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MarmiteSandwich · (This post was last modified: 06-05-2015 20:39 by MarmiteSandwich.)

Hi,
Trialling your server/streamer which looks like a good solution to the BBC problem. I have installed the BBC Radio .m3u file as specified on the website, and used the URL given in the MinimRadio page, modified to reflect my Windows server IP address. I am aiming at implementing this solution on a Roku Soundbridge, but to test the concept, I put the URL into VLC (on a different Windows PC) as a network stream. VLC started to play it immediately but stopped after 5 seconds. This can be reproduced indefinitely. The Roku didn't manage to play anything. Since VLC managed something, I must be on the right track. Will happily make a donation, but need to sort out this glitch first. Any suggestions?
Marmite
Edit: Upon further investigation, pasting the URL into Chrome results in an indefinite play of the stream, QuickTime says it is an invalid URL, and Firefox loads the QuickTime plugin and plays for 5 seconds (like VLC). This length of time seems to be related to HLS structure, which works in 5 second fragments, as far as I can see. Not that any of this tells me why VLC or the Roku won't play a stream from this URL. I haven't changed anything from the example given, except my server's IP address.

simoncn · 06-05-2015, 21:56

(06-05-2015 18:52)MarmiteSandwich Wrote: Hi,
Trialling your server/streamer which looks like a good solution to the BBC problem. I have installed the BBC Radio .m3u file as specified on the website, and used the URL given in the MinimRadio page, modified to reflect my Windows server IP address. I am aiming at implementing this solution on a Roku Soundbridge, but to test the concept, I put the URL into VLC (on a different Windows PC) as a network stream. VLC started to play it immediately but stopped after 5 seconds. This can be reproduced indefinitely. The Roku didn't manage to play anything. Since VLC managed something, I must be on the right track. Will happily make a donation, but need to sort out this glitch first. Any suggestions?
Marmite
Edit: Upon further investigation, pasting the URL into Chrome results in an indefinite play of the stream, QuickTime says it is an invalid URL, and Firefox loads the QuickTime plugin and plays for 5 seconds (like VLC). This length of time seems to be related to HLS structure, which works in 5 second fragments, as far as I can see. Not that any of this tells me why VLC or the Roku won't play a stream from this URL. I haven't changed anything from the example given, except my server's IP address.

What is the exact URL that you were using for your tests?

MarmiteSandwich · 06-05-2015, 22:20

(06-05-2015 21:56)simoncn Wrote:
(06-05-2015 18:52)MarmiteSandwich Wrote: Hi,
Trialling your server/streamer which looks like a good solution to the BBC problem. I have installed the BBC Radio .m3u file as specified on the website, and used the URL given in the MinimRadio page, modified to reflect my Windows server IP address. I am aiming at implementing this solution on a Roku Soundbridge, but to test the concept, I put the URL into VLC (on a different Windows PC) as a network stream. VLC started to play it immediately but stopped after 5 seconds. This can be reproduced indefinitely. The Roku didn't manage to play anything. Since VLC managed something, I must be on the right track. Will happily make a donation, but need to sort out this glitch first. Any suggestions?
Marmite
Edit: Upon further investigation, pasting the URL into Chrome results in an indefinite play of the stream, QuickTime says it is an invalid URL, and Firefox loads the QuickTime plugin and plays for 5 seconds (like VLC). This length of time seems to be related to HLS structure, which works in 5 second fragments, as far as I can see. Not that any of this tells me why VLC or the Roku won't play a stream from this URL. I haven't changed anything from the example given, except my server's IP address.

What is the exact URL that you were using for your tests?

http://192.168.0.124:9790/minimstreamer/*/R3

MarmiteSandwich · 09-05-2015, 12:24

(06-05-2015 22:20)MarmiteSandwich Wrote:
(06-05-2015 21:56)simoncn Wrote:
(06-05-2015 18:52)MarmiteSandwich Wrote: Hi,
Trialling your server/streamer which looks like a good solution to the BBC problem. I have installed the BBC Radio .m3u file as specified on the website, and used the URL given in the MinimRadio page, modified to reflect my Windows server IP address. I am aiming at implementing this solution on a Roku Soundbridge, but to test the concept, I put the URL into VLC (on a different Windows PC) as a network stream. VLC started to play it immediately but stopped after 5 seconds. This can be reproduced indefinitely. The Roku didn't manage to play anything. Since VLC managed something, I must be on the right track. Will happily make a donation, but need to sort out this glitch first. Any suggestions?
Marmite
Edit: Upon further investigation, pasting the URL into Chrome results in an indefinite play of the stream, QuickTime says it is an invalid URL, and Firefox loads the QuickTime plugin and plays for 5 seconds (like VLC). This length of time seems to be related to HLS structure, which works in 5 second fragments, as far as I can see. Not that any of this tells me why VLC or the Roku won't play a stream from this URL. I haven't changed anything from the example given, except my server's IP address.

What is the exact URL that you were using for your tests?
VLC on client:
http://192.168.0.124:9790/minimstreamer/*/R3

MarmiteSandwich · 13-05-2015, 16:13

For anyone interested, my trial and error research has indicated that the only output from MinimStreamer which the Roku SB will play is transcoded mp3, although it does play the current temporary Radio 3 aac stream, and used to play all the discontinued BBC aac streams. As mentioned above, Windows VLC doesn't get along very well with the unwrapped native aac streams output from MinimStreamer, although some PC products (like Windows Chrome) will play them. Foobar 2000 manages better than VLC, but still struggles, see attached screen shots, where Foobar steps through the stream playlist every time it gets an error.

Perhaps I'll make do with the Beeb's temporary mp3 streams until something changes.

Both PCs are running Windows 7 Professional (server 32 bit, player 64) and the CPU usage on the server never goes above 20%, even with the mp3 transcoding. Server 0.8.3, streamer 0.5.12. Roku SB 1001: software version 3.0.44.

simoncn · 16-05-2015, 21:33

(13-05-2015 16:13)MarmiteSandwich Wrote: For anyone interested, my trial and error research has indicated that the only output from MinimStreamer which the Roku SB will play is transcoded mp3, although it does play the current temporary Radio 3 aac stream, and used to play all the discontinued BBC aac streams. As mentioned above, Windows VLC doesn't get along very well with the unwrapped native aac streams output from MinimStreamer, although some PC products (like Windows Chrome) will play them. Foobar 2000 manages better than VLC, but still struggles, see attached screen shots, where Foobar steps through the stream playlist every time it gets an error.

Perhaps I'll make do with the Beeb's temporary mp3 streams until something changes.

Both PCs are running Windows 7 Professional (server 32 bit, player 64) and the CPU usage on the server never goes above 20%, even with the mp3 transcoding. Server 0.8.3, streamer 0.5.12. Roku SB 1001: software version 3.0.44.

I have reproduced the problem with VLC stopping after a few seconds and I am thinking about how to fix it. It is caused by a timing/buffering issue.

MarmiteSandwich · 07-07-2015, 11:11

(16-05-2015 21:33)simoncn Wrote:
(13-05-2015 16:13)MarmiteSandwich Wrote: For anyone interested, my trial and error research has indicated that the only output from MinimStreamer which the Roku SB will play is transcoded mp3, although it does play the current temporary Radio 3 aac stream, and used to play all the discontinued BBC aac streams. As mentioned above, Windows VLC doesn't get along very well with the unwrapped native aac streams output from MinimStreamer, although some PC products (like Windows Chrome) will play them. Foobar 2000 manages better than VLC, but still struggles, see attached screen shots, where Foobar steps through the stream playlist every time it gets an error.

Perhaps I'll make do with the Beeb's temporary mp3 streams until something changes.

Both PCs are running Windows 7 Professional (server 32 bit, player 64) and the CPU usage on the server never goes above 20%, even with the mp3 transcoding. Server 0.8.3, streamer 0.5.12. Roku SB 1001: software version 3.0.44.

I have reproduced the problem with VLC stopping after a few seconds and I am thinking about how to fix it. It is caused by a timing/buffering issue.

I am now running streamer v 0.5.13 and server 0.8.3, with a newer version of VLC (2.1.5) and managed overnight to stream and record 1.5 hours of Radio 3 in aac 320k. Good work, Simon.

BTW I'm in the process of ditching the Roku, which is now obsolete, and searching for a substitute. So far I have ruled out Denon DNP F109 (£200), Veetop Airmusic (£15) and about to try Pure Jongo A2 (£22). Why it it so difficult to find something moderately priced to convert a UPnP stream into a digital output to my DAC, and control it from a PC/smartphone?
Marmite