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I'm Dave Price and the head of BBC iPlayer. I wanted to update you on a minor upgrade my team are making to the media player on BBC iPlayer and what this change will mean for some of you. We're upgrading our media player for two principle reasons.
The Flash Player hack for PowerPC has once again been updated – this time to 16.1. Adobe offered the last Flash Player plugin for the PowerPC platform in late 2010, stopping at version 10.1. As of early 2011, subsequent releases required an Intel Mac, much to the annoyance of a lot of older Mac users. So this is a great help, but it still stinks that both Apple and Adobe no longer support PPC, and I imagine a real hack to convert/run the Intel version is impossible. Thanks for what you did make available!
Firstly, so that the BBC can continue to offer the highest quality media playback and new experiences like those. Secondly, Flash Player 10.1 was released in June 2010, and since then there have been five further major releases (which most people have upgraded to).
By focusing the Engineering and Test teams on the most commonly used versions of Flash Player we can maintain confidence in the high quality of BBC iPlayer for the widest audience. So, from 22 August 2012, you'll need Adobe Flash Player 10.2 or above to continue using BBC iPlayer on your desktop. We've tried to ensure this change affects the fewest people possible, but appreciate making any changes can be a bit of a pain. As 98.5% of people who use the desktop version of BBC iPlayer already have a version of Flash Player in excess of 10.2, we're confident only a small proportion of you are affected.
For those using Flash Player 10.1 and below, the upgrade is really simple. You can (or see ), or wait for update prompts on BBC iPlayer next Wednesday. As always happy to receive your feedback. Dave Price is the Head of BBC iPlayer, Programmes and On Demand, BBC Future Media Update 20/08/12 14:58: Adobe link changed at user Squirrel's suggestion.
When can we expect the Android iPlayer app to be updated to support Android Jelly Bean. The Nexus 7 is selling out all over the place and is getting rave reviews all over the press. This is only adding to the conclusion that as others have said Android devices are out selling any other OS. It seems, that the BBC along with SKY are giving iOS devices preferential support with no justification. Please BBC get your act together. We expect you to lead the way with support for the most common OS not the most expensive. Can you give us a date when you expect to support Jelly Bean please stop keeping us in the dark!
Like others, dismayed that you seem to still be clinging to Flash when the growing market is mobile access and neither Apple nor Android support Flash. Surpirsed you release this statement about the importance of upgrading flash two days after Adobe pull it from Android, and yet you don't mention this once. I guess HTML5 resource is thin on the ground at the BBC? Sure, by all means keep your flash expertise employed and busy, but I suggest you start recruiting/skilling up and pointing in the right direction as you're falling behind. The android app needs updating immediately.
The delay is completely unwarranted as the death of mobile Flash has been known about for some time, and using it was always stupid anyway: Flash requires that the app be in the foreground with the screen on even when streaming radio programmes, resulting in many times more power consumption than necessary. There were 3rd party apps around on android 2-3 years ago that did a better job by using the streams provided for the iPhone, before the Beeb had them all shut down to be replaced by their rubbish version. @KAC Thanks for the comment, you could be right! I do not need to have an IOs device to view this service. I have Windows desktop, laptops and tablets (Fujitsu Q550) that I can use, However the Nexus7 blows these out of the water for speed, portability and ease of use.
You can't count me as a non user of Android iPlayer if I cannot actually use my device for this purpose. Ipad is too big (and expensive) for my needs, however if Apple ever get around to offering a 7' iPad Air at a reasonable price I will buy it.!
(BBC & Sky not working in co-hoots with Apple are they?). I really don`t care whether you`re using Flash on not. All I want is for iPlayer to woek. It`s lost all my downloads some of which are about to expire & I am unable to download any programmes.
So I can`t use iPlayer. IPlayer has over the years been crashing my laptop, this is something I`ve only just found out after I found reports deom Windws 7 hidden away.
![Adobe flash hack for ppc software windows 7 Adobe flash hack for ppc software windows 7](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125464725/516494173.jpg)
What passes for customer service is appaling too. Sort iPlayer out. I have the latest version for what it`s worth. I`ve uninstalled & installed it but it makes no difference.
Does anyone know what they are doing with iPlayer? @19 - 'Does anyone know what they are doing with iPlayer?' - Have you seen the 'latest' (nearly a month ago) help page about this issue: Personally I found I needed to; delete everything iPlayer, re-boot, clean registry, re-install iPlayer desktop, shut it down and re-boot, restore the BBC registry folder from backup. Then when you start iPlayer it takes a while, but eventually retains all programmes that are still 'in date' and deletes the folders of the expired programmes. It went less smoothly than described, but that was before the BBC had acknowledged the problem existed! It's been working since, with pre-existing bugs.
I got the idea that the critical issues are deleting the iPlayer cache files and registry entries. Thanks to everyone for their comments. @Lynn - this planned change will have no impact on users accessing BBC iPlayer on their iPad.
@fr - on this occasion you will need to upgrade to 10.2. Unfortunately, we've found decisions not to fully deprecate legacy versions of software (not just Flash Player) can lead to greater confusion months down the line and significantly increase contacts to BBC Audience Services team. @Alex - this update requires users to have version 10.2 or above installed. Earlier this year Adobe announced version 11.2 would be their last standalone installer for Linux devices, as such I can confirm as BBC iPlayer only requires 10.2, we continue to be supported on Linux devices. In response to the numerous 'Why no HTML5?' And Android Flash queries, Daniel Danker previously provided a response to similar queries in an unrelated blog post that encapsulates the key challenges.' Unfortunately HTML doesn't quite provide everything that is needed to play video.
It gets you to a consistent markup language, but to play video we need a degree of content protection that has yet to be standardised. On Apple devices, we use HLS (HTTP Live Streaming).
Coupled with the level of protection that Apple provides in the player, we can be confident that our programmes will get from point A to point B in the right way. Android doesn't provide this same level of protection yet, but Flash compensated for that in the past - that's why we used it on Android. Now we're working on a longer-term solution for Android devices.' Finally, several of you are seeking an update on BBC iPlayer on JellyBean devices, in particular the Nexus 7. I can confirm we are currently testing the BBC iPlayer app on Android 4.1 JellyBean and will be releasing an app update soon. @27 Dave Price Regarding content protection The problem with the current Android iPlayer client is that its reliance on Flash for 'content protection' resulted in a very poor user experience for many people. If anything is going to drive people to turn to 'pirates' its making the 'legal' option a very poor experience.
IMHO, you would probably find less people turning to dodgy sources of BBC programmes if you provided them with a decent experience with unprotected media. In other words, the BBC's misguided attempts to protect their content is probably having exactly the opposite effect. Its actually creating a market for the pirates. 'the BBC's misguided attempts to protect their content is probably having exactly the opposite effect. Its actually creating a market for the pirates.'
This is absolutely correct. It's additionally worth noting where the 'pirate' versions of BBC programmes actually come from, generally they're grabbed from air, not from the iPlayer. There is no point even trying to protect the iPlayer (particularly the mobile iPlayer) copies at all, by the time they're generated, the horse has long since bolted, and in full HD.
@21 squirrel Thanks for replying. I had seen the `latest issues`.
That applied to the previous version of iPlayer. The latest version was meant to fix that.
I never had the problem on 3.2.14 but this happened on 18/8/2012 on 3.2.15. What you were forced to do sounds very complicated. I`ve contacted `customer help` but they don`t know what is wrong this time.
It`s been passed to their technical or development team but I have no idea how long they`re going to take.At least they might be taking seriously as it`s happened before. It`s so annoying when they don`t take the probllem seriously. Thanks again. I was told that last time those affected had to delete files, that was the reason they brought out the so-called improved version. I`ll report back when.if they come up with something. As an annoyed Nexus7 user, may I add my voice to the clamour asking Dave Price 'How soon is soon?' May I also suggest that based on Dave's arguments above, the BBC is being a little precious about its rights management?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that no rights management mechanism need apply for UK users, because the BBC has a statutory role and revenue stream - so I see no reason to delay providing an Android HTML5 player which can access BBC content without restriction, as long as the Android device's IP address is in the UK. I've just tried to download the adobe Flash software it does not work, and will not accept my prompts. Further, the Adobe Flash 'Help' page is inexplicable to me and inaccessible.
I've read the comments below, and although I do not understand the technical terms referenced, I agree with the underlying tone and message regarding the lack of accessibility and therefore exclusion from BBC i-Player due to this so-called 'upgrade'. So much for Public Service Broadcasting & Inclusion. Kindly rectify the options available asap so that all users will, at least, have a compatible software choice about running BBC i-Player.
Power PC Mac user. So, is the BBC's approach is 'we don't care, buy a new computer?' It seems inconceivable that a decision like this would have been made in the world of traditional broadcasting. The quote, above - 'Unfortunately, we've found decisions not to fully deprecate legacy versions of software (not just Flash Player) can lead to greater confusion months down the line and significantly increase contacts to BBC Audience Services team.' - adds insult to injury, as the BBC's solution leaves a lot of people not able to access the service at all. Still that's got to be better than increased contact to 'Audience Services', eh?
I am really incredibly upset. To echo both John Anderson and Simon's comments above, I also have an old Mac with no intel and therefore cannot upgrade to Flash 10.2, it is impossible. I do not watch, or even have a televison, but I pay my license fee as I listen to radio programmes on iPlayer on my Mac ALL the time. I listen to plays, dramas, Classic serial, Drama on 3, comedy, several hours a day, sometimes all day. I suffer from an illness, and so am at home a lot, and listening to good radio on iPlayer is one of the sustaining and comforting joys of my life. This is not a minor change AT ALL. I now have no access to all the hours of radio that I listen to everyday, on listen again.
Please do something about it as soon as possible. Why did you not think about us?
What can I do? Will you do anything? I guess me, and my license fee doesn't matter very much. I am really, really upset. There will be a tremendous gap in my life. Please respond Dave. I'm yet another PowerPC Mac user in the same position as Kalyana and Kjm, and I'm disgusted by your decision to use the latest version of Flash to watch or listen in to iPlayer.
Yes technology moves on but have a care, we licence fee payers still pay your wages. Besides what was wrong with Flash 10.1.102.64???
It worked perfectly well before you decided to up the anti! Not many of us can afford a new pentium Mac. We just have to make do with PowerPCs on our limited income! Again, you disgust me and I will cancel my licence fee in the morning. So much for 80 years of television and nearly a 100 years of radio. Call yourself a public broadcaster with the moto: Nation shall speak peace unto nation?
Yes, I'm a retired BBC employee, too. Tell you what, increase my pension then I mat be able to afford a new computer! At 23:40 22nd Aug 2012, Paul Ivor Rayner Unless you're using a Mac with a Intel processor, no. Perhaps Mr Price believes people like us using 1.8Ghz, 32 Mb video are dinosaurs who the lowest of the lows or something brown and smelly he picked up on the sole of his shoe's. It's okay for them being able to afford a new computer on an income of probably over £100k PA. Well I've got news for you Mr Price.
Wait until you retire and have to manage on the pittance of a pension from the BBC, then we'll see who's laughing. I'm also using a PowerPC mac, at the minute I can't justify (or afford) buying a new laptop when I have a perfectly good one that worked fine for everything I wanted it to do until yesterday. Have now lost a good chunk of what I use if for. Is the BBC really thinking at the height of a recession forcing people who want to use their services must shell out for a new laptop when they have, as far as anyone else is concerned, a perfectly good one. I'm particularly annoyed that the radio iPlayer now has no availability, I understand it is one integrated system, but surely, as far as streaming radio programmes goes, this new update adds nothing at all? Completely aside from the iPlayer, the versions of Flash, MacOS X and other software available for PowerPC Macs are: - ancient, - riddled with security holes, - never going to be fixed. You're nuts if you want to take a machine like that online.
The tsunami of spam, the DDOS attacks, and the fraud hosting botnets are all down to selfish, socially irresponsible people who can't bring themselves to behave with a basic standard of decency and keep their systems up to date with security patches. It is an unfortunate fact of life that Apple cut off support for Macs very quickly, but that's part of the Apple experience you choose to buy into - Apple don't support the version of OS X that was released in 2009, Microsoft still support Windows XP that was released in 2001. If you're on a budget, and you can't afford constant upgrades, that's fine - but don't buy a Mac. Doing so is like forking out for a Ferrari and then whining that you can't afford to keep putting petrol in it. A couple of years ago, when the BBC killed off the excellent 3rd party Android iPlayer client BeebPlayer (which would run on any Android device, and could play radio streams in the background with the screen off) and then (after some delay) introduced their own 'official' iPlayer app, there were a large number of complaints about the use of Flash. The BBC's response was that it was the best way of preserving quality over the widest range of platforms. Fast-forward to today.
The Android iPlayer client is just as shockingly poor as it was when it was released (having been graced with one, solitary, update) and Adobe have pulled the plug on Android, PowerPC Macs and Linux. And the BBC have stopped support for certain Nokia phones as well. If you'd just provide iPlayer content in an open and/or widely supported format you would save all of this grief. Very few are going to rip-off iPlayer streams from their phones or computers. All people want to do is watch the programmes they want to.
All you are doing with this obsession with 'content protection' is disenfranchising a wide range of people who do not have one of the diminishing range of supported devices. What do you think a lot of these iPlayer-disenfranchised people are going to do? A lot will start looking around for other ways of getting the programmes they want to watch, and they will find them (easily, as it happens). Once they have discovered how easy it is, they will then notice there are a lot of other programmes, films, music, etc that are available from the same sources.
Stuff they would have happily paid for until content-protection-obsessed media industries (not just the BBC) drove them into the arms of the 'pirates'. This obsession is tantamount to cutting off their noses to spite their faces. They seem to be quite happy to stop one person from copying content themselves even if that causes 100s to turn to 'pirate' sources. Just found this on the site.go figure! BBC accessibility standards and guidelines How the BBC ensures best practice for accessibility online. When websites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users can have equal access to the sites' information, functionality and benefits.
BBC Online aims to make our websites accessible and usable for people of all abilities and disabilities, including older audiences, and those with visual, hearing, cognitive or motor impairments.UNLESS YOU HAVE AN NON INTEL MAC!!!!!!! I know that the issues with iPlayer and non-Flash platforms are really frustrating for everyone, especially as I'm a Linux/Android/Nexus 7 user myself and resent having to use the various work-arounds that are only available to me because I'm reasonably techy. But I do think a bit more patience may be helpful. The BBC's problems are not all of its own making - at;east. Not the technical ones.
It can't unilaterally set its rights agreements with non-BBC content (of which there is a great deal, even in many BBC-sourced programmes), but has to operate as a public service broadcaster in a world where everything assumes a full commercial model. The commercial world is still totally paranoid about 'piracy', even though we all know that war has been lost, and large organisations like the BBC still need the figleaf of DRM to do business.
DRM and open standards are not as incompatible as many think, but it's still a legal, practical and public minefield. I know, from discussions with BBC people, that this is as frustrating for them as it is for us, but they're operating under all sorts of restrictions in what they can do and what they can say - some unavoidable, some which (in my opinion) could be avoided.
But not by the people at the sharp end making this stuff work. They know (and have known for years) how to make the systems that do everything we want, and they want to do it, but they don't have the freedom to make it so. Be angry at this, by all means; I am. But please be angry at the people who are actually responsible for the limitations and latenesses; they're not the people who run these blogs. I worry a bit that telling Mac PPC users about a way to fix their problem means the BBC will act to neutralise the work-around, but at that risk, I can report that there is a work-around.
Apparently what the stranded PPC user needs is a version of FlashPlayer that is 10.1 but reports to the streaming site that it is in fact 11.something. A little white lie gets things working again. I have just tested it on my PPC G5 running OS 10.4.11. Camino (a Mac version of firefox) does not work on its own, but Safari v. 3.04 works and once BBC Iplayer has been 'woken up' with Safari, Camino v2.06 works too. Still testing, but the basic problem of not working at all is over. To find out how to get this fix, put iCrAKhv3Rc into your search engine and it will direct you to the right place.
I report this in good faith and hope I can trust the BBC not to scupper it. I work for a small independent supplier of Android tablets, and we're currently inundated with emails and phone calls from customer who can't use iPlayer on their devices. We explain the situation as best we can, but we're still receiving negative feedback and bad reviews of our products regardless of the fact that the iPlayer issue is out of our hands.
![Flash Flash](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125464725/688436449.jpg)
I do understand the situation regarding Flash and rights protection (although our BBC licence-paying customers are less sympathetic) but there is clearly a communication problem between the BBC's iPlayer marketing/development teams and the general public - a problem that hardware suppliers like us are paying for in both time and lost business. I'd like to see the BBC make it clear that their iPlayer software will not reliably work on most recent Android platforms so that suppliers like us aren't left looking like we're selling deficient kit. It's very frustrating for us and, I don't think it's too strong to say, very irresponsible of the BBC to push a service without explaining the limited number of platforms it will work on or giving an ETA on when Android will be supported at all. The tablet market is extremely competitive at the moment and without the BBC providing a level-playing field regarding iPlayer compatibility, any company who takes it upon themselves to make these announcements on behalf of the BBC will only lose business to those who won't - and we can't afford to do that. Another non-Intel mac user. I have a perfectly good Dual 2GHz G5 tower that I use only for iTunes and radio. But now no radio.
The BBC supported black and white TV and AM radio for decades after moving to colour and FM. The shipping forecast that they continue to broadcast (despite all vessels these days having full graphical weather data on LCD screens) is now unavailable to me on my 6 year-old £3000 video editing machine.
Nor my dad's emac or my mother-in-law's ibook. Gonna try the link mentioned. Dear 'Auntie' Beeb, None of my real aunties ever treated me this shabbily. Your fawning adherence to the whims of Adobe's Flash Player (always a wobbly, 20th Century technology) has stitched me up completely. I lost count of the people who are now shut out of iPlayer because we can't update Flash. How can Dave Price be in the slightest bit confident in stating, '98.5% of people who use the desktop version of BBC iPlayer already have a version of Flash Player in excess of 10.2'. How has he measured this?
Just remember; what seems like a minor technical tweak to your boffins who don't like having too many variables to consider, is actually an 'off-switch' for iPlayer for many of us. Shabby, thoughtless, dismissive, discourteous to the point of arrogant is what this is. By failing to plan ongoing developments for your tech support for iPlayer, as millions are watching streamed video on various (e.g. Non-Flash compliant) devices, you're failing to provide public service broadcasting.
Stop fobbing us off and sort it out. I had a call from my Father last night, quite upset that he could not watch his programmes on iPlayer any more as it the website was asking for an upgrade to Flash 10.2 and that when he followed the link and tried he was told 'This version of Flash cannot be installed on your iMac'. He believes he now needs a new computer to continue watching iPlayer?
Surely this can't be the case! How many others are having to wake up to this. How come the BBC are not allowed to turn off analog transmitters without a staged transition being in place over a few years, yet with no warning at all they can cut people off with a simple software upgrade. Not happy about this at all. Of course I realise progress has to move on but it seems that no alternative has been planned for and it certainly has not been executed very well. Is an iMac from 4 years ago really to old to run Flash, very strange indeed.
I can't believe that only 1.5% of people out their will be in the same place. Love to hear from others on this. Disgruntled son. So I said something the BBC didnt agree with and they wouldn't publish my comment, it contained no abusive or improper language just a difference of opinion They seem to forget they are public servants having their wages paid by tax payers, licence payers and the national government.shame on you! OFF TOPIC yes, but your selective censorship is appaling.
Only allowing people with flash player 10.2 and above to watch IPlayer is discriminatory and against everything I thought the BBC once stood for. Just to add that I'm another unhappy user with a PPC Mac that can't upgrade to Flash 10.2. Currently the hack described above is working for me, but I assume that in due course Auntie Beeb will kill it somehow. C'mon Auntie, Flash is dead technology. Come and join us in the wonderful world of HTML5.
To say that 'As 98.5% of people who use the desktop version of BBC iPlayer already have a version of Flash Player in excess of 10.2, we're confident only a small proportion of you are affected.' Ignores the possibility that the 1.5% who haven't upgraded CAN'T upgrade. What's more it ignores the real question of the number of people that represents - on March's radio usage figures that would be nearly 80000 users and that doesn't include any TV browsing.
Doesn't sound as small as '1.5%' does it? Then add in the TV users - I'm guessing around twice that number based on the information I can find on information that was posted on this blog last year.
So that would be around 240000 unique users, or roughly a quarter of a million. It might only be a 'small proportion', but it's still a lot of people. How many businesses would happily tell a quarter of a million potential customers that they were not worth bothering about? And when I can get iPlayer on my smart TV (which doesn't have Flash) over the internet, I fail to see why it's SO essential to have Flash on my Mac (PPC or otherwise). HLS has been supported on Android since 3.0 which was released well over a year ago. Android is the #1 most popular mobile OS in the UK, the BBC should have started work on an HLS player for Android when Android 3.0 was released.
This could have supported flash as a fall-back for phones and older tablets. Its inexcusable that the BBC waited until Adobe actually killed off flash on Android before deciding to do something about developing a new Android player. It has been known for quite some-time that flash on Android was at EoL.
Please BBC, throw some resources at your Android dev team, Jelly-Bean updates for many Android devices are imminent, and none of these will work with the existing iPlayer once updated. Android users pay TV license fees too you know!