BBC iPlayer using .txt for subtitles

[Davey]

I recently downloaded a programme from BBC iplayer using get-iplayer,
as I have done numerous times, on each occasion including the .srt
subtitle file. Handbrake happily makes a watchable file from the
pair downloaded.
But the other week, the subtitle file downloaded was a .txt file, and I
could not find a way of instructing Handbrake to use this file. I tried
an online conversion tool, but it failed miserably.
So what to do if this happens again? Is there a command to compel the
download to include an .srt file instead of the.txt file, or what?
I doubt that the BBC would really care about a get-iplayer question!

[David Paste]

Post by Davey
I recently downloaded a programme from BBC iplayer using get-iplayer,
as I have done numerous times, on each occasion including the .srt
subtitle file. Handbrake happily makes a watchable file from the
pair downloaded.
But the other week, the subtitle file downloaded was a .txt file, and I
could not find a way of instructing Handbrake to use this file. I tried
an online conversion tool, but it failed miserably.
So what to do if this happens again? Is there a command to compel the
download to include an .srt file instead of the.txt file, or what?
I doubt that the BBC would really care about a get-iplayer question!

If you open up the .txt file in notepad does it look to be formatted the
same as an .srt file (also opened in notepad)? If so just change the
extension and try that.

[Davey]

On Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:25:59 +0100

Post by David Paste

Post by Davey
I recently downloaded a programme from BBC iplayer using
get-iplayer, as I have done numerous times, on each occasion
including the .srt subtitle file. Handbrake happily makes a
watchable file from the pair downloaded.
But the other week, the subtitle file downloaded was a .txt file,
and I could not find a way of instructing Handbrake to use this
file. I tried an online conversion tool, but it failed miserably.
So what to do if this happens again? Is there a command to compel
the download to include an .srt file instead of the.txt file, or
what? I doubt that the BBC would really care about a get-iplayer
question!

If you open up the .txt file in notepad does it look to be formatted
the same as an .srt file (also opened in notepad)? If so just change
the extension and try that.

Using Text Editor (I don't have Wine installed):

Sample .srt file:
1
00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,360
<font color="#ffff00">OK, what I'm gonna do is</font>
<font color="#ffff00">what I usually do, right?</font>

Sample .txt file:
1,4046136,8,4046136,8,1728769721
2,8946544,15,4900408,7,1728769721
3,13344616,23,4398072,8,1728769721
4,17592288,31,4247672,8,1728769721

If you think it will be different, I'll install Notepad++(WINE) and see
what happens.

[Davey]

On Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:25:59 +0100

Post by David Paste

Post by Davey
I recently downloaded a programme from BBC iplayer using
get-iplayer, as I have done numerous times, on each occasion
including the .srt subtitle file. Handbrake happily makes a
watchable file from the pair downloaded.
But the other week, the subtitle file downloaded was a .txt file,
and I could not find a way of instructing Handbrake to use this
file. I tried an online conversion tool, but it failed miserably.
So what to do if this happens again? Is there a command to compel
the download to include an .srt file instead of the.txt file, or
what? I doubt that the BBC would really care about a get-iplayer
question!

If you open up the .txt file in notepad does it look to be formatted
the same as an .srt file (also opened in notepad)? If so just change
the extension and try that.

Using Notepad ( 2 different programmes):
Sample .srt file:
1
00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,320
<font color="#ffff00">Nothing in our landscape is</font>
<font color="#ffff00">here by accident.</font>

2
00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,520
<font color="#ffff00">It's all part of the incredible</font>
<font color="#ffff00">story of how people have</font>

3
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,600
<font color="#ffff00">shaped our country over</font>
<font color="#ffff00">thousands of years.</font>

4
00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,400
<font color="#ffff00">Every ridge, every bump,</font>
<font color="#ffff00">has a meaning.</font>

5
00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,000
<font color="#ffff00">I'm Ben Robinson, and as an</font>
<font color="#ffff00">archaeologist it's my job to</font>

Sample .txt file:
#m0003mrb,original,hlshd,0,0
1,4046136,8,4046136,8,1728769721
2,8946544,15,4900408,7,1728769721
3,13344616,23,4398072,8,1728769721
4,17592288,31,4247672,8,1728769721
5,22390424,38,4798136,7,17287697

which is pretty much the same as using Text Editor. The .srt fie and
the .txt files look very different.

[David Paste]

<snip example text>

Post by Davey
which is pretty much the same as using Text Editor. The .srt fie and
the .txt files look very different.

Sorry for the late reply...

Those both look familiar to my eyes, the .srt especially. I have
encountered the .txt format too, but I can't remember where...

Could you provide me with the programme web page and I will try to
replicate the issue here.

Have you updated get_iplayer to the most recent version? (obvious
question, I know, sorry)

So now I would try to open the orginal video file which does not have
any subtitle files embedded in it in VLC, and try to add the .txt subs
via the drop down menu in VLC. This is the only way I can think of to test.

Another question: does the software you use to watch the final files
need the subs to be embedded in the video? I only ever have seperate
.mp4 and .srt files and have had no problems with it yet.

[Davey]

On Tue, 5 Nov 2024 12:30:22 +0000

Post by David Paste
<snip example text>

Post by Davey
which is pretty much the same as using Text Editor. The .srt fie and
the .txt files look very different.

Sorry for the late reply...
Those both look familiar to my eyes, the .srt especially. I have
encountered the .txt format too, but I can't remember where...
Could you provide me with the programme web page and I will try to
replicate the issue here.
Have you updated get_iplayer to the most recent version? (obvious
question, I know, sorry)
So now I would try to open the orginal video file which does not have
any subtitle files embedded in it in VLC, and try to add the .txt
subs via the drop down menu in VLC. This is the only way I can think
of to test.
Another question: does the software you use to watch the final files
need the subs to be embedded in the video? I only ever have seperate
.mp4 and .srt files and have had no problems with it yet.

Version is 3.35.

I think this was the programme:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0003mrb/a-united-kingdom
but I see I now also have an .srt file for it. It also downloaded
a .ts file instead of a .mp4 file, which is really strange. Maybe I
tried again later, and it then downloaded the .srt file.
I just re-downloaded the programme, and it went straight in at 64% and
continued to download from there, so now I am really confused! But then
it converted the .ts file to mp4, and also downloaded an .srt file, so
the original problem has been fixed on the BBC end.

I use Handbrake to convert the .mp4 file, using the .srt file for the
subtitles, to an m4v file. I burn the subtitle file into the m4v file.
Trying to open the .ts file in VLC fails, but it opens the .m4v file,
and adds the .srt file, as it should. And after the new download, I
can't find the .txt file that was there twenty minutes ago. I think the
end-of-download process cleaned up the unwanted file(s).

So the original problem has been fixed, and is not reproducible.
But thanks for offering!

[David Paste]

Post by Davey
On Tue, 5 Nov 2024 12:30:22 +0000

Post by David Paste
<snip example text>

Post by Davey
which is pretty much the same as using Text Editor. The .srt fie and
the .txt files look very different.

Sorry for the late reply...
Those both look familiar to my eyes, the .srt especially. I have
encountered the .txt format too, but I can't remember where...
Could you provide me with the programme web page and I will try to
replicate the issue here.
Have you updated get_iplayer to the most recent version? (obvious
question, I know, sorry)
So now I would try to open the orginal video file which does not have
any subtitle files embedded in it in VLC, and try to add the .txt
subs via the drop down menu in VLC. This is the only way I can think
of to test.
Another question: does the software you use to watch the final files
need the subs to be embedded in the video? I only ever have seperate
.mp4 and .srt files and have had no problems with it yet.

Version is 3.35.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0003mrb/a-united-kingdom
but I see I now also have an .srt file for it. It also downloaded
a .ts file instead of a .mp4 file, which is really strange. Maybe I
tried again later, and it then downloaded the .srt file.
I just re-downloaded the programme, and it went straight in at 64% and
continued to download from there, so now I am really confused! But then
it converted the .ts file to mp4, and also downloaded an .srt file, so
the original problem has been fixed on the BBC end.
I use Handbrake to convert the .mp4 file, using the .srt file for the
subtitles, to an m4v file. I burn the subtitle file into the m4v file.
Trying to open the .ts file in VLC fails, but it opens the .m4v file,
and adds the .srt file, as it should. And after the new download, I
can't find the .txt file that was there twenty minutes ago. I think the
end-of-download process cleaned up the unwanted file(s).
So the original problem has been fixed, and is not reproducible.
But thanks for offering!

Glad it has sorted itself out! From what you mention about the .ts file,
then I am confident in saying that the original download was interrupted
as the .ts is akin to a "raw" file, in a way. It is then encapsulated
within an .mp4 container along with whatever else is downloaded (the
video and audio streams are seperate and multiples of each can be
accomodated) and then everything is "tidied up", as I am sure you have
now worked out!

I don't know why get_iplayer doesn't just embed the subtitles, as it
would save you a step!

[Davey]

On Thu, 7 Nov 2024 18:14:09 +0000

Post by David Paste

Post by Davey
On Tue, 5 Nov 2024 12:30:22 +0000

Post by David Paste
<snip example text>

Post by Davey
which is pretty much the same as using Text Editor. The .srt fie
and the .txt files look very different.

Sorry for the late reply...
Those both look familiar to my eyes, the .srt especially. I have
encountered the .txt format too, but I can't remember where...
Could you provide me with the programme web page and I will try to
replicate the issue here.
Have you updated get_iplayer to the most recent version? (obvious
question, I know, sorry)
So now I would try to open the orginal video file which does not
have any subtitle files embedded in it in VLC, and try to add
the .txt subs via the drop down menu in VLC. This is the only way
I can think of to test.
Another question: does the software you use to watch the final
files need the subs to be embedded in the video? I only ever have
seperate .mp4 and .srt files and have had no problems with it
yet.

Version is 3.35.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0003mrb/a-united-kingdom
but I see I now also have an .srt file for it. It also downloaded
a .ts file instead of a .mp4 file, which is really strange. Maybe I
tried again later, and it then downloaded the .srt file.
I just re-downloaded the programme, and it went straight in at 64%
and continued to download from there, so now I am really confused!
But then it converted the .ts file to mp4, and also downloaded
an .srt file, so the original problem has been fixed on the BBC end.
I use Handbrake to convert the .mp4 file, using the .srt file for
the subtitles, to an m4v file. I burn the subtitle file into the
m4v file. Trying to open the .ts file in VLC fails, but it opens
the .m4v file, and adds the .srt file, as it should. And after the
new download, I can't find the .txt file that was there twenty
minutes ago. I think the end-of-download process cleaned up the
unwanted file(s).
So the original problem has been fixed, and is not reproducible.
But thanks for offering!

Glad it has sorted itself out! From what you mention about the .ts
file, then I am confident in saying that the original download was
interrupted as the .ts is akin to a "raw" file, in a way. It is then
encapsulated within an .mp4 container along with whatever else is
downloaded (the video and audio streams are seperate and multiples of
each can be accomodated) and then everything is "tidied up", as I am
sure you have now worked out!
I don't know why get_iplayer doesn't just embed the subtitles, as it
would save you a step!

What you say is matched by the re-download yesterday starting at 60-odd
%. I never watched the original version, so I cannot comfirm it, but
it sounds right. Thank you for the detail of the process.