Hi, 

 

Not sure of anyone can help with the latest get_iplayer update from github I recently installed, but now when I download a radio show in m4a format the file size has ballooned about 6 - 7 times bigger? Any idea why/how to fix please? The older versions of get-iplayer no longer work, hence reason for update.

 

Normally I use command line:

get_iplayer --pid=b07wadbde --type=radio --force

to download a 2 hours radio show that would before give an output m4a file size of less than 50mb, now the file size is close to 300mb and the download time 6 times longer as well.
 

** Any idea why/how to fix please?

The default radio recording quality in the latest release has gone from "better" to "best", which means that the default bitrate is now 320 up from the previous 48 (internationally: for some reason the BBC is currently streaming the highest bitrate, even overseas). So files take a lot longer to download as you have noticed, but the sound quality is much improved as a result. 2 hours of "Friday Night is Music Night" is nearly half a gigabyte, but it sounds lovely.

 

Anyway, going back to "better" is easy enough if that's what you want: https://squarepenguin.co.uk/forums/thread-1026.html

Thanks so much for that, just what I needed to know. I must have been recording "worse" format before to get the file sizes I had without realising. This is all I need as I just listen on the road anyway with a lot of ambient noise around. Good to know there are options.

1 hour ago, WorriedNoodle said:

Thanks so much for that, just what I needed to know. I must have been recording "worse" format before to get the file sizes I had without realising. This is all I need as I just listen on the road anyway with a lot of ambient noise around. Good to know there are options.

 

No, previously the BBC streamed 48kbs overseas by default so that's why your file sizes were smaller. I have no idea why they have changed or whether it is permanent. It's only coincidence that get_iplayer changed its own default recording format.