BBC Radio 3 Testing Lossless FLAC Streaming

[kirkmc]

BBC Radio 3 Testing Lossless FLAC Streaming

 

If you're in the UK, you can try this out with Firefox. I note in my brief article that Cambridge Audio is looking for beta testers to try this with two of their devices. If anyone knows of other devices that will support this, let me know in the comments to my article. 

[richard kimber]

Interesting. It wasn't working when I tried it, though. Presumably if we knew the URL, it could work via HQPlayer which I think supports flac streaming (but I may be wrong).

[mansr]

2 hours ago, richard kimber said:

Interesting. It wasn't working when I tried it, though. Presumably if we knew the URL, it could work via HQPlayer which I think supports flac streaming (but I may be wrong).

This URL? https://vs-dash-ww-rd-live.bbcfmt.hs.llnwd.net/al/lossless/client_manifest.mpd

[OneHandWaving]

Very good it sounds too.

 

The BBC have confirmed to me that it's a 16/48 stream. I'm looking forward to listening to the Proms using it. 

 

I've also expressed a hope that it extends beyond the current 5 months trial. 

[#Yoda#]

JB Radio2, https://jbradio2.ca, a commercial free web radio, formerly known as jbradio.eu is streaming FLAC up to 2000 kbps for more than a year now. The URL of the FLAC stream is: http://209.126.66.166:10999/flac.m3u.

 

Usually no issues to stream this with TuneIn as user-defined URL via Linn Majik, or  with Auralic Lightning DS, for listening via computer, the VLC player is fine.

 

 

 

 

[Bystander]

3 minutes ago, #Yoda# said:

JB Radio2, https://jbradio2.ca, a commercial free web radio, formerly known as jbradio.eu is streaming FLAC up to 2000 kbps for more than a year now. The URL of the FLAC stream is: http://209.126.66.166:10999/flac.m3u.

 

Usually no issues to stream this with TuneIn as user-defined URL via Linn Majik, or  with Auralic Lightning DS, for listening via computer, the VLC player is fine.

 

 

 

 

In the case of the BBC3 feed, MPEG-Dash appears to require a 3.0.0 nightly build of VLC.

[jhwalker]

2 hours ago, Bystander said:

In the case of the BBC3 feed, MPEG-Dash appears to require a 3.0.0 nightly build of VLC.

 

Thanks for this pointer - listening to the stream (shows as 32/48 in VLC) via the URL mansr provided above

[sfinn]

On 12/4/2017 at 0:28 PM, kirkmc said:

BBC Radio 3 Testing Lossless FLAC Streaming

 

If you're in the UK, you can try this out with Firefox. I note in my brief article that Cambridge Audio is looking for beta testers to try this with two of their devices. If anyone knows of other devices that will support this, let me know in the comments to my article. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the stream is available in Ireland so is not confined to UK. Well worth a listen.

[robtweed]

On 4/14/2017 at 1:00 AM, jhwalker said:

 

Thanks for this pointer - listening to the stream (shows as 32/48 in VLC) via the URL mansr provided above

I also successfully have VLC 3..0.0 playing the R3 FLAC stream, which is awesome.  Question: does anyone know how to capture/save the stream to a file using VLC?  VLC command line, perhaps?

 

[robtweed]

1 hour ago, robtweed said:

I also successfully have VLC 3..0.0 playing the R3 FLAC stream, which is awesome.  Question: does anyone know how to capture/save the stream to a file using VLC?  VLC command line, perhaps?

 

 

I think I figured it out - for anyone else interested:

 

./VLC -I rc https://vs-dash-ww-rd-live.bbcfmt.hs.llnwd.net/al/lossless/client_manifest.mpd --sout="#transcode{vcodec=none,acodec=flac}:std{access=file,mux=raw,dst='testr3.flac'}"

 

[plissken]

1 hour ago, robtweed said:

I also successfully have VLC 3..0.0 playing the R3 FLAC stream, which is awesome.  Question: does anyone know how to capture/save the stream to a file using VLC?  VLC command line, perhaps?

 

 

In Windows you can go into the Sound CP and show disabled devices. If sound mixer shows up you can use that as the playback device. Then you can use Audacity to record those digital streams in full fidelity. 

[robtweed]

5 minutes ago, plissken said:

 

In Windows you can go into the Sound CP and show disabled devices. If sound mixer shows up you can use that as the playback device. Then you can use Audacity to record those digital streams in full fidelity. 

Thanks for that info.  However I use a Mac and want a way to do this via the command line, so I can now schedule a recording via a script file.  VLC's command line allows me to now do this :-)  Also doesn't need any other software than VLC v3.0.0 and no system re-configuration.

[John99]

On 21/04/2017 at 4:43 PM, robtweed said:

On 21/04/2017 at 4:43 PM, robtweed said:

 

I think I figured it out - for anyone else interested:

 

./VLC -I rc https://vs-dash-ww-rd-live.bbcfmt.hs.llnwd.net/al/lossless/client_manifest.mpd --sout="#transcode{vcodec=none,acodec=flac}:std{access=file,mux=raw,dst='testr3.flac'}"

 

Thanks - that's very useful indeed but there are a couple of anomalies I came across when I used the method:

 

The Foobar reports the FLAC file as 24 bit depth whereas the Radio 3 FLAC stream is 16 bit.

 

The FLAC file seems to play all right on, say Foobar, etc but Sound Forge (the audio editor) is very unhappy with the file - no waveform or details are displayed and if I try to play the file in Sound Forge it comes up with an error message.

[Samizdat]

This morning I plunk the BBC Radio 3 FLAC manifest.mpd URL (aich tee tee pee colon slash slash) vs-dash-ww-rd-live.bbcfmt.hs.llnwd.net/al/lossless/client_manifest.mpd into the VLC 3.0.0 nightly build, and voila! The music plays. Then, almost as though on cue, the muted horn does a "Waa-waa, waa, waaaaaaaaaaaaa," and the music stops. I try it again, because of course it's just a fluke. No, stream still only plays for a few seconds, then quits. Am I the only one?

Ironically, it may well be possible that my email a week ago to the BBC R&D department handling the BBC Proms 2017 FLAC stream, requesting that they put up the stream a couple of days early so bugs like this could be solved, is a success, but that I will still be sitting here with mute speakers long after the live music starts tomorrow morning (U.S. time).

Frustrating.

[AudioDoctor]

SO no one outside of the UK can listen to this?

[AudioDoctor]

The JB Radio link is working, and look at the bit rate it says its giving me...

 

 

[austinpop]

On 4/21/2017 at 10:43 AM, robtweed said:

 

I think I figured it out - for anyone else interested:

 

./VLC -I rc https://vs-dash-ww-rd-live.bbcfmt.hs.llnwd.net/al/lossless/client_manifest.mpd --sout="#transcode{vcodec=none,acodec=flac}:std{access=file,mux=raw,dst='testr3.flac'}"

 

 

Help. I pulled the latest nightly build for VLC for MacOS from here: https://nightlies.videolan.org/build/macosx-intel/vlc-3.0.0-20170714-0445/

 

I located the VLC executable here: /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS

 

How do you get VLC in your path? I admit I don't know MacOS well, because the whole <App>.app structure is a bit weird to me. I'm used to executables living in a bin directory. 

 

Also, is there any particular nightly build? The one I pulled from today gives me a bunch of libvlc errors when I tried to run your cmd above.

[jhwalker]

1 hour ago, austinpop said:

 

Help. I pulled the latest nightly build for VLC for MacOS from here: https://nightlies.videolan.org/build/macosx-intel/vlc-3.0.0-20170714-0445/

 

I located the VLC executable here: /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS

 

How do you get VLC in your path? I admit I don't know MacOS well, because the whole <App>.app structure is a bit weird to me. I'm used to executables living in a bin directory. 

 

Also, is there any particular nightly build? The one I pulled from today gives me a bunch of libvlc errors when I tried to run your cmd above.

 

Is there a reason you don't want to use the app itself?  i.e., use the graphic interface instead of the command line interface?

 

I can verify the URL is currently working in the version of VLC you pulled:

 

[austinpop]

2 minutes ago, jhwalker said:

 

Is there a reason you don't want to use the app itself?  i.e., use the graphic interface instead of the command line interface?

 

I can verify the URL is currently working in the version of VLC you pulled:

 

 

I'm trying to figure out how to convert the stream into a local flac file, so I can time shift.

[AudioDoctor]

17 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

I'm trying to figure out how to convert the stream into a local flac file, so I can time shift.

 

You can't do that with the app?

 

What does "record" do?

[austinpop]

OK - I think I know how to do it on VLC 3.0 for Windows. This is still manual, but presumably can be turned into a script and scheduled.

 

The steps are:

1. Media > Open Network Stream... and then enter the manifest URL
   
   Click the arrow next to Save
    
2. Select the Audio Flac profile, enter a suitable file name and location, and select the Edit profile button next to it
   
    
3. Check the box to keep original rate
   
    
4. Then click save/OK/OK to dismiss all.

At this point, you're "recording." Hit stop to end the recording.

[austinpop]

5 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

You can't do that with the app?

 

What does "record" do?

 

You'd think, right?! But apparently not. See my post above.

[jhwalker]

Just now, austinpop said:

 

You'd think, right?! But apparently not. See my post above.

 

No, the "Record" button works just fine - saves it in the \Music directory in OGG format.  I'm assuming you can configure it to output as FLAC if you like.

[austinpop]

13 minutes ago, jhwalker said:

 

No, the "Record" button works just fine - saves it in the \Music directory in OGG format.  I'm assuming you can configure it to output as FLAC if you like.

 

Ah yes, that's true. I tried it - but still looking for an option to set default to FLAC.

[jhwalker]

11 minutes ago, austinpop said:

 

Ah yes, that's true. I tried it - but still looking for an option to set default to FLAC.

 

Me, too. LOL

 

I like this project, though - it would great to record each of the Proms streams (i.e., starting at the local equivalent of 8PM each evening and going for three hours or whatever).  For that, would be best to use the CLI.

 

Let us know how it goes!