The BBC have started broadcasting Radio on the internet using AAC. AIUI
these streams are encapsulated with Flash, and whilst this may benefit the
iPlayer where does this leave internet radios?

Will the BBC start broadcasting an unencapsulated stream, do they expect
internet radios to adapt or continue to use the existing WMA stream?


--
Michael Chare

In article , Michael Chare
wrote:
The BBC have started broadcasting Radio on the internet using AAC. AIUI
these streams are encapsulated with Flash, and whilst this may benefit
the iPlayer where does this leave internet radios?

Will the BBC start broadcasting an unencapsulated stream, do they
expect internet radios to adapt or continue to use the existing WMA
stream?

I don't know the current position, so what I say next may be out of date!
But I had a conversation with 'sources' at the BBC about it some time ago.
AIUI Their view at that point was that they had not satisfied themselves
that there was (yet) an established standard for AAC streaming and at that
point and they preferred to focus on ACC for the iPlayer whilst continuing
to provide the existing (non AAC) streams for 'legacy' systems like net
radio boxes. But I was told they will keep this in mind, so it may change
at some point.

That said, my impression is also that they prefer the iPlayer as it gives
them a bit more control over access from the copyright POV. They didn't say
this to me, though. Just my suspicion.

Personally, having compared using a computer for the iPlayer with a 'net
radio' I'd say I found using the computer far easier as well as giving
better results. Given that DVB-T (Freeview) also gives decent results I
can't say that the lack of AAC for net radios bothers me much. And the net
radio I've been trying can't cope with AAC anyway, despite being a current
model. The makers told me they had no plans to upgrade it.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:09:47 +0100, Jim Lesurf
wrote:

Personally, having compared using a computer for the iPlayer with a 'net
radio' I'd say I found using the computer far easier as well as giving
better results.

I find a bedside net radio easier to use (and more acceptable to my
better half) than a bedside computer. (She did complain that the Pure
Avanti Flow I use is rather large - and I must agree with her on that
point.)

Out of interest, which net radio(s) did you try?

The main advantage of a net radio for me is the availability of
foreign stations (like BR Klassik and France Musique) at reasonable
quality. (For the UK, DAB suffices - with satellite and a computer
with an outboard USB sound module for serious listening.)


Chris.

--
Chris Isbell
Southampton, UK

In article , Chris Isbell
wrote:
On Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:09:47 +0100, Jim Lesurf
wrote:

Personally, having compared using a computer for the iPlayer with a
'net radio' I'd say I found using the computer far easier as well as
giving better results.

I find a bedside net radio easier to use (and more acceptable to my
better half) than a bedside computer. (She did complain that the Pure
Avanti Flow I use is rather large - and I must agree with her on that
point.)

Out of interest, which net radio(s) did you try?

At present I am having a play with a Roberts - big black box but I've
forgotten the model number at present!

The main advantage of a net radio for me is the availability of foreign
stations (like BR Klassik and France Musique) at reasonable quality.

Are they not available as net streams you can pick up with your computer? I
know the AVRO stations and various other European Classical ones are as I
do listen to them occasionally.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:55:33 +0100, Jim Lesurf
wrote:

The main advantage of a net radio for me is the availability of foreign
stations (like BR Klassik and France Musique) at reasonable quality.

Are they not available as net streams you can pick up with your computer? I
know the AVRO stations and various other European Classical ones are as I
do listen to them occasionally.

Yes, I believe they are. However, it is likely that the satellite feed
will be of a better quality. (BR Klassik, for example, is 320kbps
MP2.) I take the digital output from the satellite receiver (its
onboard circuitry is audibly poor) through an external DAC, an
amplifier and Quad electrostatics ('57s).

Overall it is not at all bad - and I get to improve my German and
French listening skills to boot! (Swiss radio is best for this because
the announcers alternate between French and German.)

--
Chris Isbell
Southampton, UK

In article , Chris Isbell
wrote:
On Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:55:33 +0100, Jim Lesurf
wrote:

The main advantage of a net radio for me is the availability of
foreign stations (like BR Klassik and France Musique) at reasonable
quality.

Are they not available as net streams you can pick up with your
computer? I know the AVRO stations and various other European Classical
ones are as I do listen to them occasionally.

Yes, I believe they are. However, it is likely that the satellite feed
will be of a better quality. (BR Klassik, for example, is 320kbps MP2.)
I take the digital output from the satellite receiver (its onboard
circuitry is audibly poor) through an external DAC, an amplifier and
Quad electrostatics ('57s).

Right. However I was asking about your comment re using net radio. I was
assuming from the context you were saying that BRK and France Musique were
an advantage for using a net radio device as the rx over using a computer,
etc.

Overall it is not at all bad - and I get to improve my German and French
listening skills to boot! (Swiss radio is best for this because the
announcers alternate between French and German.)

I've found all kinds of music on net stations with the announcements not in
English. Fortunately for me, the streams often have an accompanying set of
tags that label the content for when I don't recognise it! :-)

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

"Michael Chare" wrote in message
...
The BBC have started broadcasting Radio on the internet using AAC.
AIUI these streams are encapsulated with Flash, and whilst this may
benefit the iPlayer where does this leave internet radios?

Will the BBC start broadcasting an unencapsulated stream, do they
expect internet radios to adapt or continue to use the existing WMA
stream?


I was told that they intend to deliver non-Flash AAC streams in
future, but they also said that that might be some time away from
happening, and the person who said it has since left the BBC, so I've
no idea whether they will end up delivering them or not.


--
Steve - www.savefm.org - stop the BBC bullies switching off FM

www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - digital radio news & info

"It is the sheer volume of online audio content available via
internet-connected devices which terrifies the UK radio industry. I
believe that broadband-delivered radio will explode in the years to
come, offering very local, unregulated content, as well as opening a
window to the radio stations of the world." - from the Myers Report

"DAB sounds worse than FM" wrote in message
...
"Michael Chare" wrote in message
...
The BBC have started broadcasting Radio on the internet using AAC. AIUI
these streams are encapsulated with Flash, and whilst this may benefit
the iPlayer where does this leave internet radios?

Will the BBC start broadcasting an unencapsulated stream, do they expect
internet radios to adapt or continue to use the existing WMA stream?


I was told that they intend to deliver non-Flash AAC streams in future,
but they also said that that might be some time away from happening, and
the person who said it has since left the BBC, so I've no idea whether
they will end up delivering them or not.


--
Steve - www.savefm.org - stop the BBC bullies switching off FM

www.digitalradiotech.co.uk - digital radio news & info

"It is the sheer volume of online audio content available via
internet-connected devices which terrifies the UK radio industry. I
believe that broadband-delivered radio will explode in the years to
come, offering very local, unregulated content, as well as opening a
window to the radio stations of the world." - from the Myers Report


Thanks for the replies. I suppose that one advantage of the internet is
that new formats can be introduced without bandwidth having to be allocated.

--
Michael Chare