OT - BBC iPlayer

Old Aug 15, 2008, 4:56 pm
  #1  
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OT - BBC iPlayer

Does anyone know of a way to trick the BBC iPlayer so that it thinks you're in the UK when you're actually abroad?
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Old Aug 15, 2008, 5:50 pm
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Hmmm, no doubt you could route your connection through a UK ip connection like people try to do when file sharing to hide their IP address.

I have www.logmein.com on my desktop PC so I remote connect to it and then set up iPlayer to either play there and then or save it to the HD for when I get home.

Have had mixed success streaming it live.
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Old Aug 15, 2008, 5:54 pm
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Originally Posted by Aerotec
Hmmm, no doubt you could route your connection through a UK ip connection like people try to do when file sharing to hide their IP address.

I have www.logmein.com on my desktop PC so I remote connect to it and then set up iPlayer to either play there and then or save it to the HD for when I get home.

Have had mixed success streaming it live.
Here is another way that does not involve hosted files, and uses GreaseMonkey and FoxyProxy to emulate what I did to make it all work.

1. Download the addons for for FoxyProxy and GreaseMonkey.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2464
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748
2. Next we need to configure FoxyProxy to be used in Patterns mode so that when the request to get a particular URL from the BBC is made it is made via the UK Proxy. This URL contains the token to view the video.
3. From within FireFox select the Tools Menu then FoxProxy menu and then the Options Menu.
4. Click the Add New Proxy button
5. In the Proxy Name Field enter BBC iPlayer Proxy
6. Select the Proxy Details Tab
7. Select the Manual Proxy Configuration Radio Button
8. In Hostname and Port enter the Hostname and Port (and select if it is a SOCKS Proxy and version if using SOCKS)
9. Select the Patterns tab
10. Click the Add New Pattern button
11. In the Pattern Name field enter "BBC iPlayer Media Selector Pattern"
12. In the URL Pattern enter http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/*
13. Leave the WhiteList and WildCards radio buttons selected
14. Click the Ok Button
15. Click the OK Button
16. Go to http://www.darkedges.com/bbc/iPlayer.user.js
17. When prompted click the Install button to add the GreaseMonkey Script
18. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ and select a video to stream
19. A preview image will show and and a white "Click to play" button should appear and now your should be able to view the video. First the ident appears and then the video, which is not streamed via the proxy.

For step 8, the best place to look is here http://www.xroxy.com/proxy-country-GB.htm
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Old Aug 15, 2008, 6:02 pm
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Thanks! ^

I'll try this out tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Glober
Here is another way that does not involve hosted files, and uses GreaseMonkey and FoxyProxy to emulate what I did to make it all work...
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Old Aug 15, 2008, 6:18 pm
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I've just returned to Aus from the UK and iPlayer is one thing I'm really missing, so I hope this works.

Aerotek, any luck?
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Old Aug 15, 2008, 6:25 pm
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I only got the info half an hour ago. Will do it over the weekend as too late in the UK to start messing about with settings on the PC!

Originally Posted by Kimberley
I've just returned to Aus from the UK and iPlayer is one thing I'm really missing, so I hope this works.

Aerotek, any luck?
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 1:07 am
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Originally Posted by Glober
Here is another way that does not involve hosted files, and uses GreaseMonkey and FoxyProxy to emulate what I did to make it all work.

1. Download the addons for for FoxyProxy and GreaseMonkey.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2464
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748
2. Next we need to configure FoxyProxy to be used in Patterns mode so that when the request to get a particular URL from the BBC is made it is made via the UK Proxy. This URL contains the token to view the video.
3. From within FireFox select the Tools Menu then FoxProxy menu and then the Options Menu.
4. Click the Add New Proxy button
5. In the Proxy Name Field enter BBC iPlayer Proxy
6. Select the Proxy Details Tab
7. Select the Manual Proxy Configuration Radio Button
8. In Hostname and Port enter the Hostname and Port (and select if it is a SOCKS Proxy and version if using SOCKS)
9. Select the Patterns tab
10. Click the Add New Pattern button
11. In the Pattern Name field enter "BBC iPlayer Media Selector Pattern"
12. In the URL Pattern enter http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/*
13. Leave the WhiteList and WildCards radio buttons selected
14. Click the Ok Button
15. Click the OK Button
16. Go to http://www.darkedges.com/bbc/iPlayer.user.js
17. When prompted click the Install button to add the GreaseMonkey Script
18. Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ and select a video to stream
19. A preview image will show and and a white "Click to play" button should appear and now your should be able to view the video. First the ident appears and then the video, which is not streamed via the proxy.

For step 8, the best place to look is here http://www.xroxy.com/proxy-country-GB.htm
Will this work on a mac?
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 10:54 am
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I followed Glober's instructions (thanks) and had it working on my Mac to begin with. Now it does not work at all. I have changed the proxy server a number of times but still without success. Hope others are faring better.
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 11:34 am
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I just route the connection through the office VPN.
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 1:33 pm
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Kill-joy moment:

Trying to access the BBC iPlayer service outside of the UK is against the terms and conditions of the service;

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.u...layer/termscon
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 2:47 pm
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An alternative.............

Buy a Humax 9200; record all the programmes you want and then copy them over to your portable throught the USB port, or onto a connected USB powered hard disk and play them when away. You can obviously keep all your music on the same disk. Or copy Sky+/Sky HD programmes onto DVD. Excellent definition and lot's of programmes to choose from.

There is nothing worst than most hotel bills after plating with the BBC Iplayer for an hour or two ............
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 4:09 pm
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slingbox is your friend, does more than you want and lots of good reports

http://www.slingmedia.com/
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 4:41 pm
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Originally Posted by Kezza25
slingbox is your friend, does more than you want and lots of good reports

http://www.slingmedia.com/
You say "lots of good reports" - do you have any personal experieince?

If you like to mandate what your family will watch whilst you're away (they watch what you watch) - and like the idea of having to be online permanently whilst away to watch tv - it's great.

It's a possible idea if you want to watch TV from a second property abroad whilst you have the whole family with you - and feel that you particularly have to watch stuff that's been broadcast between the time you left home and arrived at the prpperty - otherwise I would have thought most would consider it a very poor and impractical solution compared with recording a wide range of BBC, ITV and other channels that are available on a freeview on a Hummy and simply downloading the programmes onto your computer and taking it with. No annoying the family, no broadband required whilst away, certainty of having programmes you want to view etc ......

Perhaps even more importantly you have the programmes for the lounge and the flight (making you totally idependent of the vagaries of what's working and not) as well as the hotel ...... a no brainer!

Last edited by uk1; Aug 16, 2008 at 4:53 pm
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 5:42 pm
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Originally Posted by uk1
You say "lots of good reports" - do you have any personal experieince?

If you like to mandate what your family will watch whilst you're away (they watch what you watch) - and like the idea of having to be online permanently whilst away to watch tv - it's great.

It's a possible idea if you want to watch TV from a second property abroad whilst you have the whole family with you - and feel that you particularly have to watch stuff that's been broadcast between the time you left home and arrived at the prpperty - otherwise I would have thought most would consider it a very poor and impractical solution compared with recording a wide range of BBC, ITV and other channels that are available on a freeview on a Hummy and simply downloading the programmes onto your computer and taking it with. No annoying the family, no broadband required whilst away, certainty of having programmes you want to view etc ......

Perhaps even more importantly you have the programmes for the lounge and the flight (making you totally idependent of the vagaries of what's working and not) as well as the hotel ...... a no brainer!
Very simple solution to this - get the Freeview version of the Slingbox. Have seen that in action and it works incredibly well. That way you're not changing the channel of an existing cable / satellite STB at home, just tuning into the relevant Freeview channel.
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 6:12 pm
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Had a feeling there wasn't going to be an easy solution
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