With the recent changes to the BBC Internet Radio streams, two sets of solutions for LMS users have been developed by the amazing people here on the LMS forum. Note that users of the "BBC Radio" applet (not using LMS) on Logitech Radios and Touch devices should instead look at
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showth...l=1#post810788
The first uses a new plugin called 'PlayHLS' and some related fixes. This set of solutions is described in the thread starting at
http://forums.slimdevices.com/showth...l=1#post811346.
A second set of solutions has been developed by Triode and bpa, requiring two updated plugins (including one updated on 31st March 2015), coming from two new 'repositories'. This set of solutions provides one method of playing Live streams, and two separate ways of listening to 'On Demand' (Listen Again) streams. I find the two different techniques for searching for previous programmes both have their uses, so I use both. There are also some differences in the quality provided for Radio 3 On Demand.
I hope to keep this first post up to date with corrections and improvements where possible, and would prefer that the thread doesn't grow too much, otherwise it becomes almost impossible for people to follow.
I therefore ask that if you have any corrections or suggestions (polite or otherwise), please pm me in the first instance and I'll try to edit this post.
I have assumed use of the 'Default' interface on the LMS GUI.
1) Install updated 'alpha' version of Triode's BBC iPlayer plugin - version v1.3.1alpha3 (latest on 31st March 2015 incorporating many improvements over alpha2)
- Go to the Settings, Plugins page on the LMS GUI.
- Go to 'Additional Repositories' near the bottom. If this is not available, there should be an option to enable third party plugins. Tick this, and press 'Apply' at bottom right.
- Add the following line to the list of additional repositories:
Code:
http://triodeplugins.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/testrepo.xml
- Press 'Apply' at bottom right.
- Restart LMS.
- You should now find that either the new BBCiPlayer plugin is now already available and installed, or there is a box you can tick near the bottom of the plugins list (under "Triode's Squeezecenter Plugins (Test Versions)") to make it available on the next LMS restart. If the latter, tick it and restart LMS.
2) Install updated version of bpa's BBC iPlayer Extras plugin - version v1.8
Repeat the instructions in step 1 except use the repository below, and ensure that the BBC iPlayer Extras plugin version 1.8 is selected and installed.
Code:
http://bpaplugins.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/repo-short.xml
The plugin will wither be installed straight away after a restart, or you need to tick it against "bpa's Squeezecenter Plugins Short".
This method of listening to On Demand streams usually provides a better quality stream for Radio 3.
3) If you have problems there are a few options to check:
a) Go to Settings, Advanced, BBC iPlayer. Unless you have a good reason not to, the 1st two options should read HLS > MP3 > FlashAAC > FlashMP3
b) Go to Settings, Advanced, File Types. Under AAC you should have
Code:
AAC Native
FLAC faad/flac
MP3 faad/lame (assuming you have already installed lame for MP3s)
PCM faad
Some have found that there can be a pitch change if your system is set up in a way that it uses AAC to PCM, so you could try disabling PCM in this list if that happens to you.
c) For
Windows Users Only - you may find some programmes don't play. A patched version of faad.exe is available and attached here -
faad.zip. Find your old copy, take a backup, and, entirely at your own risk, copy this one, making sure the access rights for the program are the same as the old one. It is hoped this will become part of the standard LMS release at some point.
4) In the UK using BBC iPlayer you can now listen to high quality Live streams of almost all stations, and moderate quality On Demand streams. Outside the UK the quality is reduced, but at least the stations mostly exist. Using BBC iPlayer Extras you can find On Demand streams in a different way, and listen to high quality Radio 3 programmes.
5) Send thanks to bpa, Triode, utgg, bonze, Parky, and many others who have contributed patches and suggestions that have led to the current stable solution.
6) I have tried to resist proving much technical information in this description. I will therefore just add that Triode's BBC iPlayer plugin uses 'HLS' as a streaming protocol, which the BBC have been talking a lot about, and should exist for some time to come. bpa's BBC iPlayer Extras plugin uses 'RTMP' as a streaming protocol, which the BBC have been very quiet about, and might disappear at any time. A third protocol (MPEG DASH) is promised for the future. As far as I know all current and planned streams now use the AAC codec. Some legacy streams have been temporarily provided using MP3, but neither of these LMS plugins use that.