BBC iPlayer programme file sizes

Now that the BBC iPlayer has launched in beta, could some of you who're
already using the iPlayer say what the file sizes are of the TV programmes
you've downloaded so far please, and also say what the duration of the
programme is in minutes so that I can calculate what bit rate they're using
for the programmes?

Also, are the files all using WMV for the video and WMA for the audio?


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

"DAB sounds worse than FM" [email protected] wrote in message
...
Now that the BBC iPlayer has launched in beta, could some of you
who're already using the iPlayer say what the file sizes are of the
TV programmes you've downloaded so far please, and also say what the
duration of the programme is in minutes so that I can calculate what
bit rate they're using for the programmes?

Also, are the files all using WMV for the video and WMA for the
audio?


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info


Bombey Dreams , 60min show, 378Mb
HyperDrive, 30mins, 149Mb

The files are WMV. No sign of a separate WMA file, but that might be
cos I dont know what Im looking for.

AC

The files are WMV. No sign of a separate WMA file, but that might be cos I
dont know what Im looking for.


There is only a WMV file - WMV contains audio so why would there be a
seperate WMA download??

Mountain, 58 mins, 228Mb
In The Night Garden, 25mins, 114Mb.

The first time I downloaded something, it took ages to get started - mainly
because I discovered it also downloaded about 2 dozen channel idents in WMV
format too - so now I have a range of idents for all the BBC channels, which
play as appropriate before you watch a programme.

D.

AC wrote:
"DAB sounds worse than FM" [email protected] wrote in message
...
Now that the BBC iPlayer has launched in beta, could some of you
who're already using the iPlayer say what the file sizes are of the
TV programmes you've downloaded so far please, and also say what the
duration of the programme is in minutes so that I can calculate what
bit rate they're using for the programmes?

Also, are the files all using WMV for the video and WMA for the
audio?


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info


Bombey Dreams , 60min show, 378Mb


That's 881 kbps


HyperDrive, 30mins, 149Mb


That's 694 kbps.

Both are better than the 531 kbps (228 MB file size / 60 minute programme)
I've seen someone else report, but once you take off the bit rate for the
audio of about 100 - 128 kbps or so, it's no wonder that people are saying
that the picture quality is crap.


The files are WMV. No sign of a separate WMA file, but that might be
cos I dont know what Im looking for.


Yeah, my mistake, they should only be WMV files.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

David Wright wrote:
The files are WMV. No sign of a separate WMA file, but that might be
cos I dont know what Im looking for.


There is only a WMV file - WMV contains audio so why would there be a
seperate WMA download??


That was my mistake - I must've got mixed up with the iMP which had radio
programmes that could be downloaded in WMA.


Mountain, 58 mins, 228Mb


550 kbps


In The Night Garden, 25mins, 114Mb.


637 kbps

Once you've taken off the audio (~100-128kbps), they're both crap bit rate
levels for video using WMV.

BTW, if you want to calculate the bit rate (I'm sure most people won't want
to, but some might), you do the following:

bit rate in kbps = (number of MB x 2^23 / number of seconds) / 1000

or just

bit rate in kbps = number of MB x 8389 / number of seconds



--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Bombey Dreams , 60min show, 378Mb


That's 881 kbps


HyperDrive, 30mins, 149Mb


That's 694 kbps.

Both are better than the 531 kbps (228 MB file size / 60 minute programme)
I've seen someone else report, but once you take off the bit rate for the
audio of about 100 - 128 kbps or so, it's no wonder that people are saying
that the picture quality is crap.

Have they reduced the resolution? This might make the lower bitrates a
little more acceptable. And on the subject of resolution, is there any
HD to be had yet?

Ben wrote:
DAB sounds worse than FM wrote:
Bombey Dreams , 60min show, 378Mb


That's 881 kbps


HyperDrive, 30mins, 149Mb


That's 694 kbps.

Both are better than the 531 kbps (228 MB file size / 60 minute
programme) I've seen someone else report, but once you take off the
bit rate for the audio of about 100 - 128 kbps or so, it's no wonder
that people are saying that the picture quality is crap.

Have they reduced the resolution? This might make the lower bitrates a
little more acceptable.


According to this thread, they are using a low resolution, but there's quite
a few comments about dodgy picture quality:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07...tion/comments/


And on the subject of resolution, is there any
HD to be had yet?


I doubt it, because the person behind DAB sounding so ****e (Simon Nelson)
is now in charge of the TV side of new media at the BBC, so HD will be the
last thing that low quality loving technically-incompetent imbecile will
provide.

Personally, I'd have thought launching a system where there'll be 5 million+
DAB radios (roughly £300m worth) being made obsolete by his incompetent
decisions would get him the sack. Oh no, not at the BBC, he gets promoted so
that he can screw up TV as well!


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

....snip...
Personally, I'd have thought launching a system where there'll be 5
million+ DAB radios (roughly £300m worth) being made obsolete by his
incompetent decisions would get him the sack. Oh no, not at the BBC, he
gets promoted so that he can screw up TV as well!


Maybe from the perspective of Radio, this is the sack ;-).

Paul DS.

Paul D.Smith wrote:
...snip...
Personally, I'd have thought launching a system where there'll be 5
million+ DAB radios (roughly £300m worth) being made obsolete by his
incompetent decisions would get him the sack. Oh no, not at the BBC,
he gets promoted so that he can screw up TV as well!


Maybe from the perspective of Radio, this is the sack ;-).


I'd like to be able to think of it that way, but the reality is that he went
from one position in radio to an equal position in TV, and TV is deemed to
be a lot more important than radio by the BBC - I think about 90% of the
BBC's revenue is spent on TV - so it is really a promotion. I think the
problem is that BBC executives just don't have a clue about digital
technology so they don't even realise how unbelievably incompetent his
decisions were.


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info

"DAB sounds worse than FM" [email protected] wrote in message
...
Now that the BBC iPlayer has launched in beta, could some of you who're
already using the iPlayer say what the file sizes are of the TV programmes
you've downloaded so far please, and also say what the duration of the
programme is in minutes so that I can calculate what bit rate they're
using for the programmes?

Also, are the files all using WMV for the video and WMA for the audio?


--
Steve - www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - Digital Radio News & Info



Does it have [B[b][C] DOG **** on the picture and ****-voices?