iPlayer Panasonic TVs - bother

Just heard from Panasonic that there are no plans to enable iPlayer via the
VieraCast tools. This is a downer for me as I purchased (what was) their
top-of-the-line LCD which has Freesat purely because the standard picture
was better than the cheaper models. At present I only use it with Freeview
which means that although the TV now supports iPlayer, it won't work because
it requires Freesat.

Bother!
Paul DS.

In article ,
John Rumm wrote:
Not sure I quite follow what you are saying here. Does iPlayer not work
over the TV's ethernet connection?

If you use Freesat on a recent Panasonic TV, you can get iPlayer through
the red button. If you don't have Freesat (for example, if you're using
Freeview and Freeview HD), you can't. Panasonic could prefectly well
provide it as part of their "Viera Cast" service, but they don't, unlike
several other makers of TVs and set-top boxes.

More details: there are three main things you need to implement
iPlayer. One is the ability to receive, decode, and display the video
stream over the internet. The second is the user interface, and the
third is a way to get the list of available programs.

The interface (in HTML and Javascript) and the program list are
available over the web, which is what you use in a web broswer.

They are also broadcast on Freesat using MHEG. (Actually, I'm not
certain whether the program list is broadcast or retrieved through
the internet connection; I *think* it's broadcast.)

There are purpose-built interfaces on mobile phones, games consoles,
set-top boxes, and some TVs, which (like a web browser) download the
program list from the internet.

To make it work on their TVs without Freesat, Panasonic need to write
such an application, They could do this using their Javascript-based
Viera Cast framework, as they do for YouTube and various other
unexciting services.

-- Richard

"Richard Tobin" wrote in message
...
In article ,
John Rumm wrote:
Not sure I quite follow what you are saying here. Does iPlayer not work
over the TV's ethernet connection?

If you use Freesat on a recent Panasonic TV, you can get iPlayer through
the red button. If you don't have Freesat (for example, if you're using
Freeview and Freeview HD), you can't. Panasonic could prefectly well
provide it as part of their "Viera Cast" service, but they don't, unlike
several other makers of TVs and set-top boxes.

More details: there are three main things you need to implement
iPlayer. One is the ability to receive, decode, and display the video
stream over the internet. The second is the user interface, and the
third is a way to get the list of available programs.

The interface (in HTML and Javascript) and the program list are
available over the web, which is what you use in a web broswer.

They are also broadcast on Freesat using MHEG. (Actually, I'm not
certain whether the program list is broadcast or retrieved through
the internet connection; I *think* it's broadcast.)

There are purpose-built interfaces on mobile phones, games consoles,
set-top boxes, and some TVs, which (like a web browser) download the
program list from the internet.

To make it work on their TVs without Freesat, Panasonic need to write
such an application, They could do this using their Javascript-based
Viera Cast framework, as they do for YouTube and various other
unexciting services.

-- Richard

Richard's is a good detailed description but the bottom line is that the
content is streamed over the internet, but you need some software to request
the correct program and Panasonic aren't providing that.

Richard, can you point us at some manufacturers who ARE providing this
software directly? Personally I suggested the Nintendo Wii but that's not a
TV.

Paul DS.

On 6 Oct, 09:32, "Paul D Smith" wrote:
"Richard Tobin" wrote in message

...



In article ,
John Rumm wrote:
Not sure I quite follow what you are saying here. Does iPlayer not work
over the TV's ethernet connection?

If you use Freesat on a recent Panasonic TV, you can get iPlayer through
the red button. *If you don't have Freesat (for example, if you're using
Freeview and Freeview HD), you can't. *Panasonic could prefectly well
provide it as part of their "Viera Cast" service, but they don't, unlike
several other makers of TVs and set-top boxes.

More details: there are three main things you need to implement
iPlayer. *One is the ability to receive, decode, and display the video
stream over the internet. *The second is the user interface, and the
third is a way to get the list of available programs.

The interface (in HTML and Javascript) and the program list are
available over the web, which is what you use in a web broswer.

They are also broadcast on Freesat using MHEG. *(Actually, I'm not
certain whether the program list is broadcast or retrieved through
the internet connection; I *think* it's broadcast.)

There are purpose-built interfaces on mobile phones, games consoles,
set-top boxes, and some TVs, which (like a web browser) download the
program list from the internet.

To make it work on their TVs without Freesat, Panasonic need to write
such an application, They could do this using their Javascript-based
Viera Cast framework, as they do for YouTube and various other
unexciting services.

-- Richard

Richard's is a good detailed description but the bottom line is that the
content is streamed over the internet, but you need some software to request
the correct program and Panasonic aren't providing that.

Richard, can you point us at some manufacturers who ARE providing this
software directly? *Personally I suggested the Nintendo Wii but that's not a
TV.

Paul DS.

Probably not comprehensive (it IS wikipedia after all) but here's a
starter for 10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_iPlayer#Televisions

In article ,
Dr Hfuhruhurr wrote:

Richard, can you point us at some manufacturers who ARE providing this
software directly? Personally I suggested the Nintendo Wii but that's not a
TV.

Probably not comprehensive (it IS wikipedia after all) but here's a
starter for 10
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_iPlayer#Televisions

Sony and Samsung were the TVs I'd heard about. For games consoles,
the Wii and PS3, though the Wii is not fast enough for high quality
video. I have seen reviews of - but don't remember the names of - a
couple of Freeview HD set-top boxes with built-in iPlayer, and have
read reports that it will be available on Humax ones sometime.

Of course, any device that provides a web browser and a suitable
version of Flash should be able to do it.

I see there's a list of iPlayer devices at
http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.u...to_get_iplayer
but it doesn't mention the Sony TVs so it isn't complete.

-- Richard

For games consoles,
the Wii ... though the Wii is not fast enough for high quality
video.

The Wii doesn't support HD output anyway. At best it support SD (480 lines
if memory serves) progressive scan. The Wii iPlayer does quite a good job
of playing regular iPlayer output though.

Paul DS

On 06/10/2010 11:49, Richard Tobin wrote:

Sony and Samsung were the TVs I'd heard about. For games consoles,
the Wii and PS3, though the Wii is not fast enough for high quality
video. I have seen reviews of - but don't remember the names of - a
couple of Freeview HD set-top boxes with built-in iPlayer, and have
read reports that it will be available on Humax ones sometime.

iPlayer, YouTube etc is also available through some Blue-ray players.

e.g.

Sony BDPS370 Blu-ray Player - £129.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0038M1UTW

--
Adrian C

In article ,
Paul D Smith wrote:

The Wii doesn't support HD output anyway. At best it support SD (480 lines
if memory serves) progressive scan. The Wii iPlayer does quite a good job
of playing regular iPlayer output though.

It doesn't play regular iPlayer output. It plays a special low bit-rate
version because the Wii can't decode any faster. The quality is much
lower than the "regular" web version.

The lack of HD output is therefore irrelevant; it's much poorer quality
than, say, SD Freeview.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcintern...me_techni.html

-- Richard

I have an interesting issue with i-player, here goes:

I have a Panasonic TX-P42G20B, this has integrated freesat HD and Freeview
HD tuners. Along side this I have a Toshiba Laptop connected to the very
same TV set via HMDI, and a Desktop Mesh PC connected via HMDI to the very
same TV set.

All three are connected by wired ether net to a 48 port Netgear network
switch and thence onto a Netgear broadband router.

Now coming back to i-player.

During working hours, i-player plays fine on all three devices.

During evening hours, I-player will not work on the TV set, I get as far as
"Getting ready to play" and have the rotating white circles on a black
screen.

However, i-player woprks on both the Laptop and on the desktop PC. I have to
wait until around 10.00pm before i-player starts working again on the TV.
All other internet based services such as picasa and youtube all work in
Viera-cast.

It is seriously annoying my other half, who likes to be able to press the
red button on any BBC channel in Freesat Mode and just watch Waterloo road,
but can't, so has to start up either laptop or the desk top in order to
watch waterloo road on the TV set.....

Regards,

Stephen.




"Adrian C" wrote in message
...
On 06/10/2010 11:49, Richard Tobin wrote:

Sony and Samsung were the TVs I'd heard about. For games consoles,
the Wii and PS3, though the Wii is not fast enough for high quality
video. I have seen reviews of - but don't remember the names of - a
couple of Freeview HD set-top boxes with built-in iPlayer, and have
read reports that it will be available on Humax ones sometime.

iPlayer, YouTube etc is also available through some Blue-ray players.

e.g.

Sony BDPS370 Blu-ray Player - £129.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0038M1UTW

--
Adrian C

"Richard Tobin" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Paul D Smith wrote:

The Wii doesn't support HD output anyway. At best it support SD (480
lines
if memory serves) progressive scan. The Wii iPlayer does quite a good job
of playing regular iPlayer output though.

It doesn't play regular iPlayer output. It plays a special low bit-rate
version because the Wii can't decode any faster. The quality is much
lower than the "regular" web version.

The lack of HD output is therefore irrelevant; it's much poorer quality
than, say, SD Freeview.

See
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcintern...me_techni.html

I live and learn - thanks for the very interesting link.

Paul DS