2024-01-02 

Have been using 'get_iplayer' script for convenience for a few years, relying on shell history for the incantations that have served me well. 

Here they are in case the history runs out some day. 


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Just trying a search will also cause a cache update if the cache is older than its set age. 

$ get_iplayer Malory 

Matches:
789:    Malory Towers: Extras - Series 5 Preview, CBBC, m001zxqc
790:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The New Matron, CBBC, m0024rlq
791:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Maypole, CBBC, m0024rm4
792:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Penalty, CBBC, m0024zx2
793:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Investigation, CBBC, m0024zxz
794:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Dream, CBBC, m002579s
795:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Birthday Surprise, CBBC, m00257t2
796:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Challenge, CBBC, m0025gb7
797:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Poison Pen, CBBC, m0025gg7
798:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Chamber, CBBC, m0025psw
799:    Malory Towers: Series 5 - The Last Letter, CBBC, m0025qj9

The result, as above, starts with numbers that are the program IDs for requesting a download. 

The final codes, e.g. m001zxqc, are used in the BBC-iplayer website url for the video 
but don't by themselves work as the ID argument for get_iplayer. 
They work if included within the full url, e.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001zxqc  

So: if wanting a program that's not shown in the get_iplayer cached list, 
try finding it on the iplayer website then directly using that url to tell 
get_iplayer to download it. 


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With earlier versions (~2021?), we just did this to get a single ".ts" output at 1280x720-pixel H264+AAC 
$ get_iplayer --get --log-progress --mode tvbest --raw --output .  $ID

Now (2024) the 'mode' is replaced by 'quality' with more specific values, e.g. fhd|1080p, hd|720p etc, 
$ get_iplayer --get --log-progress --quality 720p --raw  --output .  $ID 

We also notice subtitle and thumbnail options, and that the 720p isn't the best the have, 
$ get_iplayer --get --log-progress --quality 1080p --raw --subtitles --subs-raw --thumb --output .  $ID 


Getting multiple ones, by the URL ID that doesn't require indexing:
$ for id in m0024rlq m0024rm4 m0024zx2 m0024zxz m002579s m00257t2 m0025gb7 m0025gg7 m0025psw m0025qj9 ; do get_iplayer --get --log-progress --quality hd,sd --raw --subtitles --subs-raw --thumb --output . --force 'https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/'$id  ; sleep 180 ; done



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note! the cache by default is the past 30 days of all tv channels
we need to specify to get radio instead/also:  --refresh-include-groups=radio,tv
cannot get more than 30 days without modifying the script (see below)
so: might get a gap in the cached episode-list if having not refreshed for a couple of months 
the shown available episodes after a refresh are *not* the complete set available from iplayer 

can set it to specify just one or a comma-separated list of channels to index
the 'cache-rebuild' could be useful if there's a corruption or one doesn't want earlier-stored items
$ get_iplayer --cache-rebuild --refresh-include="CBBC" --refresh 

builtin max of 30 days can be changed by editing get_iplayer line 7058 
 "my $limit_min = $now - ( 30 * 86400 );"  from 30* to e.g. 60*  
$ get_iplayer --refresh-limit=60 --refresh
$ get_iplayer --refresh-include="CBBC" --refresh-limit=60 --refresh 


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