JonStarbuck.co.uk

I have been trying a little experiment with the BBC’s iPlayer, the radio player not the TV thing.

I am staying in San Francisco right now and I am missing Annie Nightingale’s two hour weekly slot. It is on air live at a more convenient time here in the US that it is in the UK (because of the time difference), but still I can’t manage to get it together to listen live, but that does not matter as the BBC have Listen Again!

Just a few clicks and I get Annie any time I like, right?

No. It is great when it starts, 250kbps (than is the speed at which the data is arriving at my computer) or more but as soon as it starts playing, nice and clear audio, but the speed drops quickly to the point it becomes so compressed and distorted that I have to turn it off (after about 5 minutes, at about 70kbps) - and if I don’t then it just gets slower and slower until it stops itself.

This is depressing, frustrating, boring and pointless. I used to have this problem when I lived in West Wales too, but i put it down to the internet being rubbish in such a rural location. But I am in San Francisco now - you know, California, Google, dot-com, Silicone Valley - and it is exactly the same.

What is the point it the BBC offering a service that does not work?

Just for comparison, Pirate Cat FM in San Francisco, who have zero budget, seem to be able to manage streaming media that works (and before you say “but they are just down the road from you!” like the BBC, Pirate Cat’s server is in the UK).

Meanwhile, I also listen to the BBC’s Today Program on the same technology as when I want to listen to Annie Nightingale (maybe i am odd, but that is not the point) and its audio is, more often than not, consistent and clear.

For now, does anyone know where I can download Annie’s show as an mp3 every week?

Test on 11th March 2008
Stared at 250kbps, 15 minutes later it is at 18kbps and sounds terrible.

Test on 12th March
Fine, all day, listened to show after show after show.