using one of these three options will create an environment more suited to running get_iPlayer.
Brilliant tutorial!
Thank you so much for your kind words. Glad you found the tutorial useful.
Made my year! Thank you :)
We’re delighted to hear that, although, given the year we’ve all had, there probably isn’t all that much competition.
Subscribed, thanks very much.
That’s very much appreciated. Welcome to our community.
I keep getting this error:
'get_iplayer' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
Hi @Lucyverse, and nice to hear from you. We can understand the error you’re receiving, but the solution might have something to do with your setup. Essentially, the get_iplayer command isn’t recognised by default in Windows, so, for example, if we simply typed the command on a machine which didn’t have get_iplayer installed, we’d fully expect to receive the error message “'get_iplayer' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file” because Windows simply wouldn’t understand how to process the command. So, the first thing we’d check is whether get_iplayer is definitely installed on your system. Typically, if it has installed its icons on the desktop and in the Start menu, everything should be fine. If you have any doubt, it might be worth uninstalling then reinstalling just to be certain.
If it has successfully installed, and you’re still receiving the error, we’d recommend checking to see if you can use the PVR version, by following the instructions in this tutorial: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html This will help us understand if get_iplayer is working properly, as well as giving you an alternative method for using get_iPlayer.
Thank you! Great tutorial! I just downloaded a video and it was over 800mb, how can I change it to download sd videos?
It took me a 'few' minutes but I figured it out, size gone from 800mb to 400mb
get_iplayer --prefs-add --tv-quality=540p
Hi @butterflyqueenuk and thank you for your kind words about the tutorial. Congratulations on finding the solution to the problem you were facing, and thanks for sharing it with us. If anyone reading this would like a wider overview of issues pertaining to video quality versus file size, we’d recommend github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes
so easy BUT a quick question, can you use get_iplayer for downloading live streaming events?..If so, how?
Hi @paul bush. Our strategy for this scenario is a little bit cheeky, in that we would typically wait until the broadcast has concluded, and the stream in its entirety is made available on iPlayer, typically within a few hours of the stream ending. Given that a very high percentage of B.B.C. output is ultimately uploaded to iPlayer, this strategy has met our needs on the few occasions in which it has been called upon. Whilst this doesn’t strictly capture the live stream as broadcast, it does enable us to download the content shortly after initial transmission. Hope this helps.
Bloody brilliant!
Wow. Thank you very much indeed.
thank you for making this video, it helped so much! :)
(still works for anyone who's wondering)
Thank you very much for the feedback, which is appreciated. It does indeed still work, and has been a reliable method for a good few years now. If you do encounter any difficulties in downloading T.V. shows, it’s always worthy returning to the get_iplayer download page at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/releases to check for new versions, as regular updates are posted which can resolve issues when downloading content.
That's amazing! Thank you!
You are very welcome.
Fantastic tutorial, saddly it has a low veiws
Thank you very much for your kind words about the tutorial. We’re very grateful for every view we receive, and, as a small channel, we’re more than happy with how this one is doing so far.
Really excellent video and easy to follow. Thank you so much. I have subscribed to your channel.
That’s much appreciated @Andrew. Thank you for your kind words, and also for the subscription.
Superb tutorial thanks.
Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you, it was so helpful
You are very welcome. Glad you found the content useful.
Very well judged tutorial for the novice
Thank you very much indeed. We appreciate that. You might also like our follow-up tutorial on the same subject, which uses a graphical user interface rather than typed commands, which some may find easier or preferable. You’ll find it at th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant! Thank You So Much! Do you happen to know how to download a full series at once? 😃
Hi @Ben_Kirkham, and thank you very much indeed for your kind comments about the video. The Github Wiki for get_iPlayer offers an explanation as to how to record a full series, and we’d draw your attention to github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/record#:~:text=Recursive%20(full%20series,b006q2x0%20%2D%2Dpid%2Drecursive%20%5B...%5D which we’ve reproduced in full below:
Recursive (full series/brand) recording
get_iplayer can download all episodes for a programme brand or for a single series within a brand. This is "recursive" recording.
get_iplayer --pid=b006m8wd --pid-recursive [...]
The value for --pid is the brand/series PID and --pid-recursive instructs get_iplayer to examine the brand/series metadata to pick out the associated episode PIDs and download them. To find the PID you need to download a brand or series, first locate an iPlayer/Sounds page where you can play any episode of that brand or series and follow the examples below.
With recursive recording, be aware that programme clips will not be downloaded. Recursive recording can be used for iPlayer box sets, stacked series, or certain podcasts that are made available all at once. It can also be used for brands/series released normally over a period of time.
TV Example: Doctor Who
Navigate to the iPlayer page for Doctor Who Series 1 Episode 1;
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0074dlv/doctor-who-series-1-1-rose
Click the "Programme website" link near the bottom of the page, which will take you to the programmne information page for Doctor Who:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0
Click the "All Available Episodes" link in the "On iPlayer" section of the programme information page, which will take you to an episode list for all series of Doctor Who:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006q2x0/doctor-who
Note the presence of "episodes" - plural - in the URL. This URL contains the PID you need for recursive recording of all episodes in all series of Doctor Who:
get_iplayer --pid b006q2x0 --pid-recursive [...]
Hope this helps.
Excellent video, everything worked great, thankyou, can't figure out how to download lower quality videos, so I just use my workaround, download the episode (about 2gb an hour) then run the mp4 though the Handbrake program changing only the preset to "very fast 720p30" and renaming the output file, takes about the same time as downloading an episode, so while thats running I start downloading the next. filesize drops to 400mb an hour and personally i cant see a difference (then again I dont have HD eyes :) apart from the extra storage space.
18 (30min) episodes = 19gb
after handbrake = 4.4gb
even less if again if you set it at 480p (half the old programmes are filmed in less quality still not a huge difference in quality if any), and you still have the highest one you downloaded to fall back on. Just thought I'd share.
Thanks again.
Hi @TheCpcaveman, and thank you very much for your kind words about the video as well as sharing your experience with Handbrake. You’ll find a full discussion of available quality options for get_iplayer at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/modes. To briefly quote the most relevant section: “By default, get_iplayer downloads the highest video resolution available, up to 720p.” You can reduce (or increase) this with the additional command --tv-quality followed by:
“fhd” (for 1080p)
“hd” (for 720p)
“sd” (for 540p)
“web” (for 396p)
“mobile” (for 288p)
Of course, Handbrake is an entirely acceptable workaround, and we featured it as part of our “Ditch The Discs” trilogy in early 2019, where we used it to compress video files extracted from D.V.D.s. You’ll find that video at th-cam.com/video/1GARkrrgZ-s/w-d-xo.html
a lifesaver. Subbed.
Glad you found the content useful, and thank you for the subscription, which is very much appreciated.
@@TechFixFlix by the way, while talking about that matter, is there a way to get a video downloaded with subtitles?
Absolutely. You’ll find a full page of information detailing subtitling options at github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/subtitles Hope this helps.
An excellent instructional video for an excellent piece of software. I have one query, what if I don't wish to record a full BBC iPlayer program but, for example just the first 20 minutes, is there a way/command how to do it?
Thank you very much indeed for your kind words about the video @brianadamson2700. This is an interesting question, and the first time it has been asked in our video comments. We believe that it isn’t presently possible to achieve a partial download, because the source material isn’t segmented into smaller chapters, meaning that get_iPlayer is obligated to download the entire episode. So we’d approach this task from different perspective, and would instead download the full episode, then use video editing software to cut and delete any unwanted sections from the full programme. Ideally, you’d want to use a utility which doesn’t need to fully re-render the video (which could take some time), but rather something which can simply cut and re-export, and we’re thinking here of tools like “LosslessCut,” which you’ll find at github.com/mifi/lossless-cut#:~:text=README.md-,LosslessCut,fueled%20by%20the%20awesome%20FFmpeg%20which%20does%20all%20the%20grunt%20work.,-Features
@@TechFixFlix Thanks for the reply - I used MovieMaker .
You are very welcome. Glad you found a solution.
Hi mate thanks for the tutorial. The program runs smoothly and everything's alrite except for when pasting the URL it gives me the 403 Forbidden Error. I installed the latest version (3.25) so I don't know what else to do. Cheers.
Sorry that this isn’t working for you. You might like to try our follow-up video, which doesn’t require copying and pasting of the U.R.L., instead using its own interface for search. You’ll find the video at: th-cam.com/video/bdSHTkd1bwc/w-d-xo.html