internet radio questions

[John Bloor]

Hello,

I have some questions about the BB1 / B2 internet radio. If anyone can help I would be most grateful.

I have a Roberts 93i which does internet radio but it is very frustrating. It keeps losing the connection and then it doesn't remember where it's got to. Also it is very slow to get back to the place you want to get to in the programme.

Does the Brennan internet radio play recorded shows (files) as well as live radio?

Can it remember where you got to in a programme?

Is it quick and easy to navigate to somewhere in a programme? 

Thank you,

John Bloor

[J Rathbone]

Hi John

My sister has the Stream 93i so I know it reasonably well. Yes, it’s a bit frustrating but you can listen to all the BBC programmes and podcasts which, unfortunately, is not the case with the BB1 (which I have) and presumably the BB2 (which I don’t).

Specifically, in reply to your questions:

No - BB1 cannot access the BBC ‘s recorded shows/podcasts (the 93i presumably accesses these from BBC Sounds)

No - BB1 cannot pause live radio or “remember where you got to”

No - BB1 does not allow you to “navigate to somewhere in the programme”

Also, the 93i allows a wide range of tailoring to the (excellent) sound quality by selecting from a sub menu plus or minus numbered settings for bass and treble (-6 to +6?). The BB1 only offers 5 “Tone Presets” which, frankly, are indistinguishable.

Hope this helps

Jim

[John Bloor]

Hi Jim,

I guess I'll stick with the 93i then!

Thanks for your help,

John

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Jim,

As of yesterday, the B2 can now record live Internet Radio programmes and store them as normal music files either in uncompressed or compressed format, depending on which compression format you have selected.  You can then replay these recorded at your leisure.

Here is a link to the thread that we have just started on this subject.  Just to be clear, this fuctionality is only available on the B2 at the moment.

https://groups.google.com/g/brennanb2/c/0jPinol9wP0/m/ufJrCVqgAwAJ

Regards,

Peter.

[PMB]

Hi All,

Just to add that the new record radio function is for B2B version software only.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Joe Williams]

> B2B version software

Clarify, please, for infrequent lurkers like me?

[JFBUK]

Hi Joe,

a while back Brennan introduced a new variant of the B2 software , B2B.

Peter Lownham posted this on another thread a while back as to the rationale for this new version, which is obsolescence in the underlying operating system the B2 uses.

The B2 software runs on the Linux kernel, which runs and manages the 'core' of the B2, memory, disk and USB management to name a few.

So these differences are possibly there because the 'B2B' software runs on Linux 4.19 whereas 'B2' software runs on older Linux 3.12.  3.12 was desupported in May 2017 which means that any current development work (software and drivers for example) will not be back-ported to this version.

Linux 4.19 is still supported, with a desupport date of December 2024, so this version is still current, although development of this release will be starting to wind down because Linux 5 was released in March 2019.  The current long term supported version is Linux 5.10 so that might be the next major upgrade but only Martin will know that.

The B2B version offers better Bluetooth support and some other features like the radio recording that the B2 version does not.

To upgrade to B2B version does require a new SD card to be created as I don't think the Web Upgrade process can upgrade the Linux kernel on an existing SD card.

John

[PMB]

Hi All,

We do sell SD Cards from our online shop - link - which are shipped with B2B version software.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[J Rathbone]

ability to record radio sounds like a useful added function. 

There used to be some DAB / DAB+ radios that could do this (not aware of internet radios) but they were discontinued a while back. Then there was the Windows Radio Downloader Windows app that worked a treat. Until the BBC killed it. Otherwise there seems to no other option for digital recording. 

Obvious questions:

1. Are recordings at max bit rate (e.g. Radio 3)?

2. Is BB1 likely to get this?

Thanks

Jim

[PMB]

Hi Jim,

1. I would think Radio recordings are made at the original bit rate.

2. This is just a toe in the water test to see what the interest is, before developing further.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Jeff. M.]

Ah Paul, I've just brought this back from father in laws so I can record the top ten on a Sunday! 🤣🤣🤣 Got to repair it first though! 

[JFBUK]

Hi 

I did a quick test using the radio stream for stations  'Blues Radio UK' and 'Chocolate FM HD'

Vtuner lists these as a 128k stream and a 320K stream

My recording properties are

which is consistent with other recordings I have made so I think the B2 is always recording in CD quality, 1411 kbps regardless of the source

John

[Daniel Taylor]

In the original thread where Martin announced the new feature, there was some discussion about how the radio recordings are captured and saved on the B2.  Right now, the recordings are being converted and saved as WAV files.  But the resolution stored is no greater than what was captured.  So not really CD quality, unless that happened to be what was transmitted.  There was talk about saving the recording in the same format it was received.  Since the feature is still under consideration/development, it's hard to say how things will end up.  But I predict that no resolution will be lost.

[Eccles]

I'm assuming from reading this and the other thread, that there's no way at the moment to schedule a recording, you have to be there when to show starts to press record?

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Eccles,

Yes, you are correct.  But Brennan does introduce new features on the basis of 'let's see how popular it is and then we can extend the functionality' .  So it could be the case that setting timers would be a natural development for the future. 

Regards,

Peter.