3.05 separate downloads for video+audio and audio

Alan Milewczyk

2017-10-19 06:04:18 UTC

Post by Nick Payne
I recently upgraded from 3.02 to 3.05. I notice that with the new
version, when I download a TV programme GiP performs two separate
downloads. The first is shown in the terminal output as being
[audio+video], the second much smaller download as just being [audio].
Why the two separate downloads? If I play the first [audio+video]
download (this file has an hls.ts extension) while the separate [audio]
download has not yet completed, the audio is already there in the file,
so why the second download?
====================================================================
INFO: Downloading tv: 'Kaufmann's Otello at the Royal Opera House - -
(b099tpcb) [original]'
[audio+video]
INFO: Converting to MP4
INFO: Tagging MP4
====================================================================
Nick

There's been a certain amount of user comment about the fact that high
quality video downloads are let down by relatively poor audio at only
96k which is the default. In previous versions the only way to get 128k
or 320k audio was to have video at 50fps rather than the usual 25fps -
this had the effect of bloating downloads to 2GB for a one hour download
which was complained about as being excessive.

So the new version does two downloads (where higher quality audio at
128k or 320k is available, which is not the case for all programmes) -
the first does a standard video download (1GB per one hour of video) and
then another one, of just the audio where it's available at 128k/320k.
Then the files are combined, which does rather lengthen the time taken
for the whole process. It's taking around twice the time to fully
download and convert but I do like the improved audio despite the hit on
processing time.

This is covered in the release notes
https://github.com/get-iplayer/get_iplayer/wiki/release300to309#release303.
If you don't want this new option, then you should specify --no-hq-audio.

HTH

Alan

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