Making recordings of radio programmes

shopbot

Try using HiDownload from https://www.download.com.

It is very easy to use:
Open HiDownload. In your web browser right click on the link you want to record and select 'copy link location'. This will then copy the link into HiDownload. Click OK and it will record into an MP3.

tomthebomb

I have tried several times to download Streambox VCR but it always times out while trying to register my details.
Any suggestions?

buglawton

Since first posting the question, I've found a way to do this that is at least simple:

As this a money saving forum, here is the free way to get BBC Listen Again broadcasts onto your MP3 player.

1. Download the free version of Flashget from https://www.amazesoft.com - once installed you just need to right click in the little "Listen" icon on the Listen Again page and download. By default the whole radio program will be saved to C:\Downloads as a ra or ram file. It takes me 10 mins to get a 30 min broadcast but you can process more in one go.

2. Download and install Switch 1.05 from https://www.download.com (search on keywords "MP3 Switch" to find it). Start the program and "Add Files" from the above mentioned Downloads folder, then click "Convert". By default the MP3 result goes to My Documents. If you set the Encoder Settings to 56bps (for speech) and uncheck the High Quality Encoding box, you won't notice much quality loss on speech programs and the MP3 file will not be too monster-sized. I got a 10MB file for a 1/2 hour program. Using higher quality settings will give you a 20 MB MP3 from the original 9 MB RAM file!

3. Copy onto your MP3 player via the usb cable etc. There is an ultra cheap one on https://www.7dayshop.co.uk which has no memory built in but can accept any old SD cards you have around.

The drawback I have found is that on my old 350 MHz 256MB laptop, the encoding process is really slow, eg 15 mins to encode 30 mins of audio. If anyone else tried Switch using faster machinery, please report how you get on!

The above is really a stopgap till Auntie Beeb lifts her skirts enough to offer straightforward MP3 downloads of the whole Listen Again catalogue.

I appreciate there are othe ways, using Net Transport etc (thanks for all the contributions!) but this is a technically simple technique using free software.

dccarm

buglawton wrote:

I will try this but am still looking for the ideal RAM -> MP3 file converter, right click on the RAM file and convert to same name/location but MP3. Any suggestions?

Akram's Audio Convertor does the trick beautifully. I think you get about 10 free goes, then you have to buy it, but when I bought it about a year ago it cost me under £8. I actually convert into wav files first as I use another great program (the name escapes me for the moment) to split into individual tracks, but you do have the option to convert directly to mp3.

buglawton

Akram's Converter does much more than Switch 1.05 but costs. Switch 1.05 (free) is a bit more basic, is a small download and performs acceptably fast on a 1 GHz PC I have now found. If Akram's program would do the download from the BBC and convert to MP3 in one go, I'd be interested but from their site it's just a converter.

dccarm

I'm very impressed by Switch! Thanks. I've been using Akram for a couple of years now as it was the only thing I could find at the time. I've been using Net Transport too, but I'm going to give Flashget a go too.

buglawton

Do report on your experience with Flashget vs Net Transport.

dccarm

I tried Flashget, and from what I can tell it does exactly the same as Net Transport. They even look alike!

Blackjack_Davy

Streambox VCR may be free but it's not the easiet thing to figure out how to use and and it often doesn't work with the latest RM streams due to the fact that it isn't updated very often.

I use WM and RM Recorder which although it isn't free works a treat and it's very easy to use. To convert RM files to wav/mp3 I find Streambox Ripper works fine for me although you do have to search for the earlier version before the function was removed due to licencing restrictions it used to be bundled with StreamboxVCR.

Take a look here:
http://all-streaming-media.com/record-video-stream/record-streaming-video-windows-media-and-real-video.htm

gunneradt

gustav wrote:

Get a life!

mind you i see no difference in downloading music or films to this - it's all copyright breaking and fair game as far as Im concerned. I havent bought a dvd or cd in 3 years.