How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Another weird anomaly is that the PowerPC version I compiled gives 0 false-positives: https://www.virustotal.com/file/9469...is/1339495602/

Here are my binaries if you or mce are curious: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2067588/iVi...mpBinaries.rar

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

There's 13 days before the latest Q&A expires.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

No problem. I was able to download it with IViewNapper. I had a look at the code but my batch coding skills are somewhat lacking.. :o

It looks like a new version of IViewNapper was released not that long ago to address this problem..

Thanks! :D

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I'm a bit concerned that your rtmpdump.exe is showing at least 4 hits on the virus-total scan. It shows 2 when packed, and 4 when unpacked! Mind you, neither of these trip my VS (MSE).

Maybe you have/had a rogue in your dev-environment?

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

That fix above was because in VB.NET one should use & to concatenate strings, but sometimes the old habit of using + creeps in and can cause errors.

The actual fix was probably one where "Fix incorrect characters in filename" as spaces and & (and more) can cause problems. I convert '&' to 'and' in output filenames and wrap it in quotes.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I did reply to this earlier yesterday, but my post is being "moderated" (very slowly too) for some reason.

I fixed it inside the json parsers anyway... That way the iView devs don't get to see how to circumvent it. I'll eventually do it for all the other cases too... It's one of those "round 2 its" ;)

The link to download it from is in the Wikia (see first post of this thread).

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

The iView catalog currently has only 109 series listed. Is this a transition to something different - or just a maintenance update using the same data organisation?
(the latter, I think)

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

similar here but i get up to 159 series, both the bat and napper stop at trouble in amish paradise, so stuck in the Ts when the show i'm after is in the Vs.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Yeah, seems to be a problem at ABC. Even on their website it stops at the T's. :D (snigger)

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Sometime yesterday someone caught up with the backlog; now I see 241 Series so back to 'normal'. Perhaps they can also re-train or discipline the ppl who do the uploads - judging by 5 weeks of duplicated listings in the RSS feeds, and quite a few stuff-ups and double uploads of shows at iView, the volume of work is getting on top of someone.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Got the new version and it works.

Thanks :)

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I have two users that are having similar problems. RTMPDump seems to connect ok for them, but then they get an Access Denied error. The weird thing is it happens after the authentication handshake succeeds. I thought at first perhaps the authentication token might have become invalid or something, but the error seems to occur almost straight away.

Here's pastebins of the two users debug output:
http://pastebin.com/EshYh9R9
http://pastebin.com/WvMhbxZi

Can you guys see anything in there that might point to the problem?

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

The first one points to a non-existent program (torchwood s3e1).

Comparing the second one to mine shows the differences to mine (below), but may be different (?) with Hostworks vs Akamai :

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Problem with downloading programme from the ABC.
I used iviewNapper, which calls rtmpdump-win32-2.3r557.exe
I turned on debug (by clicking on the icon and selecting debug)
Attempted to download Dr Who S3 Ep8
Download stopped, resumed, stopped again.
Files received:
... Episode 8 Human Nature.mp4 (23465Kb)
... Episode 8 Human Nature.mp4.bat (1Kb) which had the single line:
rtmpdump-win32-2.3r557.exe -r rtmp://203.18.195.10/ondemand?auth="124C9F223E32ECA14B0E&mp4:doctorwho_ 03_08" -y "mp4:doctorwho_03_08" -o "Doctor Who Series 3 -- Doctor Who Series 3 Episode 8 Human Nature.mp4" -W "http://www.abc.net.au/iview/images/iview.jpg" --resume

_AUTH_.XML (1Kb)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<iview xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://www.abc.net.au/iView/Services/iViewHandshaker">
<ip>58.7.166.129</ip>
<isp>iiNet</isp>
<desc>iiNet Limited</desc>
<host>Hostworks</host>
<server>rtmp://203.18.195.10/ondemand</server>
<bwtest>rtmp://203.18.195.10/live</bwtest>
<token>124C9F223E32ECA14B0E</token>
<text><![CDATA[iview is unmetered for <a href="http://www.iinet.net.au/" target="_blank">iiNet</a> and <a href="http://www.westnet.com.au/freezone/" target="_blank">Westnet</a> customers.]]></text>
<free>yes</free>
</iview>
config.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<config>
<param name="api" value="http://tviview.abc.net.au/iview/api2/?"/>
<param name="auth" value="http://tviview.abc.net.au/iview/auth/?v2"/>
<param name="tray" value="xml/tray.xml"/>
<param name="categories" value="xml/categories.xml"/>
<param name="classifications" value="xml/classifications.xml" />
<param name="captions" value="http://www.abc.net.au/iview/captions/"/>
<param name="captions_offset" value="0"/>
<param name="captions_live_offset" value="-2"/>
<param name="live_streaming" value="true" />
<param name="server_streaming" value="rtmp://cp53909.edgefcs.net/ondemand" />
<param name="server_fallback" value="rtmp://cp44823.edgefcs.net/ondemand" />
<param name="highlights" value="http://www.abc.net.au/iview/api/highlights.htm" />
<param name="home" value="http://www.abc.net.au/iview/xml/home.xml" />
<param name="geo" value="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/geo/iview/geotest.xml" />
<param name="time" value="http://www.abc.net.au/iview/api/time.htm" />
<param name="feedback_url" value="http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/Board.aspx?b=98"/>
</config>
and
config.json which appears to be a Unix listing of the programmes available but doesn't include any mention of Dr Who or Human Nature.

No other files are evident.

The mp4 file should be in the order of 220Mb.

Why might the download come unstuck? I get a success rate of well under 50% when trying to collect ABC programmes.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Using the iView_Downloader (Windows batch version), the command line should actually be something like:
There seems to be extra data that probably shouldn't be there (the "&mp4:doctorwho_03_08") in the "auth=" parameter. The iView server would likely see that as an invalid authentication and disconnect you after a while (90 to 180 secs.).

You'll have to wait until mce investigates some more I guess :cool:

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Thanks Anywho. I'm sure mce will look at what I've sent in and come up with some ideas.

What intrigues me is that some people consider it perfectly legal to record programmes when they are broadcast (using their DVD recorders, or VCRs for those with old technology), and those who subscribe to FetchTV get equipment which allows them to record programmes received via that internet TV service, yet it's supposedly not legal to record off the stations' web sites. The Copyright Act, with all its amendments, allows recording of TV programmes for personal use, and doesn't specify a means of getting them.

Would someone like to offer some explanation?

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I'm looking into it now, even though this episode download just fine for me.

I'll ask Sandgroper12 to trial a test version of iVN. I think my fast connection allows it to download before chucking a wobbly.

http://users.on.net/~m.elliott/ivn/i...r_20120627.exe

This is a test version for others to try if they have this problem

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I wonder if your problem is similar to one I just cannot fix?

I am using iViewNapper (not the new trial one - the one before that I think) and I will get 99.99% success - not even timeouts or resumes, most of the time, when I use my old Belkin modem (bought years ago from iiNet, my ISP).

When I use my BoB2 modem with VOIP, the timeouts are excessive (they default to 30 seconds, if no parameter is passed to rtmpdump), and can make the download time 5 to 20 tiimes as long, when all the manual intervention is taken into account.

This can be tested with the 2 different modems within minutes, any time of day, with nobody using the VOIP phone service.

Indeed, I can set the ADSL Optimiser setting (at iiNet Toolbox) to anything from 'Thrillseeker' down to the slowest, with no change in the timeouts and resumes.

I have put up with this for 3-4 months, would you believe?

Amazingly, whichever downloader I use with SBS, the BoB2 modem is fast and error-free. And, using mce's p7Napper at Plus!7, it is also fast and free of timeouts.

Explain that !

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

The restriction has always, since the beginning of streaming radio way back in the old RealPlayer days, been that online broadcasting is presented 'as if' it's the same as terrestrial broadcasting i.e no access for the audience to the whole original source, be it film, tape, disc or magnetic wire.
But access to original source is always possible with digital media. One way or another.
The management of streaming online has always been to invoke DRM (research all that yourself, it takes up quite a bit of the web to go into the explanations and arguments for what is essentially a failed paradigm). Which DRM is effected in a whole lot of silly ways, one of which is easily defeated by open source use of the rtmp protocol - as in rtmpdump which is getting used here. rtmpdump in effect gets the file **streamed**, but nice and fast, and it also copies it **dumps** it too. Nothing illegal but inconvenient for drm patsies.
The legality of **copying** a show for personal use, however you do it, isn't the question; you could run one of quite a few capture applications right now to record anything that plays on your home computer. I'm guesssing you're here because you would also like to get it **fast** copied.
But the owners of stuff that gets broadcast, often attach restrictions to it that the broadcaster has to abide by in return for broadcasting rights... one of which is to **not** allow rapid file getting, even if it's a legal method which rtmpdump is.
So illegal really isn't the problem for viewers, it's a problem for the broadcaster. And they really do know that it's impossible to manage with any drm kind of stuff, so all they can really do is look away from this kind of self-help and try not to let the word get around too quickly.
Very sad because the people who could really do with the help that rtmpdump gives are those with not enough dosh to get good gear and nice fast dsl connections, so their streaming doesn't work well.

Nothing illegal going on here, just self-help against a heap of silly roadblocks.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I'm still having trouble with 'napper even with the newer version. what I see is the menu coming up slower, then it will close or bring up that dialogue box giving me the option to close or continue, sometimes it just closes instead of giving the programme list or closes when I select the episode or just closes the dos box when I hit run.

What is consistent is that I get the most trouble when iview is the busiest. If I try after 11pm or 6am it tends to work. Even the weekends are better.

We are in the demographic that 'napper et al is designed for, fast broadband will never be an option, heck, the local telephone exchange isn't even adsl equipped (too few people in working distance). The only way to be able to watch ABC or SBS is via the internet. Don't even ask about NBN if you don't want a firey rant.

I could try it when it fails next week but someone will need to give me step by step instructions to enable error logging.

Edit: Just tried to download a programme and get 'index out of bounds of the array' then it freezes until I click quit.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

BoB2 modem - all my iView download problems have been fixed by a firmware upgrade from 2581 to 2600.

So far, 45 minutes without a timeout and only one automatic resume, without having to start the rtmpdump process over again.

Since I have had the BoB2, it has been almost unusable, such that I would unplug it and use a 5 year old Belkin modem instead when wanting to download from iView.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Can you do a speedtest with www.ozspeedtest.com and report the download speed in KB/s, here? That will give us an idea of how slow / fast your ADSL service is.

Have you tried any of the other downloaders? Perhaps the latest batch downloader would be an easy install, but see http://iviewdownloaders.wikia.com/wi...wnloaders_Wiki for all of them. The BDL v15.85 is at http://www.mediafire.com/?6nbta279wgd8c7n and was updated 2-3 weeks ago.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Hi, Since that spate of trouble I've had none since, even using the 20120514 version. Mind you the weather has been good since then! When the weather is fine my download speed is 622B/s. Only because the 3G modem is built into and optimised for the laptop (panasonic CF-19). I just tried the 3G gateway on the main computer and it is running 314KB/s, when it rains heavily it struggles to even maintain a connection!

So it's fine at the moment and I'll repost live figures when the speed crashes again. What it does seem to me though, is that unless the ABC broke something that they have subsequently fixed, my problems will be just related to poor internet rather than the 'napper.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Good to hear davey52.

Please keep us informed.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I seem to have problems of the last few months using the Napper download files.
Is it just me or has something changed to make them crash during downloads.
I have been using them for a couple of years so am familar with them & how they work.

Any ideas ?

Cheers
Matt

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

rtmpdump is not downloading for me (Windows, batch / Napper / Helper) since ~ 10am WST today, just displaying INFO: Connected then closing.

iView Player seems OK for all the News category I have tried, and a few Arts and Kids (which FAIL with the downloaders).

I'm on iiNet but this is baffling to me. Has anyone else had this experience today?

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Do you mean you can't get a complete download? Or do the downloaded videos fail to play properly?
If the former, what ISP and modem are you using?

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

No probs here. Just DL'd latest "Good Game" @ 13:15ACST no worries. (IBD v15.85)

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

My Error is as described by gxdata.
It creates a o byte file of the program but doesn't actually download anything & just exits the cmd script.

ISP is Exetel with fixed IP address, modem is a Billion 7404VGPX

Cheers
Matt

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

My solution - amazing how you can forget to check the simplest things - was to turn off my (BoB2) modem for a couple of minutes, then wait until it powered up properly, and try the download again.

If that had not fixed the problem - ABC TV News from last night just completed - I would have tried my very old Belkin modem.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I think my modem firewall may be the problem.
What TCP/ICP port does iNapper use ?

Cheers
Matt

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I discovered this thread after having problems with iViewFox today.

I've followed all the instructions with iViewNapper and am getting the same problem I did with iViewFox - any program over an hour or so stops at around the 70% mark. This is something that has happened off and on for ages now - it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

I just reset the modem and tried again with the same result.

PS Anyone know what's happened with iViewFox? It's no longer available and all links lead to an awful music video on YouTube. ;)

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I have no knowledge of iViewFox (have not downloaded it).

But always helpful: exactly when you had the problem (iView servers are sometimes down / slow / erratic), who is your ISP, and what speed to you get (eg, using OzSpeedtest.com).

And, what's your current experience using the player at ABC iView (state what shows you tried).

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Thanks for your reply.

After using iViewNapper for the first time, iViewFox seems to be very similar.

Today's download problem was between 0700&1030 AEST. I have found downloading any program longer than 1 hour has always been a hit & miss thing with RTMPDUMP.

I ended up watching the program (Wire in the Blood - 90mins) directly through iView with no hiccups.

"Your line speed is 7.96 Mbps (7964 kbps)"

ISP is Internode.

I've very rarely experienced any problem with iView. Only apparent ones indicated iView was down.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Your download rate is a little slow, but I don't think that is the problem.

Yes, it is frustrating to track down just where problems can be. My recent problem was with iiNet's BoB2 modem which handled rtmpdump downloads from elsewhere*, but gave incredibly poor experience when downloading from iView (though the ABC player seemed quite OK). I could change to another modem, and get 100% smooth and quick downloading with (say) iViewNapper.

Updating the firmware on the BoB2 modem completely fixed the problem.

* - SBS, Plus7, etc

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Looks like ABC are getting upset.

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

I cannot download using iViewFox 1.4.0 anymore.

Problems started manifesting themselves mid-afternoon with errors indicating connection problems but now downloads hang at the RTMPDump message:
I have tried installing iViewNapper_20120514 but this hangs at the same point (although the RTMPDump version is 2.3).

Looks to me like the iView folks have blocked us...

Anyone have any ideas?

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Posting that I was having a problem seemed to be enough to fix it!

Must have been a temporary hiccup lasting a few hours...

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Hey guys,

In case anyone is interested. I have written an ABC iView app which is implemented as a FUSE driver. This means that if you are running Linux you can 'mount' iview so that it appears on your computer as just another drive/folder. You can browse for shows using your file browser and then click on a show to watch it through your favourite media player. You can also download a show if you want just by dragging and dropping the show you want into another folder. As far as your computer knows, iView is like a USB flash drive. :)

The program is here:

http://github.com/garfunkel/auntie

The program has very few dependencies. Just three, and if you running most modern desktop distributions they will be in your repositories. The dependenies are FUSE, jannson (json library) and libxml2 (xml library).

Note: To program this I mainly used LLVM Clang, but many of you are using GCC. The program compiles perfectly under GCC. You can do this by changing 'clang' to 'gcc' in the makefile. If you still have issues compiling the code it could be because you have an older version of your build utils than mine. That's OK too, just change the -std=c11 to -std=c99.

The program is implemented in C and uses librtmp and doesn't call rtmpdump so this should help to avoid several issues people have been having with these types of apps.

Have fun!

Re: How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

 

Hell yes I am interested, this sounds awesome.

Thanks garfunkel!