On Thursday 13 March 2008 13:55:50 Iain Wallace wrote: > ... User Agent ... cookies. ... Wireshark, ... "BBC-UID" cookie ... large > hex number ... Quicktime version (including OS identifier). ... MP4 URL ... > cookie contains some kind of hash ... client data ... agent sends over. ... > upload a packet trace from an iPhone or Touch? ;)
So you are one of those dastardly hackers exploiting the BBC's security measures!!!! Seriously though, Whilst identifying what mechanism is being used to more accurately identify the platform making the request for the mp4 is going to be necessary for anyone who wants to carry on using a workaround to get hold of usable media (and frankly someone should do it even if it is just to point out that this kind of 'protection' is unlikely to work) I would much rather the BBC skimpy clarified their position and then abided by whatever rules they claim restricts their ability to stream compliant media, that way at least when the BBC next decide to license something they will have to consider their online distribution requirements as part of any license agreement. As a side note if the BBC really is using plugin version information to determine platform (and using a cookie to store that info) then it may be useful to gather all the data that the iPhone is likely to present to a server making such a request now, rather than doing it on a bit by bit basis and dropping that somewhere. Cheers
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