How I download from BBC Player

Script explaining how I download BBC radio each week

#!/opt/local/bin/ruby -w
# git clone http://github.com/jjl/get_iplayer.git ~/Workspace/bin/get_iplayer/get_iplayer
# curl http://ftp.twaren.net/Unix/NonGNU/flvstreamer/macosx/flvstreamer_macosx_intel_32bit_latest --output ~/Workspace/bin/flvstreamer
# chmod 755 ~/Workspace/bin/flvstreamer

GET_IPLAYER = "~/Workspace/bin/get_iplayer/get_iplayer"
IPLAYER_CACHE = "~/.get_iplayer/radio.cache"
IPLAYER_HISTORY = "~/.get_iplayer/download_history"
FLVSTREAMER = "~/Workspace/bin/flvstreamer"
DOWNLOAD_PATH = "~/Music/BBC"

SHOWS = ["Pete Tong", "Annie Mac", "Judge Jules", "BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix", "Friday Floor Fillers", "Dave Pearce Dance Anthems", "6 Mix"]

USAGE = <<END_OF_USAGE
  
  Usage: #{__FILE__} [refresh|download|find|get] (find needs the name) (get needs the PID)"
  
  *********** MANUAL REFRESH
  #{GET_IPLAYER} --refresh --type=radio
  
  *********** MANUAL FIND
  cat ~/.get_iplayer/radio.cache | grep -i '[SHOW NAME]' | awk 'BEGIN {FS=\"|\"}{ print $4, \" \",  $3, \" \", $11 }'
  
  *********** MANUAL GET
  #{GET_IPLAYER} --type=radio --amode=flashaac --pid [PID] --flvstreamer #{FLVSTREAMER}  --output #{DOWNLOAD_PATH}
END_OF_USAGE

if ARGV.length == 0
  puts USAGE
  exit
end

if ARGV[0] == "refresh"
  puts "#{'*'*80}"
  puts "*********** REFRESH (can take some time)"
  
  `#{GET_IPLAYER} --refresh --type=radio`

elsif ARGV[0] == "download"
  puts "#{'*'*80}"
  puts "*********** download"
  
  SHOWS.each do |name|
    shows = `cat #{IPLAYER_CACHE} | grep -i "#{name}"`
    unless shows.empty?
      shows.split("\n").each do |show|
        puts "#{'*'*80}"

        parts = show.split('|')
        downloaded = `cat #{IPLAYER_HISTORY} | grep "#{parts[3]}"`  
        if downloaded.empty?
          puts "Download   #{parts[3]} - #{parts[2]} - #{parts[10]}"
          if parts[3] =~/^p/
            `#{GET_IPLAYER} --type=radio --pid #{parts[3]} --flvstreamer #{FLVSTREAMER}  --output #{DOWNLOAD_PATH}`
          else
            `#{GET_IPLAYER} --type=radio --amode=flashaac --pid #{parts[3]} --flvstreamer #{FLVSTREAMER}  --output #{DOWNLOAD_PATH}`
          end  
          
          # `cd #{DOWNLOAD_PATH} && #{GET_IPLAYER} --type=radio --amode=flashaac --pid #{parts[3]} --flvstreamer #{FLVSTREAMER}  --output #{DOWNLOAD_PATH}`
        else
          puts "Downloaded #{parts[3]} - #{parts[2]} - #{parts[10]}"
        end  
      end  
    end  
  end  

elsif ARGV[0] == "find" && ARGV.length > 1
  puts "#{'*'*80}"
  puts "*********** find #{ARGV[1]}"
  
  shows = `cat #{IPLAYER_CACHE} | grep -i "#{ARGV[1]}"`  
  unless shows.empty?
    shows.split("\n").each do |show|
      parts = show.split('|')
      downloaded = `cat #{IPLAYER_HISTORY} | grep "#{parts[3]}"`  
      if downloaded.empty?
        puts "Download   #{parts[3]} - #{parts[2]} - #{parts[10]}"
      else
        puts "Downloaded #{parts[3]} - #{parts[2]} - #{parts[10]}"
      end  
    end  
  end  
  # puts `cat ~/.get_iplayer/radio.cache | grep '#{ARGV[1]}' | awk 'BEGIN {FS=\"|\"}{ print $4, \" \",  $3, \" \", $11 }'`

elsif ARGV[0] == "get" && ARGV.length > 1
  puts "#{'*'*80}"
  puts "*********** get #{ARGV[1]}"
  
  downloaded = `cat #{IPLAYER_HISTORY} | grep "#{ARGV[1]}"`  
  if downloaded.empty?
    puts "Downloading #{ARGV[1]}"
    if ARGV[1] =~/^p/
      `#{GET_IPLAYER} --type=radio --pid #{ARGV[1]} --flvstreamer #{FLVSTREAMER}  --output #{DOWNLOAD_PATH}`
    else
      `#{GET_IPLAYER} --type=radio --amode=flashaac --pid #{ARGV[1]} --flvstreamer #{FLVSTREAMER}  --output #{DOWNLOAD_PATH}`
    end  
  else
    puts "Downloaded  #{ARGV[1]}"
  end  
  
else
  puts USAGE
end

Wow! nice piece of ruby :-) However you could just use the built-in get_iplayer PVR feature. e.g.:

change some global prefs

get_iplayer --add-pref --flvstreamer=/Workspace/bin/flvstreamer
get_iplayer --add-pref --outputradio=/Music/BBC

add a PVR entry

get_iplayer --pvr-add='Pete Tong' 'Pete Tong' --type=radio --modes=flashaac
get_iplayer --pvr-add='Annie Mac' 'Annie Mac' --type=radio --modes=flashaac
...

In /etc/crontab add a line to run get_iplayer every hour and email you a report of the downloaded files

MAILTO=your@email.address
0 * * * * myusername ~/Workspace/bin/get_iplayer/get_iplayer --pvr -e 3500

Finally, use the get_iplayer at infradead.org - it's the maintained version.