My humble question:

How do I make get-iplayer produce a filesize (on my hard drive) that ISN'T ON
THE BIG SIDE, and that still gives me a watchable quality?

Summary findings:

1. I'm using get-iplayer v2.82. The files I produce on hard drive are all mp4.

2. I've discovered the following (downloading same TV program in both cases):

Using --modes=flashstd and --tvmode=flashhigh2 gives a watchable quality file
which is the SAME FILESIZE as the qualities ABOVE this that --modes and --tvmode
can deliver.

The VERY NEXT step down in quality from the above settings (from my
experimenting) is --modes=flashstd and --tvmode=flashstd1. This gives a smaller
filesize, BUT is *NOT* a watchable quality.

THE POINT BEING THAT YOU DON'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO DROP DOWN FROM A "TOO BIG"
FILESIZE TO A SMALLER SIZE AND GET A WATCHABLE QUALITY.

3. My command line had the following form:
get-iplayer --get 1234 --modes=flashstd --tvmode=flashhigh2

I tried:

i) --modes=flashstd --tvmode=flashhigh2

Result: Filesize 170Mb (too big for my liking).
(TV program: "The Slammer" from BBC iplayer, 30 minute duration, WATCHABLE
QUALITY.)

ii) --modes=flashstd --tvmode=flashstd1

Result: Filesize 110Mb (an ACCEPTABLE SIZE, but *NOT* watchable quality).
(TV program: Same program as above, from BBC iplayer, 30 minute duration, *NOT*
watchable quality (some murky pixelation)).

iii) For comparison:

TV program: "Terry and June", from YOUTUBE, mp4, only 90Mb filesize
(ACCEPTABLE), 30 minutes duration, WATCHABLE QUALITY.


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Full Details:

4. My aim is to avoid downloading files with get-iplayer that are twice as big
as similar-duration programs that I download from youtube. You see I don't want
to swallow up disc space.

5. I've deduced the following:

--modes:
Specifies the RECORDING QUALITY you want (in your file on the hard drive). For
example, if you had a video tape recorder, then LP (long play) recording mode
is a lower recording quality than SP (standard play).

--tvmode:
Specifies the QUALITY of TV program that you want to FETCH from the BBC end (eg
HD, SD, and the sub-qualities within these).

6. I've intelligently experimented with combinations of --modes and --tvmode,
but at the point at which a SMALLER FILE is produced, its quality isn't good
enough to watch.

7. When I download say a 30 minute TV program from youtube, the filesize is say
90Mb (mp4), and of watchable quality. But with get-iplayer (downloading from
BBC), for the same program duration of 30 minutes, I can't produce a file that
is less than about 170Mb *AND* that is of watchable quality.

Hi
This needs to be updated pronto.



These are the modes that are (usually) available:-
Simplify your commands and test those six different modes with commands like this:-

Hi bat999

I'm most grateful for your kind help. I've got Knoppix live distro installed on
hard disc, distro 7.0.2, kernel release 3.3.7. It's effectively Debian.

I don't mind updating to get-iplayer 2.86 but the repository that my Synaptic
package manager uses, only provides 2.82 (after updating the database).

Do you know how I can obtain 2.86. I like to know what I'm doing, so if you're
kindly able to let me know what the technical steps are, could you spell out
what each bit is doing?

I'm a cautious sort, so if I install 2.86, is there a way of COMPLETELY removing
that version, and re-instating/-installing 2.82 if I want to (as if nothing had
happened)?

Do you know how I can have BOTH get-iplayer versions installed at the same time
so that I can use either one?

By the way, I hope linuxquestions considerably boost your level from "LQ
Newbie". You're definitely much higher than that.

I wish I had your knack of putting things briefly.

Regards, John.

Hi
I'm not familiar with Knoppix system.

There's info at get_iplayer forum...

Installing get_iplayer on Linux Ubuntu
(and most Debian based distros)

Here --> http://squarepenguin.co.uk/guides/li...install-guide/

PPA is a good option for Ubuntu users, maybe it's OK for Knoppix too.