Re: Saving BBC streaming video clips?

de John 01/31/2008 02:45

Terry Pinnell wrote:
> John <me@zen.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> Terry Pinnell wrote:
>>> Anyone have a recommendation for a straightforward method to capture a
>>> BBC video clip (typically streaming RealPlayer media) to my HD please?
>>>
>>> I looked for a short example with which to experiment and found this
>>> 24 second clip:
>>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/videonation/articles/d/devon_thebarton.shtml
>>> I can view that OK by clicking WATCH THIS VIDEO. But how do I capture
>>> it permanently? (Ideally in MPEG or WMV. But if in 'rm' format, I can
>>> probably use something like SUPER to convert it).
>>>
>>> Apart from half a dozen commercial programs, my research produced one
>>> possibility called Real7ime Converter (R7C). But I can't get it
>>> working. Probably because I use RealPlayer Alternative, as I found
>>> RealPlayer too intrusive.
>>>
>>> I also tried a method based on the assumption that, after playing in
>>> full, the file must be in my Firefox cache folder. But immediately
>>> after playing that short video example, I found not one but two new
>>> files in there:
>>> _CACHE_001_
>>> _CACHE_002_
>>>
>>> Neither have extensions (which I find an annoyance - one small
>>> advantage that IE Temporary Internet Files had!) so I tried adding
>>> one, to give
>>> _CACHE_001_.rm
>>> _CACHE_002_.rm
>>> But although d-clicking opens Media Player Classic, I just get an
>>> unhelpful error message "RealMedia error".
>>>
>>> Any practical advice would be much appreciated please. There must be
>>> some no-brainer way to do this!
>>>
>> Since you are using Firefox, you should download this add on:
>>
>> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006
>>
>> And it will do what you want.
>
> Thanks, but no it won't!
>
> It saves a small file which is the *URL* of the file I want, not the
> file itself. In the example I gave, I get a 1KB file:
> devon_thebarton_4x3_bb.ram
> On running that, the video is streamed to me again over the net.
> Assuming it still exists (most BBC file have deadlines). And I can of
> course achieve that by simply bookmarking the link.
>
Sorry Terry, but you are wrong. It downloads the video to a folder which
can then be retrieved and played on media player.

John.