bbc radio media player

lollipopsarah

It's not working now, the beeb have changed the format so I can't listen live to my favourate stations online .
I,m gutted as I don't have an mp3 thing, and i've just spent ages searching for online help - aaagh!
Please can anyone help, thankyou.
xx

tavernman

What are you trying to listen to them on?

tavernman

Try here http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio

Big_Graeme

http://www.listenlive.eu/uk.html

Jivesinger

tavernman wrote: »

What are you trying to listen to them on?

Yes - it would be helpful to know.

Even clunky old Windows Media Player* (well at least the version in Windows 8.1) can still get BBC Radio

I went here http://www.radiofeeds.co.uk/mp3.asp

and found this link to Radio 4, for instance.
http://bbcmedia.ic.llnwd.net/stream/bbcmedia_radio4fm_mf_p?s=1425070750&e=1425085150&h=7733919cff23568d0dd7debb31c12534
which still works in WMP. (Go in to WMP and Open URL.)


* Other, better players are available.

Cornucopia

Tunein Radio is pretty reliable.

You can make MP3 files from any BBC Radio programme using get_iplayer, copyright permitting.

fenlander_uk

The BBC has put its foot in it bigtime by changing the format of its streams without telling its customers. There are new streams, both in HD (320kbps) format and in 128kbps MP3 format.

Unfortunately, it seems that Windows has no built-in support for the new format HD streams. They can be played in VLC, but they really tie up the processor and don't close cleanly (i.e. VLC goes on hogging most of the processor time even after you close the stream). Strangely (or perhaps not), there is no problem with these streams in Linux media players. Even a little background application like RadioTray plays them perfectly with no noticeable hit on the processor.
These HD streams are as follows:
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_one.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_1xtra.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_two.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_fourfm.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_fourlw.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_four_extra.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_five_live.m3u8
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_6music.m3u8
(Sorry, the forum software is shortening the URLs. Right click on any of the above and select 'Copy Link Address' to get the full URL on your clipboard.)

If you use a Windows media player, such as RadioSure, it will NOT be able to use the HD streams. You can however add new stations using the new MP3 streams, which are as follows:
http://www.listenlive.eu/bbcradio1.m3u
http://www.listenlive.eu/bbcradio2.m3u
http://www.listenlive.eu/bbcradio3.m3u
http://www.listenlive.eu/bbcradio4.m3u
http://www.listenlive.eu/bbcradio4extra.m3u
http://www.listenlive.eu/bbcradio4lw.m3u
http://www.listenlive.eu/bbc5live.m3u

If you are a radio 3 fan who must have excellent quality, there's a 320kbps stream that DOES work in Windows here:
http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/5/select/version/2.0/mediaset/http-icy-aac-lc-a/format/pls/vpid/bbc_radio_three.pls

Please note that all these streams need to be implemented through your media player - you are unlikely to get any joy just by clicking the links and waiting for music.:D

If you don't want all this hassle, I'd suggest TuneIn Radio. You can set up all your favourite stations by 'following' them. TuneIn Radio currently seems to be using the MP3 streams for BBC stations and presumably other aggregators are doing the same. One problem I have noticed is that at certain times of day, the MP3 streams drop out pretty regularly and there are a few dead seconds while the stream buffers. Even TuneIn Radio seems to suffer from this problem (I'm on a 100Mbps connection, so I doubt if that's the cause...).

wiogs

I use the radio app to listen to old shows so TuneIn Radio, although excellent, is useless for that.

Jivesinger

fenlander_uk wrote: »

Unfortunately, it seems that Windows has no built-in support for the new format HD streams.

These HD streams are as follows:
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_fourfm.m3u8

Curiously, if I download that file and open in Notepad, copy the web URL contained therein and try to open the URL in Windows Media Player, it does play a glitchy version of Radio 4 - from 3 hours ago.:rotfl:

fenlander_uk

Jivesinger wrote: »

Curiously, if I download that file and open in Notepad, copy the web URL contained therein and try to open the URL in Windows Media Player, it does play a glitchy version of Radio 4 - from 3 hours ago.:rotfl:

Something from a buffer somewhere, by the sound of it.

lollipopsarah

Thank you all I'm on my old computer and can only manage to listen again to my favourate show (radio kent).
I.player is no longer supported as the beeb says the updates are too expensive and most listeners use other formats.
Not me and am sure lots of other listeners who's radios no longer work and who haven't got flash tablets - gr.
Will study all your replies tomorrow, thank you again.
xx