Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide To The Orchestra Options

[river]

I have to say I think it is extraordinary that the Beeb attempt to go to so much trouble to protect this stuff. If you record it off the tele or radio there is no protection. I believe it's largely to do with licensing as it's a 3rd party (not the Beeb) who look after streamed content.

i think there was some fuss a while ago about the BBC making content available to people who aren't paying license fees (i.e. foreigners). since digital content is so easy to copy, that might explain why they take some extra precautions.

as for the program; well, i was hoping for a bit more orchestra and a bit less Bill Bailey. as an hour-long comedy act, i didn't find it especially amusing.

[Oboecop]

I really loved that Strings on holiday piece.
I think if you were watching and expecting a concert or even an enlightening guide to the orchestra then you would have been very dissapointed but as a piece of entertainment I think it was really good. I also think that it really showed off the orchestra.

[madbassoonist]

It was all right. I liked the cockney "William Tell". Sometimes I did feel that he talked too much, though.

[bassoongirl]

his "Docter Qui" was really good and i was really annoyed because I had insect nation stuck in my head for ages!!
and bassons are useless in loud bits of orchestral and band music.

[AmandaL]

I really loved that Strings on holiday piece.
I think if you were watching and expecting a concert or even an enlightening guide to the orchestra then you would have been very dissapointed but as a piece of entertainment I think it was really good. I also think that it really showed off the orchestra.

Absolutely (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I thought his news headlines read out to the background of the old ITN News theme music was hilarious (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Funny to listen to, but also rather true that jolly music accompanying the really depressing news we hear now wouldn't work for real these days.

[guilmant]

There is software to do the job.

The best is I've seen is "Iplayer Downloader" (unsurprisingly) at http://www.lawrencedudley.co.uk/iplayer/ for which you need a mac running OS X 10.5. It works just like a browser to display the iPlayer website. You pick the programme you want and it downloads as a Quicktime file, stripping the protection. It handles audio streams too.

Brill, thanks for this. Downloaded everything last night without any hitch so far and managed to watch the start without any difficulty. All I need to work out now is how to get it in iPod friendly file so I can watch the rest on train to London on Thursday.

As usual, as its for a Mac, it works with minimum fuss and a great front end.

The rest of the chap's photography site is also quite interesting. Up till yesterday, I wasn't aware there was a Mac Chick of the Month competition....

[Arundodonuts]

There is software to do the job.

The best is I've seen is "Iplayer Downloader" (unsurprisingly) at http://www.lawrencedudley.co.uk/iplayer/ for which you need a mac running OS X 10.5. It works just like a browser to display the iPlayer website. You pick the programme you want and it downloads as a Quicktime file, stripping the protection. It handles audio streams too.

Brill, thanks for this. Downloaded everything last night without any hitch so far and managed to watch the start without any difficulty. All I need to work out now is how to get it in iPod friendly file so I can watch the rest on train to London on Thursday.

As usual, as its for a Mac, it works with minimum fuss and a great front end.

Well if you have a mac and a video ipod, all you need to do is stick the video in iTunes.

The rest of the chap's photography site is also quite interesting. Up till yesterday, I wasn't aware there was a Mac Chick of the Month competition....

I hadn't spotted that. Would it be too awful of me to say that the sexiest thing in the photos was the macbook?

[guilmant]

There is software to do the job.

The best is I've seen is "Iplayer Downloader" (unsurprisingly) at http://www.lawrencedudley.co.uk/iplayer/ for which you need a mac running OS X 10.5. It works just like a browser to display the iPlayer website. You pick the programme you want and it downloads as a Quicktime file, stripping the protection. It handles audio streams too.

Brill, thanks for this. Downloaded everything last night without any hitch so far and managed to watch the start without any difficulty. All I need to work out now is how to get it in iPod friendly file so I can watch the rest on train to London on Thursday.

As usual, as its for a Mac, it works with minimum fuss and a great front end.

Well if you have a mac and a video ipod, all you need to do is stick the video in iTunes.

The rest of the chap's photography site is also quite interesting. Up till yesterday, I wasn't aware there was a Mac Chick of the Month competition....

I hadn't spotted that. Would it be too awful of me to say that the sexiest thing in the photos was the macbook?

Do I just drag the file into iTunes? I'm always a bit nervous of Quick Time files, they don't always come with Apple's blessing.

On your second point, mostly agree, except perhaps for one shot...but I'm not saying which one...

[Arundodonuts]

Do I just drag the file into iTunes? I'm always a bit nervous of Quick Time files, they don't always come with Apple's blessing.

I don't think there should be a problem. I just stick all my videos in iTunes. I don't have a video iPOD though but I'm sure synching videos must be pretty much automatic. Failing that, there is a "Share" option in iTunes which enables you to convert videos to various standards suitable for TV, Web and iPOD use. I'm in the office at the moment surrounded by Microdross. When I get back to Happy Mac Land I'll have a look.

On your second point, mostly agree, except perhaps for one shot...but I'm not saying which one...

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I'll take another peek when everyone's gone home.

[Arundodonuts]

Do I just drag the file into iTunes? I'm always a bit nervous of Quick Time files, they don't always come with Apple's blessing.

OK the office is emptying so out comes the mac.
Yes, just drag the mov files into Itunes. To synchronise to a video ipod have a look at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1333 - it looks as though it's automatic.
I was a bit wrong about "Share" (I think that's iMovie). But in itunes under Advanced, you will find options to create ipod and TV versions of videos if you need to.

On your second point, mostly agree, except perhaps for one shot...but I'm not saying which one...

Ooh er. Maybe I was a bit hasty with my earlier comment.

[guilmant]

OK, more success, have moved the movies over to iTunes and did the conversion to iPod/iPhone version (takes quite a while). Tommorrow, will try sync with iPod and iPhone. Just for good measure, I also recorded the British Music thing on Sunday night on Purcell.

My next project will be to find a good Mac programme that allows me to copy parts of a DVD into iTunes and play a number of different extracts back in class. When we do the film music lessons, its always a bit fiddly shoving discs in and out of the machine.

Then perhaps, I might see if I can find this months Mac Chick of the Month.

[sarah123]

It's just struck me that Bill Bailey is supposed to have perfect pitch (I'm not doubting this), but played the Eastenders theme in the wrong key with particular reference to the note F, which normally would have been an Ab. Also, why did he need to ask the orchestra leader for an F# for the theremin jellyfish piece? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[AmandaL]

It's just struck me that Bill Bailey is supposed to have perfect pitch (I'm not doubting this), but played the Eastenders theme in the wrong key with particular reference to the note F, which normally would have been an Ab. Also, why did he need to ask the orchestra leader for an F# for the theremin jellyfish piece? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

I think terms of irony and showmanship have be thought of here.

How many people would know what key the original Eastenders theme is in anyway? - I don't for one! It's a dire piece of music anyway. A GCSE or Grade 5 theory candidate could have composed something more interesting.

[Arundodonuts]

It's just struck me that Bill Bailey is supposed to have perfect pitch (I'm not doubting this), but played the Eastenders theme in the wrong key with particular reference to the note F, which normally would have been an Ab. Also, why did he need to ask the orchestra leader for an F# for the theremin jellyfish piece? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

I think terms of irony and showmanship have be thought of here.

Probably , but then how would you get your hand in the right position without someone giving you the pitch?

How many people would know what key the original Eastenders theme is in anyway? - I don't for one! It's a dire piece of music anyway. A GCSE or Grade 5 theory candidate could have composed something more interesting.

Like the theme to Emmerdale Farm? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[viola-mad]

I really enjoyed this show, particularly the bassoonists playing Staying Alive, and The Swan on cowbells - it was really good to see those folks in the BBC Concert Orchestra are up for some fun! Like him or not, Bill Bailey is a very clever man.