Suddenly BBC iPlayer videos don´t work

Harald

unread,

Mar 12, 2017, 5:41:27 AM3/12/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

Starting on March 11 2017 BBC iPlayer videos can´t be downloaded anymore.
Is there a fix in the works?

Manfred der Baumeister

unread,

Mar 19, 2017, 12:23:31 PM3/19/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

same Problem here ....

x

unread,

Mar 20, 2017, 10:07:33 PM3/20/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

This has something to do with the way Firefox 52 handles Flash and media streaming, but I don't know what exactly. Downgrading to Firefox 51.0.1 fixes it, so it's not a change on BBC's end. Disabling the other media handling add-ons in the hopes of forcing Firefox to use Flash didn't help. My guess is that Firefox is telling BBC to run iPlayer with something other than Flash and that VDH can't capture whatever that is but I really don't know for certain. VDH sometimes shows a small (5kB) MP3 file and downloads that for iPlayer but it doesn't appear to have the content of the .flv files that you can download in Firefox 51 and that MP3 file doesn't even always show up for downloading.

Message has been deleted

Key Lime Pie

unread,

Mar 21, 2017, 12:30:11 AM3/21/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

I cannot make it work in versions 52.0.1 or 52.0. So far it works in versions 51.0.1 and previous and firefox portable esr 45.8.0. I also get a small .mp3 file showing as the download instead of .flv.

Richard P

unread,

Mar 22, 2017, 4:10:49 PM3/22/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

Had the same problem, found this link on BBC iPlayer to opt/switch between Flash and HTML5 on BBC's site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/html5

After I opted out of HTML5, I was able to download Sounds of the 60ies both as FLV and as FLV converted to MP3. Just 6 days before Brian Mathhew's last episode before his retirement will no longer be available on BBC iPlayer :-)

RoF

unread,

Mar 22, 2017, 4:55:34 PM3/22/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

Same problem here. After enjoying a few weeks of being able to download BBC iPlayer offerings, it suddenly became impossible to do. The specific problem seems to be one that always used to be the case before the recent time of downloads being possible. Previously, and now, downloads are broken into small chunks and only the first of these files shows up as being available to save with DLH.

Key Lime Pie

unread,

Mar 25, 2017, 2:22:33 AM3/25/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

Thank you for posting this! It does work and I can now use Firefox 52.01. My files now show as .flv.

Yves Ligot

unread,

Mar 29, 2017, 8:23:02 AM3/29/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

Great !! Yes, it works ! Perfect, you made my day, thanks a lot !

Message has been deleted

RickInDorset

unread,

Mar 30, 2017, 2:04:41 PM3/30/17

to Video DownloadHelper Q&A

Thank you Richard P, this has fixed my Windows 7 Laptop problem which started a week or so ago. Very well detected!

Incidentally, my old XP workstation was not affected (yet) and carried on regardless.

:)

Reply all

Reply to author

Forward

Message has been deleted