How to use iView (ABC Australia) downloaders

[blaircam]

Originally Posted by gxdata

(Windows)
The "iView batch downloader" (maintained by Anywho) is a convenient tool for doing this.

If I had access to a Windows OS that I could muck about with, I'd be all too happy to use BDL. I may save that for next week.

Since I'm using iViewFox, which is also a beautifully easy addon to Mac Firefox, I've had a look at the iv.jsm file, and notice that it calls the series list using:

req.open("GET", 'http://tviview.abc.net.au/iview/api2/?series='+seriesNum, true);

So, using the series number for Dr Who from the current ?seriesindex file, I called up the currently listed files, and notice that this listing includes the naming file format listed there that appears in the BDL cache (i.e. the "n" value "doctorwho_04_04.mp4", "doctorwho_04_03.mp4", etc)

Do you reckon there's a way to simply construct a url that can be entered in a browser that will point to that specific ("n" value) filename - and therefore also be able to be pointed to the logical (but unlisted) filenames - without having to use BDL?

I mean, the mpg4 file has to be physically stored somewhere doesn't it?

[blaircam]

It notes here:
http://iviewdownloaders.wikia.com/wi...es_JSON_format

that the url associated with the file can/should be listed in the json under "l", but I can't see an "l" value in any of the lists I've been able to access so far.

[Anywho]

Originally Posted by blaircam

Do you reckon there's a way to simply construct a url that can be entered in a browser that will point to that specific ("n" value) filename - and therefore also be able to be pointed to the logical (but unlisted) filenames - without having to use BDL?

No. The URLs are not "rtmp" but "http". I'm not aware of any browser that can read an rtmp URL and go to it. "rtmp" URLs are, of course, handled by Adobe's Flash or "equivalent" in a browser.

I mean, the mpg4 file has to be physically stored somewhere doesn't it?

They sure are or sure aren't. Don't you think it would be easy to flip a file-access permission switch or even alias/link to a useless dummy file/link on the server making it appear to be gone? Once they've done that then you've got 2 chances of getting to the file - Buckley's and F.A.

[blaircam]

Originally Posted by Anywho

No. The URLs are not "rtmp" but "http". I'm not aware of any browser that can read an rtmp URL and go to it. "rtmp" URLs are, of course, handled by Adobe's Flash or "equivalent" in a browser.

I figured I'd either have asked an easy question, or I'd end up needing to go and brush up on rtmp protocol. No worries.

Originally Posted by Anywho

They sure are or sure aren't. Don't you think it would be easy to flip a file-access permission switch or even alias/link to a useless dummy file/link on the server making it appear to be gone? Once they've done that then you've got 2 chances of getting to the file - Buckley's and F.A.

Okay, but if they are still accessible, although not publicised, it would be a matter of making logical alterations to the rmtp file path of 'current' episodes in order to guess and download the expired files (?)

[Anywho]

Originally Posted by blaircam

I figured I'd either have asked an easy question, or I'd end up needing to go and brush up on rtmp protocol. No worries.

Hehehe... Yeah, it's never the "easy" one.

Okay, but if they are still accessible, although not publicised, it would be a matter of making logical alterations to the rmtp file path of 'current' episodes in order to guess and download the expired files (?)

Yep. They do change the format of the names sometimes (but not enough to get hung up on it).

You'd need something flexible (something like the Windows batch script) so that you can easily mess around with likely filenames and paths.

[blood.eaglz]

Originally Posted by blaircam

It notes here:
http://iviewdownloaders.wikia.com/wi...es_JSON_format

that the url associated with the file can/should be listed in the json under "l", but I can't see an "l" value in any of the lists I've been able to access so far.

This relates to a program website and not to the path of the video files, eg http://abc.com.au/catalyst/ this tag is used to provide the "go to website" link in the episode description, where appropriate.

Originally Posted by Anywho

They sure are or sure aren't. Don't you think it would be easy to flip a file-access permission switch or even alias/link to a useless dummy file/link on the server making it appear to be gone? Once they've done that then you've got 2 chances of getting to the file - Buckley's and F.A.

this can be further complicated by the fact there are 3 companies involved (ABC, Hostworks and Akamai) and as shown by the f and g tags in the json file a fair bit of automation in the access management, which may also extend to storage management.

For Example We don't know how much storage capacity ABC is renting(though if someone could be bothered adding up the size of all files on the server including unlisted we'd get a ball park idea...maybe), so files that appear to be "gone" may still exist on the akamai and/or hostworks servers and just be restricted (or simply have the extension renamed/deleted), or it may have actually been removed to make way for a new file.



They would certainly be stored somewhere in ABC at least for as long as their licencing allows, but as that is off the grid doesn't do us any good.

[gxdata]

Originally Posted by blood.eaglz

This relates to a program website and not to the path of the video files, eg http://abc.com.au/catalyst/ this tag is used to provide the "go to website" link in the episode description, where appropriate.

this can be further complicated by the fact there are 3 companies involved (ABC, Hostworks and Akamai) and as shown by the f and g tags in the json file a fair bit of automation in the access management, which may also extend to storage management.

For Example We don't know how much storage capacity ABC is renting(though if someone could be bothered adding up the size of all files on the server including unlisted we'd get a ball park idea...maybe), so files that appear to be "gone" may still exist on the akamai and/or hostworks servers and just be restricted (or simply have the extension renamed/deleted), or it may have actually been removed to make way for a new file.

They would certainly be stored somewhere in ABC at least for as long as their licencing allows, but as that is off the grid doesn't do us any good.

Hence, my earlier short reply recommending the procedure for using the (Windows) batch downloader - which Anywho taught me how to manipulate.
For the Dr Who series (S4), the earlier episodes 1,2,3 had been removed/renamed/made invisible to our downloaders.

[st170x]

Hi has anyone tested the SBS napper 20120328 recently as it no longer appears to work.

[blood.eaglz]

Originally Posted by st170x

Hi has anyone tested the SBS napper 20120328 recently as it no longer appears to work.

Hadn't used it in a long time, but it SBS OnDemand is (finally) having a rework, hopefully toward that true iView competitor they talked about ages ago.

Originally Posted by mce @ whirlpool;"http://whrl.pl/Rc9Gyt"

There's big problems at the moment as SBS has changed the content delivery method, rendering current downloaders useless.

It will take some time to understand the new system and if possible provide something useful.

If you want to follow progress on the situation go to The whirlpool SBS downloader forum thread

[gxdata]

Something that I should have indicated a few weeks ago - simultaneous downloads (ie, downloading one show, then another - before the first has finished its download) has a problem.

It just bit me when using the latest SBSNapper - it is the same with the iViewNapper.

Problem: the SAME show can be downloaded twice (or more), if you're a heavy clicker (or forget).

It seems that the client downloader process (curl.exe, or rtmpdump.exe) is invoked and runs, but at the file system level there is only a single FLV / MP4 file created.

I don't know how Windows and those executables managae that, but it happens.

The only problem that I can see is that you will use up your Quota from your ISP. The final video works OK.

I think this is the same with p7Napper, too.

(something for mce to do in his spare time )