BBC iPlayer
Been trying out BBC Iplayer last few days .
I can understand why people cant see the point of it when most programmes are repeated.
But I like the idea that you can watch programmes at a time that’s convenient for me so I thought I try it out.
I am not going to detail here how its a bit of a palaver to get it going (search on Google and you will see) but in all it took 15min to set up.
Found a good set up guide here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayerbeta/install_part_1.shtml (us Linux users cant understand why almost 10 step install the damn thing)
For some reason the video doesn’t show up, if I took a screen shot but here is one that I found showing programme (with subtitles) called Two pints of lager and a packet of crisp to give an example of what it would look like
In order to watch programmes with subtitles that’s the size you get in the screenshot
I understand that resolution is lower, so full-screen viewing is less than satisfactory, also in full screen mode it does not show subtitles so how very frustrating is this in order to watch this I have to sit close to my monitor.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)
At a glance its does not show which programmes carry subtitles
When selecting briefings it does not contain subtitles (no surprise there)
No option to show just subtitles listings and the only way to find out is by selecting each programme to find out if it contains subtitles
Interestingly if you see picture below
There is a drop down section to which gives you an option to watch it with subtitles and BSL (British sign language)
It’s a pity that How to be the perfect housewife contain BSL (who watches that shit?)
While watching it I though the interpreter is small but selecting full screen is better, how ever quality is not that good.
I understand it’s at beta stage so I am watching how it develops with interest and I think that the subtitles should be bigger and any programmes that contain BSL should be a higher resolution so watch out if you don’t have unlimited download package from your ISP other wise you will fall foul of broadband fair Use Policy
It’s a bit of a shame that it is built on Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player – especially as it comes complete with all the security errors, warning messages that seem to plague Microsoft programs
I think I will only use BBC iplayer to watch one programme called See Hear as from October because it’s being moved from Saturday 12pm slot to weekdays!
They say to increases viewing figures but they are competing with loose women on ITV.
Bad enough showing it on Saturday but even worst mid week when I am at work also getting it cut from 45 min to 30 min and yes you get repeats only one repeat at 2 am in the morning compared to programmes like Eastenders showing at 8pm repeated at 10 pm plus you get another chance to watch it on Sunday afternoon
Only half hour Deaf program per week shown at 2 ridiculous times and that’s what the only reason I will be using the iplayer for.
When you consider that all they have to do is feed the existing Ceefax subtitles into the stream, the fact that this is missing after, what, two weeks of beta user’s feedback, it’s as good an example as you could wish for, of how slow to respond to their customer needs the BBC really are - which is just disgraceful.
As a cheep and dirty work around to the full screen issue, you could get a screen zoomer tool - such as the one built into Mac OS X.
I’m running Windows XP in a virtual machine on my Mac. I hold down the CTRL key, scroll the middle mouse button and the whole screen zooms into wherever I point the mouse.
Here’s a demo..
http://www.jimdoesmedia.com/vsmt/files/f10b24ffd5d4e60cc9e8485dfc90519f-23.html
[...] iPlayer cheating the deaf 13 08 2007 As Fintan over at Finllfixit.co.uk points out, after weeks of Beta testing the BBC still haven’t shoveled enough coal into the [...]
I’ve not managed to log in iplayer yet, OK, so who tipped them off……
It’s just not very good MM - you’re missing nothing.
MM,
as you’re Deaf and you find that See Hear on a ridiculous time then use Iplayer otherwise it’s not worth your while.
As you know that some of us work and no way we are able to watch one Deaf show at a ridiculous time
So far all I have got is ‘technical difficulties’ !
MM you wrote…
So far all I have got is ‘technical difficulties’ !
LOL
thats Microsoft for ya…
Keep trying and you will get there some how… my guess by the time it works out for ya its not worth the effort.
Not using it till See Hear comes along!
Jim, transcoding analogue or digital-TV captioning to online formats is never, ever “just” a case of “feed[ing]” one format to another. There are large and often insurmountable differences between input and output formats and display capacities.
Just as an example, I don’t see any of you Brits insisting that online captions use italics when called for or, say, correct quotation marks, apostrophes, and dashes. A properly transcoded set of captions would, in fact, do that; you’re just calling for a 1:1 dump of analogue-TV captions to online video, and even *that* is monumentally difficult even if you think it isn’t or shouldn’t be.
I am not so sure those running the iplayer trial have any deaf awareness whatsoever, so I doubt they put the effort in to resolve issues around the issues to do with delivering subtitles.
Virtually no content in the trial is available subtitled and I found this characterisation of a BSL sign language interpreter, which appeared recently in a posting on their message-board entirely unacceptable, but evidently the moderators of their message board find entirely acceptable.
The posting was in the discussion section and headed let us choose versions without sign language please.
Here is what I read:
” It is very distracting having an unattractive woman standing in the foreground making faces and waving her hands around constantly during the programme’.
This was clearly inflamatory as the heading to the post showed the person posting knew it was sign language they were describing yet they chose their words carefully to make it sound as unpleasant as possible.
If the people running the trial do not have sufficient awareness to realise such comments are deeply offensive, what hope is there of the trial really taking account of the needs of Deaf people or of other people with disabilities.
@e f waters ,
Which forum is this?
I have come across something similar in a games forum where a poster watched a BSL programme in early hours of morning.
Just frustrated idiots with nothing better to do
e f waters: Did you get the feeling this was a comment from someone who works for the BBC?
Sorry forgot to put the URL in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbiplayer/F7331806?thread=4532586&latest=1#p52749037
It is in the discussion section headed let us choose a version without sign language please.
What I find worrying is that BBC moderators let stuff like that remain there, which coupled with a virtual abscence of subtitled material suggests there is little real awareness.
That’s just disgraceful.
Here is how the Iplayer site moderators responded to a complaint about the message.
Dear BBC Reader,
Further to your complaint about some of the content on a BBC community site
(reference number ***********), we have decided that it does not contravene the House Rules and are going to leave it on site.
@E F Waters I have responded to that post on BBC site.
@Jim I don’t think its a BBC employee posted this,I have seen worst post than this on another BBC forum
Well a bit more news. They have now admitted the description of a sign language intepreter using BSL was unacceptable and said they will remove it. This happened after I put up the following post on their message-board.
‘Do the BBC believe Deaf People should not use Iplayer?
Provocative title. No There is virtually no subtitled material available and some weeks ago there appeared to be no recognition by the BBC of the fact that their delivery mechanisms were failing. There is also very little signed material and the BBC moderators find this description of a sign language intepreter using british sign language acceptable.
‘ …… an unattractive woman standing in the foreground making faces and waving her hands around constantly during the programme’.
Now that language is the native language of some deaf people, just as welsh is the native language of Wales. It is recognised by the goverment and is the fourth most commonly used language in the UK. Would the BBC permit such characterisation of people speaking Welsh, Urdu or Punjabi. I doubt it.
What message is the Deaf community supposed to take from this and the virtual lack of subtitles other than that they are institutionally unwelcome.’
They replied
‘I can assure you that the BBC take the provision of subtitled and signed content very seriously.
There is another thread in here discussing the flaws in current subtitling on iPlayer, and it is recognised that the delivery mechanism is not yet up to scratch.
There is work currently in hand to improve the level of subtitled content in the future.
The description you quote is unacceptable. If you can tell me the location of the posting containing this description, I will arrange for its removal.’
So it is worth complaining sometimes.
I do not however think there is any real likelihood of the amount of subtitled or signed material improving to anything like an acceptable level in the near future though. ‘Work in hand …. to improve in the future’ Sounds like Its a long way off from being an accesible service.
The utterly amazing thing about all of this is that, had the BBC gone with a flash video based solution, which validates viewer credentials via IP detection, they could have simply included the sign language actor in an alpha channel, so that people who want to see her / him can push a button and those who don’t can turn it off.
Instead, aunty beeb spent our money on something no one can use properly - because the whole WMV based platform is fundamentally flawed and doesn’t include any services for people with special access requirements.
Brilliant!
Not only that. The little subtitles under the picture are far less good than when they are overlaid towards the bottom of the picture and the only easy way to get them more normal would be to break the Microsoft copy protection so they could be played in something which is not windows media player or Iplayer.
@e f waters .. its still not removed.
Its amazing how people fob us off with stupid excuses.
@Jim that is only a small bit battle that us deafies have to put up with.
TV , DVD and resonable access and the excuses that they come out with will make your blood boil.
Wait for my next post on another thing we have to put up with
And then they have the balls to to this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6979596.stm