Re: Fun with words

"Tickettyboo" <tickettyboo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4ccerlF14uj0mU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In news:11xx2jomktt4g$.113d8hw9lq2ht.dlg@xxxxxxxxxx,
JoeH whispered softly in my ear...:

There's a new panel game starting on BBC4 on Thursday which will
interest some of you, I'm sure.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/features/fullstops/

I went to have a look at the 'sample' clips and I need a new
Real Player .
Doesn't anything last these days? LOL

I think that may be cos they are RM (RealMedia) *Video* Clips,
rather than the usual Audio stuff that the BBC Radio Sites do.
& Yes, Video CoDecs *have* progressed (& improved a lot!) over the
Years since your RealPlayer (Version 8?) came out.

The Links on the BBC Page for the Clips seem to go to a "Redirection"
Page, which (tries to) check the BandWidth of your Connection
& then ReDirects to another URL, depending on what TickBox you Tick,
if it can't suss it out for itself.

There's one URL for "Standard Quality" - NarrowBand - below 256 kbps
& another URL for "High Quality" - Broadband - above 256 kbps

Both of which then ReDirect (*again*!) to a Page with an Embedded
RealPlayer ActiveX Object in it (actually there are 2 different
RealPlayer ActiveX Objects in there, as well as a WMP - windoze Media
Player one), but there's also a Link to the .RAM (Real Audio Meta)
File for the chosen BandWidth...

NarrowBand
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/media/nb/fullstops2_16x9_nb.ram

BroadBand
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/media/bb/fullstops2_16x9_bb.ram

Each of which then contains (yet another!) Link - to the *actual*
RM Streams...
They contain the actual RTSP:// (Real Time Streaming Protocol)
URLs of the Streams...

NarrowBand
rtsp://rmv8.bbc.net.uk/bbcfour/media/nb/fullstops2_16x9_nb.rm

Broadband
rtsp://rmv8.bbc.net.uk/bbcfour/media/bb/fullstops2_16x9_bb.rm

Try Copying & Pasting *those* Links?
Try both the http:// ... .ram ones & also the rtsp:// ... .rm ones
& try both the nb - NarrowBand ones & the bb - BroadBand ones?

You could also try using your StreamBox VCR thingy, to Download
the .RM File, rather than letting your RealPlayer just try to Play
it Online?

The .RM File for the NarrowBand one is only about 190 KB in Size
& the .RM File for the BroadBand one is about 565 KB in Size

I had a look at the Stream Statistics/Properties, to see what Codec
they used & it says (for the NarrowBand one)...

BitRate = 8.5 Kbps

Statistics.Player0.Source0.Stream0.Renderer =
AllCoDecs = sipr
Channels = 1
CoDec = 8.5 Kbps - RealAudio
CoDecFourCC = sipr
CoDecText = RealAudio4.0
Name = RealAudio
Rate = 3
SureStream = False

Now, that's nothing special & any old Version of RealPlayer
should be able to Play that OK!

Ah, hang on a mo! - That's just the *Audio* Stream...

The Info on the Statistics/Properties of the *Video* Stream
(again for the Narrowband one) says this...

BitRate = 71.5 Kbps

Statistics.Player0.Source0.Stream1.Renderer =
(Notice the "Stream1") bit, at the end there, rather than the
"Stream0" bit, which was the Audio)

AllCodecs =
AllFramerates = 15
CoDecFourCC = rv40
CoDecName = RealVideo9
CoDecRate = 15.0
CoDecVersion = 1
CurrentFrameRate = 24.8
FramesDisplayed = 100.0
FramesDropped = 0
FramesLost = 0
Name = RealVideo
PostFilter = 0
SureStream = False

From that we can see that yes, the *Video* does actually seem to
be using a CoDec called "RealVideo9", so you may need to (Temporarily)
allow your RealPlayer Access to the Real Networks Site, to Download
that Codec?
I know you don't normally allow your RealPlayer (or the RealPlayer
Helper thingy) to Contact the Real Networks Sites?

If you really don't want to let it Download the newer CoDecs, there
are "ways & means" of getting them, so you can Play the newer stuff.
:-)

HTH

Now, after all that, I wonder why the BBC don't have an Alternative
Link for a .WMV (windoze media Video) Version of the Clips?
Like they do for their other Video stuff (News etc) ?

Your windoze Media Player prolly has much more Up to Date CoDecs
Installed, cos I know you (like most people) let your windoze System
Download all the Updates & stuff from the micro$oft windoze Update
Site, when it offers something.

It actually seems a little bit odd to me that so many people seem
to moan & groan a lot about (& don't like) things like RealPlayer
Accessing the Servers so as to Download Updated CoDecs & stuff,
yet they happily let (& even encourage) their windoze Installation
Contact the micro$oft Servers & Download pretty much whatever it
wants to their Machine & Install it.

--
pmj


.

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