|
Post by andrew on Nov 27, 2015 4:45:55 GMT
I've been using the BF app but have found it incredibly frustrating to listen to the Omega Factor audiobook with it this week. This is mostly due to the long track lengths making it almost impossible to find the point you want in a track with any accuracy. If I don't quite hear something due to traffic noise when out walking and need to go back a few seconds and I end up minutes back.
When I need to resume playing partway through a track at the start of a new listening session or after the app has just crashed on me it's also tricky to find the right point. It's a long enough listen as it is, without regularly having to listen to several minutes worth for a second time.
I've bought the Undulib app just now whilst it is on offer but to use it I'll have to start using iTunes. I've mostly avoided using that in all the time I've had apple devices. Plus it will require using my computer, unless there's a way to download direct into an iPhone so that Undulib can see the files?
I've also tried following the guidance on the BF site about using Download Lite. I'm not sure if I'm doing things right though.
If I use the browser in Download Lite to view my downloads page and click on the download mp3 link for a multi-track title nothing happens for most links. The instructions suggest I should see options that include download and then be able to see the download progressing. When clicking a one track title like a Toby Hadoke podcast it just starts playing and there's still no download link.
In Safari I can click the download mp3 link and for very small downloads it looks like it downloads the file then gives me an open in Download Lite link. Through that I was able to get something into Download Lite, extract the files and get them to play. That let me see that its audio player looks a lot better with the finer control on going back or forward in a track that I want. If I can get Download Lite working for me I'd happily upgrade it to get rid of adverts.
For titles such as the Omega Factor audiobook in Safari I can't tell if clicking the link is doing anything, presumably because they're a much larger download. This is where the download manager would presumably be what I need if I could only get it to work.
Anyone else had similar problems or can describe how they get this sort of thing to work for them?
One of the team involved in the BF app commented on a Facebook discussion this week that a new version is being worked on for release in a few months. I would dearly love to only need to use it as it makes the downloading part so easy. It's just a pain not having sortable of searchable lists of available downloads in its current form plus it crashes too often and isn't easy to navigate within a track.
|
|
|
Post by omega on Nov 27, 2015 9:27:36 GMT
One featured I'd like to see added to the app is the ability to list by release date and individual ranges, or at least the ability to search your downloads! At present it's a single list of all your downloads in alphabetical order, and when your total reaches 300+, it can take a while especially if it's got a 'the' in the front of it (when listening to the free download of The Enigma of Dorian Gray the most annoying thing was actually locating it!). This needs to be sorted out first, as the actual downloading is a lesser issue if finding what you want to download is the tough part.
|
|
|
Post by andrew on Nov 27, 2015 21:58:30 GMT
finding what you want to download is the tough part. Finding a specific Toby Hadoke's Who's Round when there's 140 of them is a challenge too.
|
|
|
Post by Ela on Nov 29, 2015 4:20:07 GMT
I downloaded the Big Finish app but only used it once. I've used GoodReader to download directly onto my iPad and then listen to Big Finish releases.
|
|
|
Post by avgjoefriday on Dec 27, 2015 6:03:57 GMT
Elaeg can you give a step by step on using GoodReader for this task. I have tried and failed. Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by kimalysong on Dec 27, 2015 7:41:59 GMT
I feel like I am the only person who likes the app. It's like a life saver for me. I really hope they don't stop supporting it.
|
|
|
Post by marie1964 on Dec 27, 2015 7:54:25 GMT
Quick question that is probably too obvious to even ask: which tablet/device etc. do people find works best, and is a reasonable price that would be capable of holding a LOT of BF stories?
|
|
|
Post by grazey on Dec 27, 2015 9:04:03 GMT
I feel like I am the only person who likes the app. It's like a life saver for me. I really hope they don't stop supporting it. me too. It's nowhere near perfect but I would struggle without it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 27, 2015 9:07:24 GMT
Quick question that is probably too obvious to even ask: which tablet/device etc. do people find works best, and is a reasonable price that would be capable of holding a LOT of BF stories? I use my smartphone which was sort of free as I got it on contract. it has 16gb internal storage, most of which gets used up, but has a 16GB SD card inserted, which holds a LOT of Big finish. Pretty much any android device can have massive SD cards fitted and there are some great free music player apps avaliable. Sadly like others I hate the BF app as it only lists titles in alphabetcal order and keeps crashing. I edit the meta data of my audio files so that artist becomes big inish range and album names are always preceeded with the release date to keep everything in order.
|
|
|
Post by Ela on Dec 28, 2015 8:58:52 GMT
Elaeg can you give a step by step on using GoodReader for this task. I have tried and failed. Thanks! Well, I've tried to do it today and it doesn't seem to be working for me anymore. Not sure what the problem is.
|
|
|
Post by kimalysong on Dec 28, 2015 16:12:34 GMT
If people haven't been using the Big Finish app Id give it another try.
Yes everything is still in "alphabetical order" so you have to scroll to find stuff but it does work. At least the IOS app works fine.
I use it every day & it works well for me. Occasionally it crashes but way more rarely these days.
|
|
|
Post by coffeeaddict on Dec 29, 2015 15:31:53 GMT
If people haven't been using the Big Finish app Id give it another try. Yes everything is still in "alphabetical order" so you have to scroll to find stuff but it does work. At least the IOS app works fine. I use it every day & it works well for me. Occasionally it crashes but way more rarely these days. The amount of files that have a zero sum within the app doesn't make it worth using, nor does the frequency at which it crashes. And this is with the iOS version. I seem to recall reading somewhere that Nick said they are working on a new app - might have been in one of the recent issues of Vortex.
|
|
|
Post by kimalysong on Dec 29, 2015 15:35:01 GMT
If people haven't been using the Big Finish app Id give it another try. Yes everything is still in "alphabetical order" so you have to scroll to find stuff but it does work. At least the IOS app works fine. I use it every day & it works well for me. Occasionally it crashes but way more rarely these days. The amount of files that have a zero sum within the app doesn't make it worth using, nor does the frequency at which it crashes. And this is with the iOS version. I seem to recall reading somewhere that Nick said they are working on a new app - might have been in one of the recent issues of Vortex. I use the IOS version almost every day and it barely ever crashes. Once and awhile but no more or less than other apps I use. Also what does the zero sum matter? It's incorrect obviously but doesn't affect how the app runs. In fact I am listening to something on the app right now. If people don't use it why would they bother to improve it?
|
|
|
Post by coffeeaddict on Dec 29, 2015 17:03:24 GMT
The amount of files that have a zero sum within the app doesn't make it worth using, nor does the frequency at which it crashes. And this is with the iOS version. I seem to recall reading somewhere that Nick said they are working on a new app - might have been in one of the recent issues of Vortex. I use the IOS version almost every day and it barely ever crashes. Once and awhile but no more or less than other apps I use. Also what does the zero sum matter? It's incorrect obviously but doesn't affect how the app runs. In fact I am listening to something on the app right now. If people don't use it why would they bother to improve it? When you look at some of the files they have a file size of zero - if you try playing them, you'll get nothing. Even after uninstalling and reinstalling the app, that problem persists. I've removed it from both iPads and play them from the MP3 files off the Mac or my iPod. I think they are working to improve it due to the number of complaints about how buggy the app is. I seem to recall a number of people complaining about it on the old forum and stating they couldn't use the app as it was too unreliable. I'm sure they likely received some email or even iTunes feedback on the app as well.
|
|
|
Post by avgjoefriday on Dec 29, 2015 17:08:33 GMT
I was out of town when the new River Song set came out and I just couldn't wait to go home to my computer to download it and upload to my phone via iTunes in order to listen to it.
So I downloaded the big finish app and tried to access the diary of river song and zilch. It refused to work.
Then I tried to use an app called MP3 Book Player that has the ability to browse the web and download files. Once again, I got nowhere.
I downloaded GoodReader as mentioned by Elaeg And initially couldn't get it to work.
What I finally had to do was go through normal safari, log in to BigFinish, click on the download audiobook link, then quickly capture the CloudFront link that appeared, go over to the GoodReader app and hit the connect button, then the downloads button. Next press enter URL and paste in that CloudFront address. It downloaded and then once it is done, you can click on the file and choose to unzip it and the m4b files play right inside GoodReader.
|
|
|
Post by avgjoefriday on Dec 29, 2015 17:13:45 GMT
And Ps. The River Sing set is one of the ones that appears as 0.00mb in the big finish app. And I just decided to retry it and low and behold it works today.
|
|
|
Post by kimalysong on Dec 29, 2015 17:38:30 GMT
I use the IOS version almost every day and it barely ever crashes. Once and awhile but no more or less than other apps I use. Also what does the zero sum matter? It's incorrect obviously but doesn't affect how the app runs. In fact I am listening to something on the app right now. If people don't use it why would they bother to improve it? When you look at some of the files they have a file size of zero - if you try playing them, you'll get nothing. Even after uninstalling and reinstalling the app, that problem persists. I've removed it from both iPads and play them from the MP3 files off the Mac or my iPod. I think they are working to improve it due to the number of complaints about how buggy the app is. I seem to recall a number of people complaining about it on the old forum and stating they couldn't use the app as it was too unreliable. I'm sure they likely received some email or even iTunes feedback on the app as well. Not true...about the zero file size. Like I said I use the app pretty much every day. All the files that say Zero still download and play perfectly fine. The only issue is you don't know how much is actually downloading onto your device which if you don't have a lot of room on your phone may be an issue for some. But I usually delete from my device after I finish listening anyways. The app has improved. But the issue is people don't use it and think it's the same as before. That's not to say there isn't room for improvement (it could use a lot of improvement) but I imagine if people just aren't using the app than Big Finish may try to priortize other things. And the fact that people say "this and this doesn't work" but haven't actually utilized the app in awhile isn't really helping improve things either.
|
|
|
Post by Audio Watchdog on Dec 29, 2015 18:27:58 GMT
I need to go back and try the app again. My first couple of experiences with it were.....frustrating in the extreme.
|
|
|
Post by Ela on Dec 29, 2015 18:28:18 GMT
When you look at some of the files they have a file size of zero - if you try playing them, you'll get nothing. Even after uninstalling and reinstalling the app, that problem persists. I've removed it from both iPads and play them from the MP3 files off the Mac or my iPod. I think they are working to improve it due to the number of complaints about how buggy the app is. I seem to recall a number of people complaining about it on the old forum and stating they couldn't use the app as it was too unreliable. I'm sure they likely received some email or even iTunes feedback on the app as well. Not true...about the zero file size. Like I said I use the app pretty much every day. All the files that say Zero still download and play perfectly fine. The only issue is you don't know how much is actually downloading onto your device which if you don't have a lot of room on your phone may be an issue for some. But I usually delete from my device after I finish listening anyways. The app has improved. But the issue is people don't use it and think it's the same as before. That's not to say there isn't room for improvement (it could use a lot of improvement) but I imagine if people just aren't using the app than Big Finish may try to priortize other things. And the fact that people say "this and this doesn't work" but haven't actually utilized the app in awhile isn't really helping improve things either. Kim, I believe you when you say you have not seen zero sum file sizes - or that the ones you see that say zero sum still play. But you can't say it's "not true" for everyone. I don't think coffeeaddict would say he sees them and they don't play if it were not true for him. I just looked at some of my releases on the app. A couple that are zero sum are books not audios. Doom Coalition shows as zero sum, but I'm downloading now to see it will play. And I want to add that the reason I was using Goodreader before was because my iPad is old and the Big Finish app is not compatible. It worked great for me when I was traveling, a year ago, but doesn't seem to be working now, for some reason.
|
|
|
Post by kimalysong on Dec 29, 2015 18:46:53 GMT
Kim, I believe you when you say you have not seen zero sum file sizes - or that the ones you see that say zero sum still play. But you can't say it's "not true" for everyone. I don't think coffeeaddict would say he sees them and they don't play if it were not true for him. I just looked at some of my releases on the app. A couple that are zero sum are books not audios. Doom Coalition shows as zero sum, but I'm downloading now to see it will play. And I want to add that the reason I was using Goodreader before was because my iPad is old and the Big Finish app is not compatible. It worked great for me when I was traveling, a year ago, but doesn't seem to be working now, for some reason. You are right there may be some zero sum files that I have not come across that do not play. But my point is just because it says 0.00 MB does not mean it doesn't play. Like I said I have downloaded quite a few of those and never had a problem, including the aforementioned River Song box set. While I haven't listened to it in full yet I have tried it out and it plays perfectly fine. My point was Zero sum does not mean that no files are there. It more likely means the MB/GB are not displaying accurately. My main point is I do use the app pretty much every day. So at the very least I have a lot of experience with it and from my experience a lot of the issues that people are stating don't seem to be issues any longer. That's not to say that someone will never ever have an issue. But thinking that these are constant ongoing problems seems false from my experience with the app, which again I make a lot of use of. I mean if there are all these ongoing problems with the app I'd have a lot of trouble listening to Big Finish since that is pretty much all I use now. I also happened to listen to Doom Coalition on the app. Although maybe if more people used it traffic could affect the app's performance...okay never mind don't use it guys
|
|