iplayer download links not working
When I click a link to download BBC iPlayer programmes, nothing happens. I can watch them through the iplayer site but the download links do not work. Flash player and Air are all up to date. This issue started with Firefox 20. I have been a Firefox user from the beginning and these issues need a fix. The issue is not replicated in Internet Explorer, Chrome or Safari. Regards
Paul
All Replies (9)
Check your plugins are updated
Download iPlayer
Thanks but that's not the issue
After a long time (since version 2, in fact), I have now uninstalled Firefox and switched to Chrome. It is unacceptable that this issue has been present since version 19 and is still not fixed. I understand that being in the UK, I as a user , am not that important but a browser must have basic functionality. Chrome worked straight out of the box with iPlayer download links, so does Safari, so, perish the thought, does Internet Explorer. Bye bye Firefox, it's been emotional :-(
Firefox 23.0.1 still will not trigger BBC iPlayer to download programmes; it just offers to install the iPlayer and then won't actually even do that. I am running the latest everything on my Windows 8 64-bit system: Air 3.8.0.870, Flash 11.8.800.94, and the long-current version of BBC iPlayer, 3.2.15.
Internet Explorer 11 triggers download. Google Chrome triggers download. Opera triggers download. So why can't Firefox?
It can only be a relatively simple Javascript/HTML fix to make this browser do what all the others already can. This is a serious problem for UK users, most of whom will just quietly switch browser away from Firefox when they come across it.
I reported this problem ages ago as a bug which must affect thousands of UK users, but nothing has happened yet. So much for Mozilla listening to its users.
I'll try submitting the problem as a bug again.
After many years using Firefox and iPlayer hand in hand without issue I find that over the last 9 months it's been almost useless. Watching the content through the browser is fine, but when choosing to download to the iplayer it refuses to work. I was using Windows XP until recently, but a few weeks prior to swapping from XP to W7 I tried using IE. It never failed once.
Now I have my PC on Windows 7 Ultimate, a completely clean install and only the iplayer desktop, Adobe Air, Flash Player 11.xxx.xxxx and in Firefox it refuses to work when choosing to download to the iplayer. IE 10 works a treat.
I have used FFox since it first came on the scene, but this issue is ridiculous. I hate IE as a browser, but I have no option to use it for iplayer download.
Come on Mozilla, get your fingers out and fix this exceptionally annoying issue.
Try disabling the Flash Block extension.
If that does work, try Firefox Safe Mode to see if the problem goes away. Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode, which disables most add-ons.
(If you're not using it, switch to the Default theme.)
- You can open Firefox 4.0+ in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key when you open the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
- Or open the Help menu and click on the Restart with Add-ons Disabled... menu item while Firefox is running.
Once you get the pop-up, just select "'Start in Safe Mode"
If the issue is not present in Firefox Safe Mode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, and you need to figure out which one. Please follow the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems article for that.
To exit the Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.
Please report back soon.
I realise you're only trying to be helpful, but we're not daft. I have tried with fresh installations of Firefox with no extensions installed, and in "safe mode", with the same result. I would not be reporting the problem as a bug if I had not tried all reasonable means of getting the browser to trigger iPlayer downloads. It just will not. All the other browsers I have tried will do the job with no problem, irrespective of the add-ons installed.
This is without doubt a bug in Firefox, and unless it is fixed frustrated UK users will just migrate to other browsers that do work. I use Opera or IE now.
Update: I have now formally reported this in Bugzilla as bug number 910573.
Modified by jmward
I am now no longer a user of Firefox, but since I posted this up I believe that iPlayer desktop has changed so it has been fixed by default with absolutely no help or input from Mozilla which I think is a disgrace.
I'm sorry to hear that you have left Mozilla and that the volunteers could not help you to resolve this issue.
I hope that some day you will return to using Firefox.
I wish you luck.