Crap streaming radio quality

[drummerman]

I have been treated to some abysmal sounding streaming radio courtesy of my other half and tuneln (tunein?).

All I can say thanks God for my Tuner.

Apparently even the beeb now only broadcast in mp3.

I have no idea what quality my fm is but it sounds better, that much I have no doubt.

I hope they will not switch that off for a long time.

 

[SemiChronic]

I regularly use some 128kbps radio streams on my set up and they sound excellent, i do look for higher bitrate streams of staions i like but theyre pretty much none existent.

I find tune-in is convenient for using in the car (low bitrate/low data use)

 

[daveh75]

Apparently even the beeb now only broadcast in mp3.

Wrong!

They've used AAC (up to 320k) since their http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/977a1954-658f-4fb2-a23c-71680c49882f

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/f21e6a49-e53c-44f0-8b01-09890a8fed8f

 

[andyjm]

Apparently even the beeb now only broadcast in mp3.

Wrong!

They've used AAC (up to 320k) since their http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/977a1954-658f-4fb2-a23c-71680c49882f

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/f21e6a49-e53c-44f0-8b01-09890a8fed8f

Indeed.

Tunein is an aggregator - an index service. It doesn't run the streams themselves.

I guess it is possible that your device is still picking up the lower quality shoutcast streams and not the newer AAC streams from the BBC.

 

[Oldphrt]

Apparently even the beeb now only broadcast in mp3.

Wrong!

They've used AAC (up to 320k) since their http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/977a1954-658f-4fb2-a23c-71680c49882f

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/f21e6a49-e53c-44f0-8b01-09890a8fed8f

Indeed.

Tunein is an aggregator - an index service. It doesn't run the streams themselves.

I guess it is possible that your device is still picking up the lower quality shoutcast streams and not the newer AAC streams from the BBC.

More likely he's imagining it.

 

[drummerman]

Interesting

So what is the concensus of which is the 'best' Radio app for content and quality?

Mostly interested in the BBC.

BBC Radio iplayer or Radio player (uk radio player ltd), tuneln?

It would have to be good for me to give up my tuner.

Thanks

 

[Oldphrt]

Interesting

So what is the concensus of which is the 'best' Radio app for content and quality?

Mostly interested in the BBC.

BBC Radio iplayer or Radio player (uk radio player ltd), tuneln?

It would have to be good for me to give up my tuner.

Thanks

A Sky box is an improvement on an FM tuner. No roll off at 15Khz and no background noise either.

 

[drummerman]

Interesting

So what is the concensus of which is the 'best' Radio app for content and quality?

Mostly interested in the BBC.

BBC Radio iplayer or Radio player (uk radio player ltd), tuneln?

It would have to be good for me to give up my tuner.

Thanks

A Sky box is an improvement on an FM tuner. No roll off at 15Khz and no background noise either.

I shall look into that thanks.

I read the info on the audio factory. They say they have removed the 15khz roll off on certain programming.

 

[emperor's new clothes]

Hi Drummerman,

Agree most is dross SQ wise.

Try Radio Paradise 320kbps AAC as well as the beeb feed at 320AAC - both excellent to my ears.

http://stream-uk1.radioparadise.com/aac-320

http://www.radioparadise.com/rp3.php?name=Listen&file=index

Good old logitec software (SBT) lets you add any feed to your favourites, but my Denon is stuck with tunein @192MP3 and even Bluesound Node 2 falls foul of this significant limitation.

 

[daveh75]

Maybe of interest.

BBC R3 are currently experimenting with lossless (FLAC) streaming.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/projects/radio-3-concert-sound/inside-story

 

[Pedro2]

I listen to BBC radio streams on my Linn streamer at 320kbs and it generally sounds very good. The BBC states however:

Not all these bit rates are necessarily supported by all devices at all time. For example, a mobile phone may only be offered the lower bit rate streams when on 3G to ensure the connection is more reliable and a better listening experience is achieved. Also, some devices may only be able to cope with a single bit rate and so may not offer the other options e.g. some internet radios.

As mentioned above, you may not be getting the highest bit rate from the device that you are using. Just a thought.
The BBC, I find, are one of the best (SQ wise) internet radio providers. Radio Paradise is also good. So is Soma Radio. I cannot compare with a tuner, however, as I've not listened with a tuner for several ++++ years.

 

[radiorog]

Hey dm. I also think my tuner often sounds better than my streaming. But not always,and not by too much. As mentioned, radio paradise is 320 kbps, and i have also noticed sone shows on the BBC sound much better to than others. They all have their own production personnel i believe, who can alter how we hear the music. I listen to the Huey Morgan show, on BBC 6 and he also does a separate one on 2. I think i have noticed better quality on 6,but maybe it is the slightly funkier music choices? Btw, his show is simply outstanding....He has an incredible music selection.

 

[paulkebab]

on the whole, but I stick to the major stations, I love Radio 2 and the north-west commercial stations such as Absolute 60's/70's/Classic Rock. I have a WDTV which plays everything in the highest available resolution. There's a little compression on all the stations I've listened to but it's not really distracting or offensive. It does sound good enough to get shut of the tuner, DM.

 

[drummerman]

Good info. Thanks all.

I will do some side by side comparison.

 

[chebby]

You can stream all the BBC stations at 320k ...

http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_6music.m3u8

(Radio 6 HLS AAC URL above for example.)

 

[Vladimir]

I tried the flac stream last night and sound quality was good. But honestly I can't tell a difference from that and 320 AAC. *unknw*

 

[chebby]

Only work - in 320k - in the UK apparently.

 

[chebby]

More ...

BBC Radio 1
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_one.m3u8

BBC Radio 1Xtra
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_1xtra.m3u8

BBC Radio 2
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_two.m3u8

BBC Radio 3
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8

BBC Radio 4
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_fourfm.m3u8

BBC Radio 4LW
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_fourlw.m3u8

BBC Radio 4 Extra
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_four_extra.m3u8

BBC Radio 5 Live
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_five_live.m3u8

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_five_live_sports_extra.m3u8

BBC Radio 6 Music
http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_6music.m3u8

BBC Asian Network

http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_asian_network.m3u8

 

[drummerman]

Thanks chebby

 

[nick8858]

FM wins hands down over any other way of listening to radio. Hope they never turn it off.

 

[Vladimir]

Only work - in 320k - in the UK apparently.

With a proxy IP they should work elsewhere.

 

[chebby]

Only work - in 320k - in the UK apparently.

With a proxy IP they should work elsewhere.

There you go then.

Just point your streaming software at those URLs for the BBC stations in 320k AAC

 

[Oldphrt]

I tried the flac stream last night and sound quality was good. But honestly I can't tell a difference from that and 320 AAC. *unknw*

That's OK, because nobody can!

 

[Oldphrt]

FM wins hands down over any other way of listening to radio. Hope they never turn it off.

No it doesn't. It's noisy and rolls off at 15khz. AM subcarrier thanks to the yanks.

 

[nick8858]

FM wins hands down over any other way of listening to radio. Hope they never turn it off.

No it doesn't. It's noisy and rolls off at 15khz. AM subcarrier thanks to the yanks.

Sounds better to me than any streaming service whatever the technology