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Author Topic: BBC iPlayer  (Read 14739 times)

sevenlayermuddle

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BBC iPlayer
« on: November 07, 2018, 11:29:20 PM »

I tried to use the iPlayer App on my Panasonic Firefox OS TV tonight.   Last night it worked fine, but seems it now requires sign in.    :(

I cannot sign in as I do not have an account, and I don’t want to create an account as it requires me to think up a new password, and my brain is full.   It will also undoubtably require me to provide BBC with copious personal data, which carries the risk/certainty that their database will one day be breached.  :no:

Curiously, the iPlayer App on my Apple TV continues to work without signing in, so that is what I shall use for time being. :)
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Ronski

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2018, 06:23:15 AM »

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/latest-news/account-signin

Can't remember what info I had to enter when I signed up but when I look at my personal details there is my display name, password, email address, postcode, gender and year of birth.

You'll either have to sign up or stop using iPlayer  ;)
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2018, 08:40:42 AM »

You'll either have to sign up or stop using iPlayer  ;)

Or, for the time being, use the iPlayer App on my Apple TV.  :P

I might weaken for iPlayer, but I don’t use ITV or Channel 4 catch up for the same reason - they both require signin, and I’ve always refused to register.       It’s not that hard to remember to record stuff off air on PVR (/MythTV), and you get the benefit of much better picture quality as well 5.1 sound if they can be bothered to broadcast it (iPlayer is just stereo).

Channel 5 app on my TV still works without sign in and amazingly, seems to skip all advert breaks. :)
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renluop

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2018, 09:05:56 AM »

SLM, you seen to have a double canopy paranoidchute! :D

Going a bit OT, IPlayer IMHO is by far the best of the bunch with its library, and it has subtitles.
The rest are creaky and without subtitles. Annoying! >:(
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2018, 10:09:40 AM »

Obviously, they want sign in to make life hard for license dodgers.  That annoys me as I am not a license dodger.  It annoys me in the same way that "traffic calming" chicanes annoy me, as they are in general aimed at speed reduction, whereas I have always tried not to break speed limits.

I love some of the excuse they have come up with....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help/how-to-guides/sign-in/account-signin

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We need to understand more on what people are watching to ensure we are providing something for everyone. Up until now we could only tell how many people used BBC iPlayer, but having more data like age, gender and location will ensure we’re better serving all our audience.

So, after I finish watching a "boy's" programme, such as building a rocket engine or going somewhere on a train,  BBC think  I'm going to sign out so that other half can sign in again before watching a "girl's" programme, such as costume dramas?   If we had kids in the house, we'd both have to sign out, so the kids could sign in before watching Andy Pandy or whatever?   :D
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Ronski

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2018, 10:25:21 AM »

This is the one I found odd, especially the odd wording, why would they check with TV licensing if I'm using iPlayer???

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We share some of your personal information with TV Licensing to check if you are using BBC iPlayer and to keep their database up to date.

They don't have my full address, so how can they check if we  have a licence unless relying on matching the email address to one used for the TV licence.
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chenks

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2018, 10:32:34 AM »

This is the one I found odd, especially the odd wording, why would they check with TV licensing if I'm using iPlayer???

They don't have my full address, so how can they check if we  have a licence unless relying on matching the email address to one used for the TV licence.

well that one is quite simple.
most people pay for TVL online now, and they'll have an email address of that person and the address of that person
they can rule out most people by matching on that email address.

now that iplayer requires a TVL, the login requirement was always going to be the first stage of it.
they already prompt to ask that you have one before playback of anything.

the next stage will be address matching via login where they require you to enter your full details and/or require you to enter your TVL number.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2018, 10:44:50 AM »

As Chenks says.   And I would imagine they’re probably empowered to demand your ISP disclose the address when they think you might be a dodger, based on some sort of big-brother database or maybe some heuristic algorithm.   The email would then be useful for sending you harassment letters, demanding that you prove your innocence.

But I’m just guessing. :-\

It’s already a sore point as I have in the past been targetted by their (paper) harassment letters, basically when I buy new TVs, and the retailer tells BBC.   Problem for me is that for historic reasons, other half has always paid tv licence.   Their database seems a bit sexist, and to flag that scenario...  male buys a new TV whereas licence holder is female, as “suspicious”.  I guess they probably think it’ must be a shared house.   It can be surprisingly hard to ignore the harassment letters or make them stop. >:(
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j0hn

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2018, 11:17:39 AM »

Load of nonsense. They don't do ANY checks at the moment .

I haven't ever had a TV license, and I had to register with iPlayer on my TV about a year ago. They don't run any checks, registering with a valid email is enough.

I've no doubt this is being done with a future TV licence/iPlayer clamp down in mind. No idea how this would be verified though.

Quote
Curiously, the iPlayer App on my Apple TV continues to work without signing in, so that is what I shall use for time being. :)

Last I checked you couldn't sign in on iPlayer on Apple TV, which is a huge deal to me.
IPlayer saves all my favourites across all my devices, even allowing me to resume watching a programme from the same point on a different device.

I use iPlayer beta which also has multiple users per account, so individual lists for me and my partner.
This may be the route they go down with verifying TV licenses, with a single login per TV license/household with the ability to add multiple users.
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roseway

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2018, 12:01:44 PM »

Quote
It can be surprisingly hard to ignore the harassment letters or make them stop.

This is still a sore point for me. After my sister died I notified TV Licensing, and told them that her home was empty and would remain so until it was sold. They acknowledged this notification. Two months later I received what amounted to a final demand for payment of the licence fee - it was edged in red and written in highly threatening terms. They said that if the fee was not paid they would visit the home to investigate, and they would break in if there was nobody present to let them in.

I'm sure you can imagine how I felt about this.  :mad:

TV Licensing is a vile organisation with far too much power.
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chenks

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2018, 12:12:17 PM »

No idea how this would be verified though.

very easily,
enter your valid current licence number when you log in.
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chenks

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2018, 12:14:23 PM »

They said that if the fee was not paid they would visit the home to investigate, and they would break in if there was nobody present to let them in.

you should have told them to go ahead and investigate.
however i'd be surprised that the wording was "break in if there was nobody present to let them in". they have no legal powers of entry unless with a court order, so i'd assume you're either para-phrasing or mis-read the wording.
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chenks

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2018, 12:43:12 PM »

i also fully expect that paytv providers will soon be required to pass on details to TVL.
if you're paying for TV then you should have a TVL. that'll be a quick way of catching those that don't have a TVL (similar to how it used to be a requirement to gather details at the point of buying a TV).
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kitz

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2018, 12:54:08 PM »

I had to sign in a couple of weeks ago.

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We share some of your personal information with TV Licensing to check if you are using BBC iPlayer and to keep their database up to date.

I don't see how they can do that with the amount of info that I supplied.  NTVRLO don't even have an email address for me.   
The info I supplied was minimal.   email address, create a username, post code and confirm I was over 18.   The code came up on my Galaxy tab (not via email) and I then entered the code into my TV.

The signing in thing is a bit of a PITA - I should imagine more so for those with multiple users...   but in the grand scheme of things I don't really mind because I get an awful lot of enjoyment out of i player.   

The content is ad free which compared to the likes of 4OD etc I find annoying how when trying to FF or rewind you are still forced to stop & watch the ads at certain intervals.    i-player is one of my main sources of watching tv as I'm a big fan of their Science and Nature section and things like Blue Planet all have to be paid for somehow.   I don't watch the Soaps but I do also watch a lot of documentaries such as panorama and love the access to Horizon's archives which occasionally throw up some classic gems.  Oh and I also watch the sci-fi stuff such as Dr Who and I'm currently going through the Dr Who archives for some episodes which I missed years ago  :D 

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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: BBC iPlayer
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2018, 01:13:08 PM »

It is debatable, whether BBC conteht is free of ads.

When iPlayer was last working for me, a couple of days ago, I selected some show only to find they had introduced 30 secs of promotional garbage for other rubbish, before start of the show.   I was allowed to skip, but my threshold of irritation had already been breached.

Also, after watching some other show, it got “collapsed” into a small window during rollout of credits, filling the screen with adverts for other shows.   Live TV BBC is even worse, when an announcer starts yapping during the credits, advertising other programmes, when I might actually be enjoying the fade-out music. :(

I do agree though that 4od is worse.   I remember trying it briefly a while ago, before sign in was required, and instantly dismissing it as useless, as it was litered with huge long advert breaks that I couldn’t skip. :(
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