Frustrated Apple fans who are still waiting for the official release of the BBC iPlayer on Mac are taking advantage of an unofficial ‘iPlayer downloader’ application that appears to break the BBC’s digital rights management (DRM) policy.
MacFormat reports today that: “so often [the BBC] seems (even if it isn't the case) to be in bed with Microsoft. Case in point: iPlayer. On Windows, you can download content; on Mac (and Linux, too, fact fans), you're limited to the online Flash-based player.”
Official Mac iPlayer on way
iPlayer Mac support is promised by the BBC at some unspecified point in the future, but some enterprising coders have clearly gotten sick of waiting, releasing iPlayer Downloader as a workaround solution until the BBC provide full, official support.
The handy app “enables you to grab iPlayer content by bunging a URL into a field, clicking an amusing (one might say 'goading') 'Steal!' button, and waiting for a bit. Once the show's done downloading, it appears on the Desktop as a QuickTime file for your viewing pleasure,” according to MacFormat.
DRM contravention
Simple, although we’re not sure how long the application will be available, as it clearly contravenes the BBC’s DRM policy.
Let’s hope that the official iPlayer is made fully Mac-compatible sooner rather than later, so we can avoid having to mess around with freeware to watch our favourite shows on the go on our MacBooks.
