BBC News Website Videos

Chris.Bristol · 07-13-2020, 11:11 AM

Any idea what format the BBC uses for its news website videos? They stutter and stop even in a very small window.
Other videos, YouTube for example, play fine up to 480p.
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grumpyskeptic · 07-14-2020, 06:12 AM

I have exactly the same problem. Watched a video about converting bicycles to electric a few minutes ago and had good audio but most of the time just a still image.

teckk · 07-14-2020, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Any idea what format the BBC uses for its news website videos?

Example:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53397617

Code:

add_url="https://gcdn.2mdn.net/videoplayback/id/7f7bb5a031269f8c/itag/343/\
source/doubleclick_dmm/ctier/L/acao/yes/ip/0.0.0.0/ipbits/0/expire/3734970182/\
sparams/id,itag,source,ctier,acao,ip,ipbits,expire/signature/\
3E41D99E413433B531AA64884231A9D740238304.3CFA2AC5091ECB5619C15407E1A5AE58644B42E7/\
key/ck2/file/file.mp4?cpn=MiINLf0AtMmd5nwk"

ffprobe "$add_url"
...
    major_brand     : mp42
    minor_version   : 0
    compatible_brands: isommp42
    creation_time   : 2020-05-26T19:42:58.000000Z
    encoder         : Google
  Duration: 00:00:15.02, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 1198 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Constrained Baseline) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 640x360 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 1003 kb/s, 23.98 fps, 23.98 tbr, 24k tbn, 47.95 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2020-05-26T19:42:58.000000Z
      handler_name    : ISO Media file produced by Google Inc. Created on: 05/26/2020.
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 192 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      creation_time   : 2020-05-26T19:42:58.000000Z
      handler_name    : ISO Media file produced by Google Inc. Created on: 05/26/2020

Code:

vid_url="https://vod-dash-ww-live.akamaized.net/usp/auth/vod/\
piff_abr_full_hd/1a604f-p08g63wm/vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e.ism/\
dash/vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e-video=2812000-9.m4s"

wget --spider "$vid_url"
...
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 1205594 (1.1M) [video/mp4]
Remote file exists.

youtube-dl -F "$vid_url"
[generic] vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e-video=2812000-9: Requesting header
[info] Available formats for vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e-video=2812000-9:
format code  extension  resolution note
mp4          m4s        unknown

Code:

mpd_man="https://vod-dash-ww-live.bbcfmt.s.llnwi.net/usp/auth/vod/piff_abr_full_hd/1a604f-p08g63wm/vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e.ism/pc_hd_abr_v2_dash_master.mpd?s=1594703007&e=1594746207&h=464423446a62a495f41d66a7b939b548"

curl "$mpd_man"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- Created with Unified Streaming Platform(version=1.7.32) -->
<MPD
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xmlns="urn:mpeg:dash:schema:mpd:2011"
  xsi:schemaLocation="urn:mpeg:dash:schema:mpd:2011 http://standards.iso.org/ittf/PubliclyAvailableStandards/MPEG-DASH_schema_files/DASH-MPD.xsd"
  type="static"
  mediaPresentationDuration="PT46.336S"
  maxSegmentDuration="PT4S"
  minBufferTime="PT1.920S"
  profiles="urn:dvb:dash:profile:dvb-dash:2014,urn:dvb:dash:profile:dvb-dash:isoff-ext-live:2014">
  <Period
    id="1"
    duration="PT46.336S">
    <BaseURL>dash/</BaseURL>
    <AdaptationSet
      group="1"
      contentType="audio"
      lang="en"
      segmentAlignment="true"
      audioSamplingRate="48000"
      mimeType="audio/mp4"
      codecs="mp4a.40.5"
      startWithSAP="1">
      <AudioChannelConfiguration
        schemeIdUri="urn:mpeg:dash:23003:3:audio_channel_configuration:2011"
        value="2">
      </AudioChannelConfiguration>
      <Role schemeIdUri="urn:mpeg:dash:role:2011" value="main" />
      <SegmentTemplate
        timescale="24000"
        duration="92160"
        initialization="vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e-$RepresentationID$.dash"
        media="vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e-$RepresentationID$-$Number$.m4s">
      </SegmentTemplate>
      <Representation
        id="audio_eng=96000"
        bandwidth="96000">
      </Representation>
    </AdaptationSet>
    <AdaptationSet
      group="2"
      contentType="video"
      par="16:9"
      minBandwidth="281000"
      maxBandwidth="5070000"
      maxWidth="1280"
      maxHeight="720"
      minFrameRate="25"
      maxFrameRate="50"
      segmentAlignment="true"
      sar="1:1"
      mimeType="video/mp4"
      startWithSAP="1">
      <Role schemeIdUri="urn:mpeg:dash:role:2011" value="main" />
      <Representation
        id="video=281000"
        bandwidth="281000"
        width="384"
        height="216"
        frameRate="25"
        codecs="avc3.42C015"
        scanType="progressive">
        <SegmentTemplate
          timescale="25000"
          duration="96000"
          initialization="vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e-$RepresentationID$.dash"
          media="vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e-$RepresentationID$-$Number$.m4s">
        </SegmentTemplate>
      </Representation>
      ...

etc.

Quote:

They stutter and stop even in a very small window.

How fast is your internet connection?

teckk · 07-14-2020, 07:42 AM

Sorry, I should have added:

Code:

url="https://vod-dash-ww-live.bbcfmt.s.llnwi.net/usp/\
auth/vod/piff_abr_full_hd/1a604f-p08g63wm/\
vf_p08g63wm_f0cdb554-e584-4c8c-b032-87e6ea21d16e.ism/\
pc_hd_abr_v2_dash_master.mpd?s=1594703007&e=1594746207&h=464423446a62a495f41d66a7b939b548"

ffmpeg -allowed_extensions ALL -i "$url" -c:a copy -c:v copy BBCout.mp4

ffprobe /home/teckk/BBCout.mp4
...
  Metadata:
    major_brand     : isom
    minor_version   : 512
    compatible_brands: isomiso2avc1mp41
    encoder         : Lavf58.29.100
  Duration: 00:00:42.26, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 5046 kb/s
    Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (High) (avc3 / 0x33637661), yuv420p(tv, bt709), 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 4924 kb/s, 50 fps, 50 tbr, 50k tbn, 100 tbc (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : VideoHandler
    Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 129 kb/s (default)
    Metadata:
      handler_name    : SoundHandler

Chris.Bristol · 07-14-2020, 09:05 AM

Quote:

"How fast is your internet connection?"

Ping 9ms Download 44.29Mbps Upload 9Mbps

There is loads of technical information in those listings, I assume they are somehow analysing the stream from a BBC News webpage news item. Does that information mean that the video format and speed are some dodgy BBC technology? They have a reputation for failed IT projects https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertain...6963723http://

Or are they industry standards? I have heard of MP4 and AAC, but there is so much information there that it looks as though they are using several different standards at once - maybe that's the problem!