BBBC Radio iPlayer

[LadyChatterlysLoofah]

Vs. BBC Sounds. Long serving R4 fan, mostly on catch up, so iplayer absolutely invaluable. BBC Sounds app launched with fanfare, tried to download it, and augment the experience with podcasts. BUT unable to; requires iOS 11 minimum, when both of my devices are maxed to 10.3.3. But still work fine, not due to be replaced for years hopefully.

The great problem is that time is now ticking for Radio iplayer- it's due to be phased out, Sounds will actually REPLACE it, "in the coming months". The horror

Is anyone else in same situation? Not sure this is generally realised, and feel that loyal (maturer?) radio listeners are once again going to be sacrificed in BBC's endless drive to interest the "youth" market, and am looking for right of appeal somewhere

Suggestions? (Please don't suggest replacing iPhone etc, it's totally unacceptable to deplete dwindling resources by needlessly replacing functioning tech even if I had the disposable cash).

No-one ?!

And apologies for the extra B......

Sorry - I have no suggestions as I came here to look for a thread about 'Sounds' because I am awake, burning with a passionate hatred for the changes they have made to the iPlayer, so I will commiserate with your frustration and join you in cursing the changes, albeit from my laptop.

I’m in Canada, so use the iplayer regularly. As it stands at the moment, you can only purchase the Sounds app in the U.K. store

moose I'm in ireland and ive just registered for bbc sounds. It did ask for a postcode during registration and I gave my mums.

Perhaps if you used a postcode you may get it?

am looking for right of appeal somewhere
arf

I access through my laptop so don't have the app problem but I do find Sounds to be inferior to i-player. It's very slow to get going (?because of aforementioned operating-systems requirements?).

Suggestions?
Contact Feedback?

I don’t like Sounds. I like being able to choose the category of drama or comedy I want, I like being able to select an episode easily.

Changing the app isn’t going to make BBC radio appeal to young people. Dd2 does listen to some podcasts as part of her A level/uni preparation but doesn’t otherwise unless she’s trapped in the car with me.

I HATE the Sounds app. And I fail to see how it is supposed to make listening to the radio more appealing to younger people. I also miss the categories.

Thanks for the feedback on the functionality (or lack of it!) of Sounds, I very much felt it was, at least with respect to Radio, very much in the "ain't broke, no need to fix " category, but would have been prepared to give it a try , had that actually been possible. The need for registration with a postcode seems to be becoming mandatory over the BBC too.

Yes, R4, Feedback may be an option. Digital radio was meant to lead switching off FM originally, until there was an outcry. Just feel that the planned obsolescence of Radio iplayer is under the radar atm. Got nowhere on twitter querying it, not even thecourtesy of a reply for 3 days, whilst they rolled on with their juggernaut of promotions for Sounds

BTW the whole intent of attracting 'da yoof' thing was totally from them, in answer to the query I raised with Sounds on twitter. I doubt its efficacy too, but, hey, it includes podcasts so....

And yes, maybe I should try it on my laptop. Not that I find it feasible to take that to accompany me in the bath with a book and a drink! Or even very convenient to use to go to sleep to.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong with Sounds, but I like the fact that iPlayer can take me quickly to things I listen to often, and I can't see how to achieve that with Sounds without going through the faff of subscribing or adding it to Bookmarks. Also Bookmarks is right at the bottom of the page and it would make much more sense to have it at the top.

Oh goodess, don't get me started on the fact that it doesn't tell you which episode you're on, so if something pops up that looks interesting, you have to go to the episode, then scroll down to go to the programme website, and then, to add insult to injury, it asks if you understand how to use the internet and reminds you that if you move away from the page, it will stop playing!

I liked the drop-down menu of categories and hate the fact that if I want to listen to a comedy, I have to scroll down to the bottom of the home page, then wade through an incomprehensibly long list rather being able to browse by sub-category.

I basically hate everything about it. I am furious that they have made changes to something I use all the time that have made it SO much harder to use and I am too cross to even compose a 'disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' letter!

The turning off when you change page is especially annoying. I may have to write a letter. What a pain!

GAH! I'm now incensed that there is absolutely NO logic to the thing it decides to play next! I have been listening to the Fortunately podast, and when the last episode finished, it took me to the Merseyside Sports news AS IF I'D CARE! Why not play me, I don't know, THE NEXT EPISODE?!?!? Or at least an episode of Woman's hour, or another podcast, but not regional sports news from the region that's probably furthest away from where I live anyway.

Oh, I know there are bigger problems and more important things to worry about, but this is just one of those small things that makes my life a bit more annoying and the worst thing is that it all worked FINE before actually, and they have probably pissed millions up the wall making changes that make it all unequivocally worse!
Rant Over...for now.

I have just switched this weekend and finding it really hard to navigate. Thought it was just me being silly!

This sounds like a disaster!
You have to stay on the page for it to play is rubbish. I often use it when cooking and so I can't have my recipes open and listen to radio??
I also like the drama categories- classic and period, crime, horror and supernatural etc
Goodness knows it has its faults (I think search function hopeless) but generally I love the iPlayer

'Sounds' is godawful. The word alone is bad enough. Whatever I listen to, when it finishes, it almost always takes me off to Radio Ulster, although the other day (for a bit of variety) it took me to Welsh language BBC Cymru.

but I do like this:
twitter.com/hughbon/status/1058120954726047744

Isn't there 'auto play off' like iPlayer radio?
This gets worse - I like things that last half an hour to fall asleep to