[WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Someone mentioned the idea of a BBC iPlayer plugin for cuteTube-QML, so I've decided to run with that idea and start work on a BBC iPlayer application, provisionally titled BeBeCe. I will of course continue to maintain and improve cuteTube-QML. :)

It's currently at a very early stage in it's development, but I should be able to make swift progress by re-using many of the UI components from cuteTube-QML, with some minor adjustments.

Here's a few early screenshots:

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/2...nledwindow.png

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7...ledwindow1.png

http://img862.imageshack.us/img862/9...ledwindow2.png

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Will it be able to work in the US or do the usual region constraints apply?

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

BBC is uk only I think unless you have a proxy

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

There will be setting to add a proxy server. :)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Thanks for the info.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Now that's fantastic news! This device is the gift that keeps on giving! Thanks marxian!

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Great news. Can't wait for the release.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

to paraphrase Ghostbusters

"Marxian, when someone ask you if you're a god, you say YES!"

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Six episodes of Eastenders + an omnibus!? You must be fighting off housewives with a stick ;)

Cheers for this. I've been meaning to catch up on Louis Theroux and Doctor Who <3

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Although I think it is great to have an iPlayer app, you need to be wary of potential legal issues, an iPhone app, Rewat.ch, got hit with a C&D and an Android app, myPlayer, was was made to remove it's iPlayer functionality because it breached the BBC's terms of use.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Great news I can't wait to try this when it ready

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Fair point ; although a "simple" way to get round this is to split the component that pulls from the feeds into a separate package, which can subsequently be obtained from "elsewhere" while you distribute the shell itself as per normal.

A reasonable comparison would be the various LastFM mobile clients that allowed a user to import a key from a PC-based client but of course did not distribute such a key.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

I could finally catch up on "That Mitchell and Webb Look" here in the USA. Thank you very much!

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

I am aware of the potential legal issues. The same issues exist in the case of cuteTube. There is a chance that an application such as this will slip under the radar on a niche platform like Maemo. Both iOS and Android have a much higher profile.

A few more teaser screenshots:

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3...ledwindow3.png

http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/9...ledwindow4.png

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/3...ledwindow6.png

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

is there a timescale for release of this as been waiting for something like this for ages

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

@Marxian....
you should use this theme colour on your cutetube-QML....
i like red & dark better than blue....

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

I'd like to release something by the end of the week (Sunday). :) The first release will have a limited feature set, but later I plan to add PVR features and such.


If you would like to have these colours in cuteTube, just open

and set the following properties


Perhaps I will add an option for this in the settings.
:)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

The potential to be able to watch Question Time on my N900 in New York - wow, you are the man! :)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

OK, more screenshots. :)

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/7...ledwindow5.png

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/8...ledwindow7.png

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/987...ledwindow8.png

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Stuart, you've got talent that is for sure. The possibilities with your applications are endless. What about SKY, specifically those with accounts to log into SkyPlayer?

The PVR option is also a super cool idea considering we have a mighty large hard disk to fill with video.

Keep up the good work! :)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Thanks mate. :) Unfortunately, I think the chances of an unapproved third-party Sky application are very slim. Firstly, I imagine it would be very difficult to authenticate and access the encrypted streams (just a guess). Secondly, taking on Rupert Murdoch would be very risky. I would not like to be on the wrong side of a legal battle with Uncle Rupe. Just ask abill_uk. ;)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Gosh, my suggestion bearing fruit so quickly ! Way to go marxian.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

I am a daily user of cuteTube-Qml and it has the best aesthetic look and speed.
Thanks alot for your great effort and time!!!

I think i am asking too much... is it possible to have an application for groove shark or if you can implement it in cute tube or bebece?

The existing client for Groove shark is unusable for daily use.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Thanks for all your efforts Marxian, all very much appreciated and I will be donating soon.

@ drangina - calling it (Grooveshark app) unuable on a daily basis isn't quite fair or correct as I use it daily and I believe the dev is still working on it.
Another option is always good though.

Dan

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

I know dev are working on it but its soo slow. There is no option to make playlist, and search results are awful.
But you know Marxian, 'You think and he makes the application in days' :D
I am myself going to donate soon:p

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Hang on, there're 5th Doctor era episodes available?!? What channel is that on?

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

BBC Radio 4 extra. They are audio plays.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Ahh, of course. Radio 4 (or its offspring) once again cheers me up...

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

where is this available?

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

It isn't yet. Read the thread, it is in development.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

looks tasty NAMNAMNAM

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

What a load of old bollocks with the Terms and Conditions of iPlayer. It actually would make more sense using iPlayer abroad rather then in the UK since most people can record whatever they want with their set top boxes. Yet brittish holiday makers cannot watch BBC while abroad. Again our TV Licence money well spent...

Disclaimer: I don't really watch telly, just don't like to see my taxes wasted.

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Problem with watching abroad is, if everyone abroad were watching the programmes over the net, the Beeb wouldn't be able to sell them for lots of dosh to foreign networks... it's all about revenue protection...

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

WIP

got it, cheers!

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

That makes sense, though I still don't agree with it. A national television channel shouldn't generate profit, though I understand that staff have to be payed and they are on serious money. Thanks for the info anyway.

@OP Good luck with the app. Cutetube is one of the best youtube client out there, no doubt Bebece is gonna be great too. ;)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Problem is not only preventing BBC original content being distributed abroad without charge - it's also down to (a) terms of UK TV licence and (b) lots of BBC content is not produced locally, it's bought in by BBC, who buy the licence to broadcast it in UK only. it amounts to the same thing from the consumer's perspective, but (b) is much more understandable as a genuine reason to block access from outwih UK. Just as well we have proxies/VPN on our side :-)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

This is fantastic. Thank you for attending to iplayer.

Will this act as, or similar to, an interface for get_iplayer, which provides simiar fumctionality to desktop iplayer for those who cannot install adobe air. The downside is it's terminal-only software and I can't get it working but that's beside the point: get_iplayer doesn't break any rules so why would providing a UI for get_iplayer (or its functionality) be a problem?

cuteBeBeCe is not commecrial software, anyone* could have made it. Furthermore, the underlying service is still provided by the BBC because the streams (and formats) are unadulterated, thus such a wrapper would assist [the corporation] in being able to provide access to all licence payers, not just those using proprietary operating & media systems for which adobe-air exist**.
In short, we have flash-player so nothing need to be done to the content to make it viewable. However, there is no desktop iplayer for our platform, so this is a work-around. Does this still break/bend the rules?

@marxian, is it worth trying to get this to be the official offline player for Maemo 5? (Does M4 support Qt? If so, that too) I suspect that flagging this up with the powers that be, might in fact be a barrier rather than an aid, so quite understand if you don't comment on this ;-).

@fasza2 - good point but unlike other channels the BBC don't offer a +1 service (at the moment) so if you're at work when the thing you want to listen-to/watch is on, then iplayer's the way to get it. As for getting it when away (to pass the time on a rainy beach holiday, for instance) - yes it's very annoying but I wonder if you can pipe your online access through your home ISP? I don't know how to.
As far as non-uk users are concerned, the licence fee (approx 200USD per individual UK dwelling with a TV, per year) pays for the all BBC services, apart from a little bit of FCWO money for the WS, so it's really a matter of serving the people who pay for it, albeit in a slightly heavy-handed/simplistic manner. To get the radio free, where-ever you are, is a bargain because it's some the best bits. These points are aside from matters concerning any content-licensing.
One thing on this - if you live in the UK or are in the UK, you can (from how I understand the rules) download content to a compatible device and play it back when abroad until the programme expires. I think the desktop iplayer can detect the ISP so one is recommended to stay offline to prevent it from stopping playback b/c non-uk isp.

> Slightly off topic but is it possible to TV-Out a larger resolution than the screen? If so, please point me to where I can find info.

> Really looking forward to being able to queue up a stories, rather than faff around going to the page etc. Gotta love R4 & R4E (oops, did I just give away my age?).

> In theory, is this practice extensible to other streams, such as 4OD etc.? If not, might it be possible to 'record' such streams, for viewing within the permitted 28 days of broadcast, of course.

Apologies for wittering on again! Hope everyone's bank holiday isn't a complete washout.

*anyone - not in the literal sense but meaning any iplayer user with the coding know-how, desire and the philanthropic values to share with 'friends'.

**I wonder if, flash 10 armv7 were available, we could have run the offline desktop iplayer in EasyDebian? Guess we'll never know!

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

Might be an idea to discuss with the Beeb - and explain to them that the N900 hasn't got the horsepower to run the whole iPlayer app.. but DOES have the horsepower if this cutetube plugin is permitted...

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

I think the chances of the BBC authorising a third-party iPlayer application such as this are zero. There is nothing in it for them. I would not even wish to co-operate with the BBC, or infact any other hopelessly bureaucratic organisation where the suits would insist on intervening every 2 fecking minutes.

Presenting a logical argument to these type of characters is futile.

The plan is to initially provide playback/download of pre-recorded shows, and take it from there. PVR features will be added later. I have no intention of going within a million miles of any Flash crap.

The application is called BeBeCe and I do not have any plans to extend it beyond BBC content.

:)

Re: [WIP] BeBeCe - BBC iPlayer Application
 

The problem is - you'll have users screaming at you - might it not be an idea to at least *offer* to work with them?

I'm speaking as a potential user of this app, of course. And we might get them to see sense a bit...

Just a thought...

Oh - would you plan to look at adding BBC ID logic to grab fave lists?