BBC Sounds

[Andrew Wilson]

Is it likely there will be a facility to use BBC Sounds with the B2? The BBC Help pages suggest that using some sort of browser it would be possible to stream it. Or is there a way of casting a stream from a PC? I would love to be able to catch up on concerts I've missed at the same quality as the live broadcasts.

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Hi Andrew, my laptop is BlueTooth enabled and can connect to the B2, to which I have a BT (CSR 4.0) dongle attached via the USB C port. Using the laptop and B2 settings I can pair with the B2 and any audio that can be heard on the laptop can be played through the B2 & it's speakers. Once paired the laptop speakers cut out and audio is heard via the B2 setup. Sometimes getting the connection is a bit fiddly (not always first time), but once connected works well. I sometimes visit YouTube sites promoting new bands of a specific genre and play their playlists through the B2. It's a good way to sample new music and hear before buying. You should be able to listen to BBC Sounds this way too. The BT dongle I got was from Brennan when I bought my B2, but any PC supplier should stock BT(CSR 4.0) dongles - Amazon, Currys etc. too. Good luck.

[Andrew Wilson]

Hi Leslie, Thanks.  know I can use Bluetooth, but as I understand things, the quality is like mp3. BBC Radio 3 can be obtained in a stream of AAC+, which is what I would much prefer to use, since it would be equivalent to the FLAC files on the B2 itself. BBC says to use a browser to access it, so I'm wondering how to do that on the B2, or if it's something we might expect sometime ...

[PMB]

Hi Andrew,

There is a function to listen to Podcasts on the B2 - in the Search box type Podcast > A Podcast URL box is shown (not sure if you have to click on the search button or not - away from my B2 at the moment) > type in the URL and click the button to the right > Podcast should play.

Paul
Brennan Support.

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Hi Paul, if the Podcast or program Andrew wants to play is from BBC Radio 3 HD and is in AAC+ format, can the B2 play that format?

[PMB]

Hi Leslie, 

The B2 cannot play BBC Radio 3 HD - just tried it again.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Hi Paul, I can get BBC Radio 3 HD to play on my B2. See screenshot. It takes multiple goes to connect and the signal today is in the 40s%. Last night it was in the 80s%. Have it playing now. No idea whether it's actually playing in HD or the same as the standard Radio 3. Can't easily toggle between the two to compare. The vTuner site says it's AAC 96K.

[Andrew Wilson]

I can get BBC Radio 3 HD, too, on vTuner, rather to my surprise, because it didn't work for me before the 7 January update (I haven't tried today's, yet). Thanks for the info about podcasts, Paul, I'll have a go, though I don't think what I want are strictly podcasts. I shall report back in due course!

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Hi Andrew, do you have any bother getting the initial connection with BBC Radio 3 HD? It's taken up to 12 goes on one occasion. Have had varying signal strengths showing in the UI now playing window too. Anything from in the 40s to 80s % wise. Having said that I've had no buffering drop outs.

[Andrew Wilson]

I can't access any podcasts, all I get is an error saying, 'That didn't work, try again.'

BBC Sounds says that internet streaming devices should be able to play previously broadcast content: '... capable of consuming our highest bitrate AAC+ streams over HLS or MPEG-DASH'. I don't think that works on the B2, could it, perhaps?

[David LE]

Leslie's screen shot shows a graphic for BBC Radio 3.  Where does that come from?  I know how to download graphics for CDs that do not come with the correct graphics after ripping, but cannot see how to do it for radio stations.  Great contributions on this forum from masses of helpful people.

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Hi David LE, I recently went to the vTuner on the UI to see if I could get BBC Radio 3 HD that another forum member said was available. I was able to assign it to one of the presets and the graphic came with it.  Just checked all the other BBC Radio channels I have and they don't have graphics. Decided to see if it was maybe a vTuner update thing and found it must be. Just added the graphics to several BBC radio channels by going to vTuner and reassigning the presets.

Selected; vTuner > Europe > United Kingdom > BBC   Then at the station I wanted to reassign I clicked on the 3 dots to the right of it, and from the drop down list clicked on the preset I wanted it to go to. In this case the same preset I used before, and the info I assume over-wrote the original assignment with the new info and graphics.

NB. I know some guys have had problems getting new presets to stick. Having said that these seem stable.

[John Hoskins]

Hello David LE. Re graphics on BBC radio stations - it seems VTuner has two entries for each BBC national station eg 'Radio One' and 'Radio 1'. I think the latter with the numeral has the graphic.

John H

[Andrew Wilson]

Hi Leslie, Until 7January release, I'd given up trying to get Radio 3 HD on vTuner. After I did the update, previously stored stations loaded OK, but quickly ran down the buffer to zero for some reason, so were impossible to listen to. I think that was related to the fact that the first upgrade messed up the SD card, so I had to make a new one. Anyway, while I was fiddling around, I just tried 3 HD on the off chance, and it worked, immediately, and has worked each time since I assigned it a preset. Incidentally, I used to have logos with each of my stations, but now they're rarely displayed, never with 3 HD, so far.

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

John Hoskins, just checked vTuner on the UI and only found the BBC Radio stations in the BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 etc. format with the associated graphics. So maybe they've dropped the other one, or maybe we're getting different station selections in different regions. I'm over in N.Ireland.

Andrew, I can get BBC Radio 3 HD ok, and once started it is stable with varying  buffer readings (have had it in the 40s, 70s, and 80s and it still didn't drop out).  My only problem is getting it initially connected. Shortest number of goes it 3. Have taken in the teens other times, but once connected it's fine.

In response to David LE last night about the BBC station graphics, I just went back to vTuner and reassigned the stations ie. overwriting the originals and the graphics are now there with the presets.

Just connected to BBC Radio 3 HD on the 15th go. Playing fine, buffer in 30s - see screenshot. Weird trying to get it going, but once it connects, fine.

[David LE]

Dear to Leslie and John.  Thanks to you and others that responded to my query about graphics for Radio stations presets.  As you rightly advised you need to search and then reassign any presets that might already be set.  I have done this and found all the graphics and as you can see from the attached screen shot this included my favourite Italian station - Monte Subasio!  The other advice about pressing the Play/Stop button to close down the B2 is the absolutely the correct way to close and save all changes that have been made.  As the speakers provide much better reception than my Roberts internet radio I am beginning to use my B2 as my preferred internet radio.  Thanks again to everybody that offers such helpful advice.

[PMB]

Hi All,

It appears online Radio stations tweak things quite often so if anything is amiss with presets, artworks etc it is a good idea to search the station again and refresh the preset.

After searching a station I always click the play symbol by the search result to make sure the vTuner station address works before saving to a preset.

I love the screenshots as I like to see what other people are listening to and get ideas for music I may not have heard before.

I've got Radio Subasio playing currently - just curious - don't speak Italian so may change it to Radio Caroline....

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Andrew Wilson]

Hi Paul

The podcast search function as you've described it definitely does not work for me.

[PMB]

Hi Andrew,

It doesn't appear to work with the BBC Radio 3 HD URL but does work with other radio stations I've tried.

Like Leslie I can get Radio 3 HD to play after 2 , 3 or more attempts and is quite stable once connected.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Andrew Wilson]

Thank you, Paul! I hadn't twigged that the podcast search box came up while playing the station. More to explore on this amazing device! Incidentally, I don't have to try Radio 3 HD repeatedly for it to work: it's on a preset which seems to work as reliably as any other, for me.

[PMB]

Hi Andrew,

I found the same this morning - BBC Radio 3 HD played first time from a preset.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Paul & Andrew, 

                          this morning BBC Radio 3 HD connected from the preset on the 13th go. Signal buffer around 40% and stable. Music fine. Just a nuisance getting there. Having said that, I've always managed to get a connection eventually. Just a test of patience.

[Mike W]

Hi Leslie, I put a post on a few days ago about problems connecting to radio stations, the cure for me was to change to the Google DNS severs instead of the ones used by my ISP,

Maybe worth a try, if no improvement you can always revert back to original settings.

Mike

Google dns:   8.8.8.8    8.8.4.4

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Hi Mike, thanks for the suggestion. It's only the BBC Radio 3 HD I have a problem connecting with. I can live with it. Can connect to standard Radio 3 no problem. Just out of interest, how do you go about changing to Google DNS?

[Mike W]

Hi Leslie, in the router that the B2 connects to, if you log in to the admin settings, you should see the ability to enter DNS primary and secondary server addresses.

Each router has different menu structures but DNS can usually, but not always,  be found in the LAN settings.

It's pretty straight forward and if you make a note of the original settings you can always revert back to these if there is no improvement.

Regards

Mike

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Cheers Mike, may give it a look at some stage.

[Andrew Wilson]

I've found the url for a stream of a BBC concert (LSO, Simon Rattle, 10 January) and tried pasting that into the Podcast search box. It doesn't work, but immediately starts playing the first listed recording from the B2's hard disc instead. That may be because it's expecting Flash on the B2 so it can be played, I don't know.

[lesliebr...@gmail.com]

Yeah Andrew, something similar happens on my B2 when I've tried to add a url. 

[PMB]

Hi Andrew,

Please post the full URL you mentioned.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Andrew Wilson]

Hi Paul

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0001yjt

[keit...@googlemail.com]

Can I just add a vote for a good implementation of BBC sounds. As described above if I wish to play an historic podcast from the BBC website rather than a live streaming one, the URL only points to the controlling web page. So far as I can tell the is no direct URL that I can cut and paste.
Btw I have found alternatives URLs for live streaming of BBC stations that can be posted as URLs in the podcast box, an example for BBC radio six is as follows.
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_6music_mf_p

[Andrew Wilson]

BUMP

Martin - Is there any likelihood we could get BBC Radio 3 podcasts to play on the B2? They're AAC+, so I guess it should be possible ... and it would be wonderful!

The stream urls aren't visible on my iPad using Safari, but are on my Mac using Cliqz. Pasting them into the podcast box just plays the first music on the B2's hdd.