Is it me? They seem to keep changing it.
A while back it needed Adobe Air to work. That doesn't seem to be the case any more. A few weeks ago it asked me to download and install iPlayer Desktop, which I did. I used it a couple of times and it worked. It put itself in the start up folder. Then it stopped working. Oddly it fires you off to the website via a browser anyway, and I downloaded a couple of things and watched them but recently it stopped responding to the 'download' link and the 'Desktop' has been telling me I have no programmes available even when I know I have some unexpired and unwatched. I have just downloaded one (Young Montalbano actually, nice pictures of Sicily and the young Montalbano's girlfriend).
Then it asked me if I wanted to install BBC iPlayer Downloads, so I have and I have just downloaded a programme (Young Montalbano actually, nice pictures of Sicily and the young Montalbano's girlfriend). I can now watch my downloaded Montalbano using the 'Downloads' application, but the'Desktop' still doesn't see it, maybe it's redundant? But it still opens and graces the desktop every time I switch the PC one.
If Microsoft carried on like this they would be lambasted right and left. I'm not a technophobe or as far as I know an idiot, but I can't seem to use the damn thing the same way more than twice, and I only make it work at all by doing random things.
Rant over. Hints welcome. I can't stream things reliably BTW as the connection is too slow.
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To partly answer my own question..
iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/help/downloading/
Why they can't just tell one this when one is pointlessly clicking the download button I have no idea. Spoils the design of the page I expect.
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I have to say my own experience with the iPlayer in its various forms has not been wholly positive either. My sense from a bit of internet proddery over the years is that it's not a very well received bit of software.
The "favourite" option never worked for me and searching is a bit hit and miss. I've not had problems with it stalling or anything, but I have fallen foul of the bonkers "rights" issues that exist.
That might not be their fault, but it is pretty odd when, for example, i can pull up the iPlayer page in Safari on the iPad and listen to a radio programme, but if I pull up the iPlayer app on the same iPad it tells me not that there are rights issues, but in fact that the programme doesn't exist at all.
The whole thing is a bit wearisome.
Luckily for us, most of the stuff we want to see on BBC (and other channels) catchup is provided on the TV via the Virgin box, which is a pretty good interface and quite quick.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 3 Oct 13 at 16:20
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Sometimes there used to be an issue when trying to view content using your carrier network, for some reason iPlayer thought you were trying to connect from outside of the UK and therefore restricted what you could watch, this didn't tend to happen if connecting over wifi.
Adobe Air seems to cause a lot of issues with iPlayer, which usually manifest after being asked to do a minor update.
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BBC iPlayer - Manatee
