First and foremost, get_iplayer does not allow you to get around the BBC's DRM or geo-location checks. You need to have a UK IP address to use get_iplayer, just like you would if you were using the BBC iPlayer website. It will also prompt you to remove content after 30 days - similar to BBC iPlayer Downloads.

get_iplayer is a tool for legitimate UK based license fee payers who, for what ever reason, cannot use the BBC's website or apps to stream content.

get_iplayer has a comprehensive set of features and capabilities that allow you to enjoy much of the content made available through the BBC iPlayer service. A list of its headline features is given below but jump on over to the wiki page for a complete explanation of what it can do for you.

• Recording of TV and Radio programmes BBC iPlayer
• PVR functionality allows predefined searches to be recorded from a scheduler such as cron or Windows scheduler
• Queuing of programmes for batched recording or for recording off-peak
• Resume recordings of partially recorded content
• Allow multiple programmes to be recorded with one command
• Indexing of most available programmes from the past 30 days (not BBC Three, Red Button or iPlayer Exclusives)
• Advanced searching on programme name, episode, description or channel
• Limit search by programmes made available after a specific number of hours
• Removal of recorded content which is more than 30 days old
• Metadata tagging of recorded files for importing into iTunes

Why would you use get_iplayer?

get_iplayer is primarily intended for use for recording and playing back TV and Radio content on devices that cannot support Adobe Flash/AIR/Silverlight or systems which run entirely on open-source software (i.e. no Adobe Flash/AIRr or Silverlight).

It is also used to record content for mobile devices that have no access to broadband/wi-fi or running on devices that have such limited memory that running a browser with a Flash player or AIR is not possible (or not permitted).

One of get_iplayer's most popular uses is in enabling users with poor internet connections to download HD content that would otherwise be impossible for them to stream live.

get_iplayer allows you to download such content slower than 'real time' for offline viewing at a time of your choosing, allowing you to access and enjoy more of the BBC's content.

Original source: linuxcentre.net