It had to happen sooner or later. Stephen Fry even predicted it: Crafty Mac hackers have created a on-click app that grabs shows from the BBC’s iPlayer, ripping out the DRM protection and depositing them on desktops as iPod-ready MOV files.
Dubbed the iPlayer Downloader, the simple app even takes joy in its brazen attitude to piracy, with a one-click “steal” button to begin the thievery.
A half hour show grabbed using the app will weigh in at just over 100MB. But it’s not surprising Mac owners are resording to illegal means to grab the Beeb’s shows without streaming them.
See, PC owners have been able to download programmes since the iPlayer was launched, using Microsoft DRM to protect the BBC’s shows. Since that won’t work on Macs, anyone using one is stuck with streaming, or nothing. That’s no good if you want to watch some telly on the train, or fancy loading up on shows before boarding a plane.
Fingers crossed the BBC sits up, takes notice, and makes the iPlayer fully Mac compatible, with legal downloads, before too long.
Out now | £free (and illegal)
iPlayer
