BBC iPlayer

[Sfgraveston]

This may seem like a dumb question - but does the BBC iPlayer work in France so that you can see BBC programmes over the internet?

Thanks

Stuart

[Clair]

Previous discussions:

• http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1408417/ShowPost.aspx
• http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1346826/ShowPost.aspx

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

I use a site called thebox.bz to get all the uk tv I have missed. Saves having a video recorder and messing with the bbc iplayer.

[sid]

I thought this might be just what I've been looking for, but it's a Torrent site! They ask you, nay, even insist, that you upload as much as you download? How could we do that if everything we want to watch is on the site?

Is there no easy way to watch iPlayer?

Sid

 

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

The trick with that site is to start by downloading the popular stuff (especially the free stuff) and just leave it uploading which increases your ratio. Then just download what you want. I operate at a ratio between 0.8 and 0.9. But are you sure you want to watch everything on the site? There's millions of gig to see there, you'd never see it all.

Do you not have UK TV in France? I just use the site to catch up on stuff I've missed or whatever.

[AnOther]

[quote user="sid"]

I thought this might be just what I've been looking for, but it's a Torrent site! They ask you, nay, even insist, that you upload as much as you download? How could we do that if everything we want to watch is on the site?[/quote]

I think you misunderstand the nature of the beast Sid.

The iPlayer software is actually a Torrent client but Torrents are not intrinsically bad, just the purposes to which they are more commonly put.

In simple words the basis of a Torrent is that as you are downloading you are also uploading and someone else down the line is downloading from you who in turn is uploading to someone else and on it goes. So you see that your download will not necessarily be coming direct from the BBC but more likely from other viewers PC.

This is the only way a service like this can work because the bandwidth required to serve each viewer independently would be impossibly enormous.

[sid]

Thanks ErnieY and LyndaandRichard

You're right, I haven't understood! I didn't realise that the iPlayer worked in the same way as Torrents; I thought it was a streaming process. I've never used iPlayer, simply because I can't use it here, so I've no idea how it works.

On reading the FAQs associated with thebox.bz I was perplexed as to how I would maintain the ratio required; what have I got that I could upload?? Nothing! I'm short of stuff to watch as it is!

We do have TV here, via SKY box, but I do miss programmes from time to time because madame may be watching something important like Strictly Come Dancing!! [blink] Actually, that's a poor example, there's not usually anything I want at that time of the evening, but you get the drift!

Sid

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Hi Sid

The trick to the biz and sites like it is to firstly come in with the attitude of give before take. How can you do that when you have nothing to give? The answer is simple. You are given 5gb that you can download without it affecting your ratio. Use this 5gb wisely. Basically, download the weekly free torrent that appears at the top of the browse torrents page. Then each day, download any other torrent that is free, the soap operas are good to download as they are free and lots of people take them.

As these files are popular, many people grab them and what will happen is that you will download a percentage of each and then people will start to download parts of the files from you. This will increase your upload counter and thereby increase your ratio.

Once you have downloaded the file, just leave your torrent software running as often as you can and others will upload the file from you. I tend to download a couple of soap episodes a week, leave them running for a week or so then delete after that as most people will have watched it by then.

SO to summarise, to begin with only download popular stuff and once your ratio is good (after a week or so), then begin downloading what you really want. And keep as much as possible available to others to download and everything should be sweet. I stick to a ratio of about 0.8 to 0.9 (ie I've downloaded more than uploaded) but that's not a problem.

R.

[David]

I have to say that I really do not understand this, but it seems to me that to use a torrent you have to keep your computer permanently on line?

Would ths work in a rural area with long above ground telephone lines, albeit broadband enabled, but which demand that, when not in use, the computer is switched off and disconnected to protect against the remotest possiblity of thunder storms?

I ask this after blowing two live boxes and two lap tops, all on separate occasions, and all supposedly protected by Belkin surge protectors, when there were no forecasts of thunder storms, but which nevertheless developed.  I switch off instantly at the remotest suggestion of a thunder storm, but our overhead lines extend over five kilometers that I have been able to follow, and twice I was blown off line when I had no idea that a thunder storm was around.

David

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

It's not compulsory to leave it on all the time, but of course you will dl and ul a lot less. My desktop pc is on 99% of the time, so it's a good solution for me.

[Gyn_Paul]

I take it you have a connection with a decent speed, Richard?

paul

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Just a 2mb connection. Nothing too quick, but ample for our needs.

[Lehaut]

I was given a couple of old laptops and have used a USB wireless key to connect them to my Neuf box.  I leave them running over night or during the day when I am not using the main desk top.  They are just uploading stuff I have previously downloaded to keep my ratio up (usually about 2).

They use less electricity than the desk top and are (I believe) somewhat protected against thunderstorms as they run off a transformer when connected to the mains.  The Neuf box needs to be on for the telephone and is "protected" by a surge adaptor.

It certainly works for me, and reduces the workload on the main computer hard drive.

[NormanH]

I am pretty ignorant about torrents, so please bear with a naive question.

If your ISP is monitoring your activity doesn't it show up the same whether you are downloading a legal file

or a recent film in which case it would be piracy?

If they can't tell the difference don't you run the risk of having your Internet access cut off, as I think I read

about a few months ago?

[AnOther]

 I believe Sarko's plan for cutting off pirates has hit some human rights buffers with Brussels but I can't point to any reference to it.

All downloads are traceable by your ISP and if alerted they can readily tell what it was you were downloading and from where.

It's the 'if alerted' bit which is sticky and frankly I'm not sure how this could be realistically implemeted other than flagging up those visiting a black list of  the well known Peer-2-Peer sites which are the bread and butter of Torrents. It's patently impossible to monitor everybody all the time.

Although the iPlayer is a Peer-2-Peer client, as a legitimate service it would not be on the blacklist and somehow I don't see the French authorites caring too much that the BBC don't like you using it outside their playground.