BBC iPlayer

[BcastCornwall]

At last customised subtitles are here, on some devices. Minor changes elsewhere too.

https://twitter.com/bbctechcreate/status...5722312704

[Joe]

What is CT, please? My message is too short, so here's another sentence.

[VMPhil]

Connected TVs, I think Joe.

Still no subtitles on Apple TV, I presume?

[Pete]

One thing I’d like is apps like this to respect the defaults on their hosts and also to use their hosts subtitle button.

So if I have subtitles on by default on my Virgin box I shouldn’t have to turn them on again for iPlayer. And I should be able to toggle then using the subtitles button rather then having to use menus or arrows.

[Steddenm]

Have just had the following email from the BBC regarding subtitles...

Dear  Audience Member 

Thanks for contacting us about subtitle size in the past.

We wanted to let you know that you can now change and control the size of the subtitles for BBC iPlayer on TV devices.

Previously subtitles on iPlayer were automatically displayed as a larger size than we use on broadcast, so as part of these changes, we’ve made the default setting a smaller size. For those who need larger or, indeed, even smaller text, you can now choose from a range of five options. That choice is remembered for other programmes you watch in the future.

Currently, the new size controls are only available on our on-demand content but will be coming to live channels on iPlayer in the coming weeks.

More information about the changes can be found here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/ent...66cf499ae2

Thanks again for contacting us and for your interest in BBC iPlayer.

Kind Regards

BBC iPlayer & BBC Sounds Support Team
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/help
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help


P.S. It’s not possible to reply to this email, but if you need to get in touch again about this (or we’ve asked you to), please use this unique webform link to do so (you’ll need to provide the same email address you used when you contacted us originally).

To help you get the most from BBC iPlayer, visit us at www.facebook.com/bbciplayer and https://twitter.com/bbciplayer. For BBC Sounds visit us at www.facebook.com/bbcsounds and https://twitter.com/bbcsounds

[IanJRedman]

Does anyone happen to know the current streaming resolution on iPlayer (for non-UHD content)? IIRC, 1080p50 was enabled for certain devices sometime around the start of 2020, but this reverted to 720p when the pandemic struck. I think it might still be 720p to this day, based on the subjective video quality - to my eyes it seems too soft to be 1080p, but I can't confirm the incoming resolution. If so, very odd (unique?) for a streamer to offer 720p and 2160p, but not 1080p!

[James2001]

BBCiPlayer is pretty unique enough in offering 50fps playback rather than limiting it to 25/30 like most streaming services, which I personally see as making much more of a difference than 1080p would.

[LoganStuff]

Does anyone happen to know the current streaming resolution on iPlayer (for non-UHD content)?

Last time I checked using Streamlink (which was a couple of months ago) the highest quality available was 720p50, and I believe it's still the same currently.

[James Martin]

BBCiPlayer is pretty unique enough in offering 50fps playback rather than limiting it to 25/30 like most streaming services, which I personally see as making much more of a difference than 1080p would.

It's got that jerky filmic look for me no matter what I do. I don't know how the BBC can make a VOD player so bad.

[London Lite]

BBCiPlayer is pretty unique enough in offering 50fps playback rather than limiting it to 25/30 like most streaming services, which I personally see as making much more of a difference than 1080p would.

It's got that jerky filmic look for me no matter what I do. I don't know how the BBC can make a VOD player so bad.

It depends on which device I use. If I use the Nvidia Shield which is set at 1080p/50fps, iPlayer still jerks which appears to an issue with some Android TV apps, such as Discovery+ as well.

However, if I use a Fire Stick at the same settings as the Shield, iPlayer plays smoothly, same for Discovery+.

For the record, the iPlayer app isn't generally available for Android TV and NVidia provide a customised version of the iPlayer app with permission from the BBC.

[James2001]

I get 50fps through the iPlayer through Virgin and Roku, as well as through the web browser on HD content (SD content seems to be stuck at 25fps on the browser though- but is 50fps through the TV). Last time I used it through a chromecast and firestick it was 50fps too, I don't know which platforms are still stuck at 25fps. Possibly android or iOS, I've never used the iPlayer through either of those.

The Virgin on demand service (outside of the seperate apps) used to offer 50i playback until last year, then they moved to a different system which is stuck at 25p, a shame we've had that downgrade, thankfully the iPlayer and ITV Hub apps offer 50fps (though ITV, Channel 4 and 5 content is curiously available though both their own apps and Virgin's own on demand system, the BBC content is app only, other services like Sky and UKTV are only available through Virgin's system), but most content is now stuck at 25p when it used to be 50i.

[Mort]

1280x720p50 needs a steady (at least) 5166 kbps, so consider realistically a 6 Mbps/sec as minimum requirement for 50 fps 720p. Is your connection fat and low latency enough to manage that?

I can get 1280x720p50 playback instantly in Chromium Edge, Chrome, Firefox, etc., where it's available as a quality level. I have problems on my Samsung smart TV where it steps up to the highest quality 25 fps stream, but I almost always have to start streaming, skip forward a few seconds, then quit the stream, and immediately reselect it for playback - then it steps up to the 50 fps stream. Happens on VOD or Live. Either a bug in the Samsung Connected TV build for this model or a Tizen OS problem. My money's on both :lol:

[James2001]

Though there is the 540p50 stream at 2.9mbps as well, so you don't need as fast a connection to get a consistent 50fps stream, isn't there a 360p50 stream available for TV apps as well (but not web browsers)? I know SD content plays at 50fps though TV apps, but only 25fps though a browser.

[wheezypeasy]

isn't there a 360p50 stream available for TV apps as well (but not web browsers)?

You're probably thinking of the 396p50 stream that's around 2 Mbps. I don't know exactly what does and doesn't support it, but it's out there. No personal experience with it, but if the compression is anything like the 396p25 stream the artifacts may be a bit too distracting for comfort except on the smallest screens.

[Universal_r]

Not sure if this is just a problem with my devices but the purple bar that allows you to rewind live BBC channels doesn’t seem to be appearing and the restart programme button is not working. It also seems to be around 2 minutes out of sync rather than the usual 40 seconds. It’s been like this for about a day now. I’ve tried deleting and reinstalling the app but that doesn’t seem to fix it.
Is Anyone else experiencing this issue?