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BBC iplayer in France


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Don't you just hate it when a thread goes private at the crucial time! [:@]

I'd like to know how you watch iPlayer too! [blink]

Watching TV via a SKYbox in France (or via the superior Humax... I'm an evangelistic convert!) is not illegal AFAIK. It's just the terms under which SKY is allowed to transmit; France is not part of their territory.

Sid

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[quote user="AnOther"]I must confess that having received the information I don't really understand why it should be confined to PM's but as it's Gemini_man's little project I'll let him decide whether to out it or not.

[/quote]

Fair comment. I picked this tip up on another forum and was surprised to find it worked and worked well. I didn't want to simply re-post from another forum, even though that happens quite a lot, as I know how annoying that can be to the original poster. So, I'll post the details here now and I hope those who are more technical and knowledgeable than I can share with us their views about it.

Firstly, go to this site  http://www.iportal.me/  and register. They

send you a login and password, it took about 2 hours for mine to

arrive. Return to the site, login and download the connection file.

Once you are connected to iPortal you should then be able to use BBC

iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand5 without problems depending on your

internet speed as streaming TV is obviously fairly demanding. I have

found though that if you are connected to iPortal and don't have

anything playing it tells you it's going to disconnect after some minutes.

Someone sent me this note after he had installed the iPortail prog: "One thing:

after I had installed the software Windows (XP SP3) SFC

(System File Checker) kicked in complaining about a changed file and I

had to dig out my original slipstreamed XP CD to replace it, not

everyone will have the ability to do that so to protect yourself it

might be an idea to add a note to anyone else you send this to. Don't

know if Vista will be affected."

I personally didn't get this notice from windows because I'm running XP SP2. I don't know the implications of it but for some people their anti-virus and/or firewall stop them from using iPortal. It's interesting to note though that the .me domain address for iPortal is registered in Montenegro [8-)], I originally thought it was Mexico. Not sure which would be worse to be honest!!

Anyway, hope it works OK for you and any feedback will be welcome.

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I used to use iplayer a lot in the UK so I was interested to see that it does not allow such use over here. So in anticipation I signed up for this thebox thing. Can someone please explain what on earth you are supposed to do? I am afraid the site is not clear, despite your optimistic words, Richard! I have looked at the Rules and FAQs and am still none the wiser! 'download the .torrent' to 'correctly seed the files' - ?! 'Internal cappers'.

I am with Chrissie - plain English please to explain how this site works!
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Gemini man

Thanks for sharing that.

I've registered, received my login and pw, downloaded the application and now I'm trying to connect. It fails everytime, "unable to establish a VPN connection". The troubleshooter is of no use for this error. I give up.

Back to the Humax! :-)

Sid

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[quote user="sid"]I've registered, received my login and pw, downloaded the application and now I'm trying to connect. It fails everytime, "unable to establish a VPN connection". The troubleshooter is of no use for this error. I give up.[/quote]

I gave up too after getting the same error message as above.

Also, I could not download the uninstaller.

Thankfully, I had created a restore point before installing the software, so I was able to turn back the clock.

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[quote user="martyng"]I used to use iplayer a lot in the UK so I was interested to see that it does not allow such use over here. So in anticipation I signed up for this thebox thing. Can someone please explain what on earth you are supposed to do? I am afraid the site is not clear, despite your optimistic words, Richard! I have looked at the Rules and FAQs and am still none the wiser! 'download the .torrent' to 'correctly seed the files' - ?! 'Internal cappers'.

I am with Chrissie - plain English please to explain how this site works![/quote]

Ok, a torrent is a small file that basically contains information on how to download the main file you want, be it a movie, tv show, album, software or whatever. It is typically around 5kb in size.

To use this torrent file, you need a program called a client. This will open up the torrent and it uses the information contained in that torrent file to actually locate and download the file you are after. The one I use is called utorrent.

To get started with thebox.bz, go to browse and then download the top torrent. It should say free next to it. Downloading this small file and then running it on utorrent is a good start.

What will happen next is that utorrent will begin to download the main file. As soon as you have downloaded a portion of the main file, you may notice that you are uploading it as well. This is how your ratio is calculated. Because this is file sharing, to be in good stead with fellow sharers, you want to ideally be uploading as much as you are downloading, and therefore maintain a share ratio of 1:1.

With the free downloads on the box, they allow you to download without being debited from your download ratio, but anything you upload, you will get credit for. So for example if you download a free 1gb file, and you upload over time 2gb to others (all done automatically), then your ratio will be 1:2 ie you have downloaded 1gb, but uploaded 2gb (hope my math is right here, it's late).

Thebox are very strict about these ratios and it is an excellent idea to keep utorrent running as often as possible even if you are not downloading, so you are able to share with others.

It is more complex than using iplayer or other download sites, but once you get the hang of torrents, they are quite easy to understand. Apparently newgroups are also another excellent way of downloading stuff, but I have never tried these.

I hope I have explained it a little better. If you have anymore questions, just let me know.

But as others have said HATOPI or whatever it's called has been introduced so be careful. Personally I cannot see the difference between watching this stuff on my skybox and recording it to my computer to downloading it via a torrent, but I dare say the law says different even if the end result is exactly the same.

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[quote user="Richard"]So for example if you download a free 1gb file, and you upload over time 2gb to others (all done automatically), then your ratio will be 1:2 ie you have downloaded 1gb, but uploaded 2gb (hope my math is right here, it's late).

Thebox are very strict about these ratios and it is an excellent idea to keep utorrent running as often as possible even if you are not downloading, so you are able to share with others.[/quote]Good description Richard.

The big problem for many however will be achieving a satisfactory ratio due to the nature of ADSL or Assymetric Digital Subscriber Line.

Assymetric means that your upload speed is not the same as your download and is typically in the order of 1/8th so if you have say 2mb on download your complimentary upload speed will only be around 320kb and consequently take 8x as long to complete. In other words if you downloaded 3x 1 hour programmes you'd have to leave the machine on for the next 24 hours to maintain a ratio of 1:1.

As I understand it HADOPI will work reactively, that is to say an investigation will only be instigated as a result of a complaint from a copyright holder. The use of P2P (Peer-2-Peer) or torrent networks itself is proof of nothing, indeed I think the online TV services provided by some ISP's to those on fast enough connections must work in this way.

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[quote user="Clair"][quote user="sid"]I've registered, received my login and pw, downloaded the application and now I'm trying to connect. It fails everytime, "unable to establish a VPN connection". The troubleshooter is of no use for this error. I give up.[/quote]

I gave up too after getting the same error message as above.[/quote]

I wonder if the software works with Vista...? [8-)]

Gemini_man uses XP and the software works.

AnOther has mentioned before he had not upgraded to Vista and the software works.

I have Vista and got an error message. What about Sid?

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I tried and there was a problem with Firewall (ZoneAlarm). As the .exe file  it installs is not in Programme files it wasn't possible to give it access even if I had wanted to let it.

I also had a problem installing as it wanted to alter settings that set off  my Scotty and Spybot teatimer security alerts.

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[quote user="AnOther"][quote user="Richard"]So for example if you download a free 1gb file, and you upload over time 2gb to others (all done automatically), then your ratio will be 1:2 ie you have downloaded 1gb, but uploaded 2gb (hope my math is right here, it's late).

Thebox are very strict about these ratios and it is an excellent idea to keep utorrent running as often as possible even if you are not downloading, so you are able to share with others.[/quote]Good description Richard.

The big problem for many however will be achieving a satisfactory ratio due to the nature of ADSL or Assymetric Digital Subscriber Line.

Assymetric means that your upload speed is not the same as your download and is typically in the order of 1/8th so if you have say 2mb on download your complimentary upload speed will only be around 320kb and consequently take 8x as long to complete. In other words if you downloaded 3x 1 hour programmes you'd have to leave the machine on for the next 24 hours to maintain a ratio of 1:1.

As I understand it HADOPI will work reactively, that is to say an investigation will only be instigated as a result of a complaint from a copyright holder. The use of P2P (Peer-2-Peer) or torrent networks itself is proof of nothing, indeed I think the online TV services provided by some ISP's to those on fast enough connections must work in this way.

[/quote]

This is true, however, it is unlikely that you will be wanting to download something 24 hours a day, thus enabling your uploads to catch up.

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[quote user="Clair"]

I wonder if the software works with Vista...? [8-)]

Gemini_man uses XP and the software works.

AnOther has mentioned before he had not upgraded to Vista and the software works.

I have Vista and got an error message. What about Sid?

[/quote]

Clair I think you're spot on. I just found this:

"Ah, you may have the same thing as me if you're running vista on your

PC. The network connection asks you for a number but if you click

'properties' then check the box that says you are already connected to

the internet, it should work as it did for me."

And that was on AI so it MUST be true [:D]  Try again maybe?

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I gotta Vista and works fine for me.

At moment watching a chappie called Robbie Williams; some Electric Proms 2009 thing.

I have downloaded the Zip Install file to netbook and will check it while watching the footy tonite.

The netty is on XP.

Oh I am using IE 8 not IE 6 or earlier.[:D]

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