Download DRM Free Content From the BBC iPlayer

[InsaneNutter]

Background:
So you have seen something you want to watch on the BBC Iplayer but don’t want to watch it on your PC? unless you own a Nokia N96, iPhone or one of the few other iPlayer compatible devices your pretty much out of luck as anything you can download off the iPlayer contains DRM. DRM in the iPlayers case prevents your download from playing on anything apart from the PC that downloaded.

However fear not, there is a simple program called the iPlayer Downloader that could be just what you’re after. This program fools the iPlayer in to thinking your PC is one of the mobile devices that is allow to download content off the iPlayer. As the mobile downloads contain no DRM you can basically do whatever you want with the content you download.


How to download drm free content:

Download the iPlayer Downloader

Find something you want to download from the iPlayer and copy the URL

Paste this in to the iPlayer downloader and press download

Save the file to your PC

Wait for it to download

Enjoy DRM free content

Everything I’ve downloaded plays perfectly on my modified Xbox running Xbox Media Centre.

Iplayer Downloader Homepage

 

[Titcher]

Just a quick mention, you can get similar results using the User Agent Switcher for Firefox, just set your user agent to iPhone and when you browse iplayer you'll get the iphone pages.

P.S InsaneNutter, there's a plugin for XBMC that uses the iphone format videos and streams them from the website, xbmc-iplayer - Google Code

 

[xzKinGzxBuRnzx]

Won't let me watch them it says "This content doesn't seem to be working. Try again later."

Then it takes me to another page with a even larger iPlayer and gives me this error...

"Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only, but all BBC iPlayer Radio programmes are available to you. Why?

If you are in the UK and see this message please read this advice.

Go to Radio channels home page"

Wish I could download these...

 

[InsaneNutter]

There's a plugin for XBMC that uses the iphone format videos and streams them from the website, xbmc-iplayer - Google Code

Can you actually get that plug-in to work Titcher?

I used to use the version you linked to but the BBC changed the iPlayer which broke the script, I have the V2 of it from here: xbmc-iplayerv2 - Google Code however it always gives me an error when loading the script, I would have to check to see exactly what it says. I use the latest stable build: T3CH XBMC 2009-06-01 9.04.1-FIXED-Babylon

"Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only, but all BBC iPlayer Radio programmes are available to you

Yep sadly the iPlayer is UK only, I know how you feel as ive been annoyed by American sites blocking me because im in the UK.
One solution is to find a UK proxy although any free ones are likely to be too slow to use the iPlayer. You could also get a cheap VPS in the UK and use it as a proxy, that’s very easy to do.

ConnectSwitch currently have: 30GB Disk Space, 256MB RAM, 500GB bandwidth for £3.98 a month with the code HALFPRICE
Cheap VPS also have plans from £5 a month.

Digiex has used both companies in the past before getting our dedicated servers, both can be trusted no problem.

 

[Titcher]

Yes, I've got these to work. You're probably making the same mistake I did, they're not scripts as such, they're video plugins and go in a different folder, updating XBMC always helps too of course.

 

[InsaneNutter]

Ah yes you were right, I’m in the habit of putting everything in the scripts folder.
Thanks, everything is working once again!

 

[Nimrod]

Good news for you KingzBurnz and other members, Digiex has a UK IP available on its dedicated servers so I am going to set up an iPlayer Relay so you can download shows you want from it

 

[KillerWhiteMan]

Very nice idea Nimrod! I think that would get used quite a lot.

 

[xzKinGzxBuRnzx]

Good news for you KingzBurnz and other members, Digiex has a UK IP available on its dedicated servers so I am going to set up an iPlayer Relay so you can download shows you want from it

I'm still waiting Mr. Nimrod! I want more Top Gears!!