[Phantom Menace]

As at today adownloader appears in the same situation as iV#$wnapper and iV#$wripper - broken to latest uploads.

Micallef's post napper Ep9 and 10 download OK by pasting the browser url, as does Checkout 1, but Checkout 2 appears to fail at the m3u8 parse and hangs this app to the point an os restart is required to clear it.

It hard to know whether it is conspiracy or incompetence behind the iV#$w changes. Ie are they working hard to block downloads or are they just evolving/changing their streaming implementation without much testing.

As a precaution we should all be aware about providing too much info to this public forum in case the ABC developers are actively monitoring it. Specifically mention of still working download methods should be withheld.

The time taken for the app supporters (and the abc itself) to fix the iV#$w failure issues is way too slow - which could boost efforts by the abc to keep changing the implementation, as one strategy to deter downloads.

Certainly PC users are not as badly off as appliance owners. We still have fully working viewing and downloading solutions - as opposed to those owners of now unsupported hardware who find themselves abandoned.

Strategically we seem to be running the VCR recording of TV battle all over again. But this time we don't have the PAL broadcast format standard to limit technical counter measures.