BBC iPlayer

Forums › Online streaming services › BBC iPlayer

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

4708 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1182

ID Verified

Trusted

#1462595 6-Jan-2016 19:37

poppy10: I've got the lifetime Getflix smartDNS subscription. It works great with Netflix - whether I choose Aus, UK or USA it all loads quickly at SuperHD resolution with no lagging or latency. Fine with All4 and Demand 5 too.

But with iPlayer I constantly get buffering and then eventually "you don't have enough bandwidth to play this content."
I have 100MB fibre and speed tests confirm I am running at top speed. There is no network congestion as I don't have any other devices accessing the internet. The supposed lack of bandwidth only affects iPlayer, not other internet sites/apps.

Are other DNS providers better with accessing iPlayer from NZ?

I also have the Getflix lifetime sub and have been using the BBC iPlayer app on the new Apple TV for a few weeks now and it is working great.
This is on my ~5Mbps ADSL at home.
Watched the new Sherlock the other night, and Mrs Brown's Boys, and it didn't stop to buffer once.

The 3Now app on the other hand does seem to stop and buffer a lot.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

staticnz

151 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 31

#1464653 6-Jan-2016 21:04

poppy10: I've got the lifetime Getflix smartDNS subscription. It works great with Netflix - whether I choose Aus, UK or USA it all loads quickly at SuperHD resolution with no lagging or latency. Fine with All4 and Demand 5 too.

But with iPlayer I constantly get buffering and then eventually "you don't have enough bandwidth to play this content."
I have 100MB fibre and speed tests confirm I am running at top speed. There is no network congestion as I don't have any other devices accessing the internet. The supposed lack of bandwidth only affects iPlayer, not other internet sites/apps.

Are other DNS providers better with accessing iPlayer from NZ?

unotelly working brilliant for me and several other people who i've set it up for.

richms

29104 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10217

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1464656 6-Jan-2016 21:05

Its been playing fine for me, except something has gone screwey on my PC and anything video related is playing with massive tearing and judder so I cant really use it at the moment. Guess its nvidias fault with driver updates again.

Richard rich.ms

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#1464678 6-Jan-2016 21:21

poppy10: I've got the lifetime Getflix smartDNS subscription. It works great with Netflix - whether I choose Aus, UK or USA it all loads quickly at SuperHD resolution with no lagging or latency. Fine with All4 and Demand 5 too.

But with iPlayer I constantly get buffering and then eventually "you don't have enough bandwidth to play this content."
I have 100MB fibre and speed tests confirm I am running at top speed. There is no network congestion as I don't have any other devices accessing the internet. The supposed lack of bandwidth only affects iPlayer, not other internet sites/apps.

Are other DNS providers better with accessing iPlayer from NZ?

As I mentioned a few posts (and a couple of months ago), I think the unblocker just fools the region checking the overseas app does, after that the traffic will be routed via your ISP. So once the actual streaming starts its pretty much however the traffic gets routed on the way through your ISP.

You could try signing up up on a free trial of dns4me or unotelly and do some tests if you think that might make a difference - I would be interested in the results. Who is your ISP?

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

richms

29104 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10217

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1464683 6-Jan-2016 21:28

Sorry, should have mentioned I am on unotelly here. Not getflix.

Richard rich.ms

Kiwifruta

1425 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 337

ID Verified

#1464748 6-Jan-2016 22:40

Anyone else frequently get buffering issues with BBC iplayer?
I was watching Billionaire Boy the other day fine on my android phone, so put it on the chromecast, where it would play for about 30 seconds and then buffer for about 30 seconds. I tried the Fire TV on both wifi and the ethernet over powerline adapter, again the same buffering issues. My download speed test to my ISP was in excess of 30Mb/s, this was measured over wifi from my android phone.
Billionaire Boy had only screened in the UK within about 12 hours of my trying to stream it, perhaps that was a factor.

I expect that the Fire TV and Chromecast would stream a higher definition picture than the phone, but still wouldn't expect so much buffering, or any buffering apart from the initial loading.

Netflix played although it wasn't Full HD, but no buffering issues, and that was from a non-NZ Netflix catalogue.

ISP is Trustpower, on their 50/20 UFB plan and I use DNS4ME. The dns4me hostfile is updated hourly on my router.

I didn't check for interference from the neighbours' wifi signals, but usually we stream fine.

Is the buffering on BBC iplayer a common experience for fellow GZers?
Inicidentally I streamed live the RWC on ITV with no problems.

New World

Shop on-line at New World now for your groceries (affiliate link).

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 124

Trusted

#1464761 6-Jan-2016 22:56

Kiwifruta: Anyone else frequently get buffering issues with BBC iplayer?
...
Is the buffering on BBC iplayer a common experience for fellow GZers?
Inicidentally I streamed live the RWC on ITV with no problems.

I never get buffering issues with iPlayer, even when I'm streaming HD material. Using UnoTelly, normally just the DNS redirector but sometimes also the VPN and both work equally fine.

My connection is 4G RBI wireless.

Kiwifruta

1425 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 337

ID Verified

#1464763 6-Jan-2016 23:01

grant_k:
Kiwifruta: Anyone else frequently get buffering issues with BBC iplayer?
...
Is the buffering on BBC iplayer a common experience for fellow GZers?
Inicidentally I streamed live the RWC on ITV with no problems.

I never get buffering issues with iPlayer, even when I'm streaming HD material. Using UnoTelly, normally just the DNS redirector but sometimes also the VPN and both work equally fine.

My connection is 4G RBI wireless.

Thanks.

I'll try the same movie again later, perhaps it was too newly loaded on the BBC servers, and wasn't cached nearby yet.

Linuxluver

5833 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1639

Trusted

Subscriber

#1464768 6-Jan-2016 23:16

mattwnz:
jmh: Do you need to watch it live? It's not illegal to watch the on-demand service. I generally stick with that.

Just because it doesn't have the warning, doesn't necessarily mean that people who havn't paid the uk tv license fee can watch it. But that is a pretty archaic fee, nz ditched it many years ago.

We should bring it back.

Getting rid of it has made RNZ and TVNZ dependent on the government of the day for funding....so if you cause the government any trouble they cut or cap your funding. In the case of TVNZ, this government rid of any public broadcasting requirement at all....after they shut down TVNZ 7 because it was going to cost $16M (but not problem for $100M to sell off half of our energy assets or $26M for a referendum on a flag or $22M for pandas). You see where I'm going.

Radio NZ hasn't had a funding increase in 7 years because they insist on doing serious journalism. TVNZ folded years ago and give us Mike Hoskings - National Party Lover.

2015 has seen a "mediapocalypse" in New Zealand.....with almost every serious journalist who caused the government any heartburn losing their jobs or being harassed by the police (HDPA and Nicky Hager).

_____________________________________________________________________

I've been on Geekzone over 16 years..... Time flies....

turb

880 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 135

#1464807 7-Jan-2016 06:22

I'm on Trustpower 30 UFB/Unotelly and iPlayer works like a dream. It used to buffer a bit on ~5 adsl.

For most programmes you can download them, with a choice of SD or HD. Current favourites are The Boats That Built Britain, and Blood and Gold.

The downloader also features a series link tickbox, so it'll automatically download new episodes for you.

If you are tired of murder porn, highway patrol, cooking, diy etc then the BBC is the place to go.

Interests: HTPC, Web App authoring.

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 124

Trusted

#1464810 7-Jan-2016 07:00

turb: ...
If you are tired of murder porn, highway patrol, cooking, diy etc then the BBC is the place to go.

Absolutely!

Also check out Curiosity Stream

It's like the Discovery Channel on steroids and without any ads.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

robjg63

4161 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1427

Subscriber

#1464823 7-Jan-2016 08:00

I had terrible buffering issues with BBC iplayer. I am on VF adsl in Auckland. My speed is around 16mbps.
In fact most overseas streaming was quite poor. Constant buffering and sometimes failure altogether.
Around November last year it suddenly all just started working properly.
I suspect vodafone had been forced to improve parts of their network and noted complaints about the cable network at the same time I was having the worst problems.

Have been on dns4me all that time.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

jonathan18

7415 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2850

ID Verified

Trusted

#1464871 7-Jan-2016 09:04

poppy10: I've got the lifetime Getflix smartDNS subscription. It works great with Netflix - whether I choose Aus, UK or USA it all loads quickly at SuperHD resolution with no lagging or latency. Fine with All4 and Demand 5 too.

But with iPlayer I constantly get buffering and then eventually "you don't have enough bandwidth to play this content."
I have 100MB fibre and speed tests confirm I am running at top speed. There is no network congestion as I don't have any other devices accessing the internet. The supposed lack of bandwidth only affects iPlayer, not other internet sites/apps.

Are other DNS providers better with accessing iPlayer from NZ?

I also use Getflix (on 30MB fibre) and have no issue with BBC iPlayer buffering, as per others above, so I doubt it's an issue with your choice of DNS service but something more particular to your set-up/situation.

As an aside, I'm really pleased that iPlayer's download feature works properly now (initially it would download at the most farcically slow speeds rendering it useless), as it's a great feature to be able to be able to save programmes for later viewing. We stayed at my brother's place, and he has a 2GB (yes, you read that correctly!) limit, despite being on TC cable in Wgtn, so I was able to save a bunch of programmes for the kids and us to watch while there. I wish Netflix offered this feature...

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19071 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16315

Lifetime subscriber

#1464874 7-Jan-2016 09:05

I am on RBI 4g. Test speeds regularly up to 50 Mbps down, (almost) never below 30 Mbps (the exception was New Year's Day, when it dipped to 10 Mbps, a record).

I have never, ever had any buffering or stuttering issues at all with BBC iPlayer or other European sites. I get the same result with Unotelly, Stremr.TV, and other proxies. Where I do regularly have problems is Oz - SBS, ABC, 7 Live. Go figure.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

shk292

2916 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2040

Lifetime subscriber

#1464889 7-Jan-2016 09:23

Linuxluver:

2015 has seen a "mediapocalypse" in New Zealand.....with almost every serious journalist who caused the government any heartburn losing their jobs or being harassed by the police (HDPA and Nicky Hager).

Nicky Hager, uses stolen material (allegedly) to create a book, gets investigated just as everyone else who profits from the proceeds of a crime should

HDPA, impersonates a police officer and commits fraud to highlight a "loophole" that has never previously been used to obtain a firearm, and gets investigated because she has committed criminal offences (allegedly)

I think you need to be quite a long way down the tinfoil hat spectrum to think these people are being gagged by the government and/or randomly harassed by police

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7