BBC Internet Radio Gone

He’d be better off writing to Mr Roberts…

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Nope - no interest. They claimed to not even know about it. :roll_eyes:

Well in that case I’d better write to the DG to complain that the BBC’s policies mean that my lovely 1956 Pye valve radio can’t even receive FM let alone internet radio :rofl:

It’s got a beautiful tone :innocent:

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I think this is appalling.

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Thanks Jane. So does OH. :face_exhaling:

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I presume this will affect World Service too.

Yes. :face_exhaling:

Just found this - which is still not great. Looks like he’s going to have to buy new internet radios with new technology. And they are not cheap!

How old are these Roberts radios? I don’t know of anything in the pipeline to stop my Roberts radios receiving Auntie beeb. Do said radios have bluetooth? It may be a laptop/phone/Squeezebox / Pi device etc could be used to relay the newer streams once the shoutcast streams are done away with.

Very glad that despite having been a continuous R4 listener for about half a century, I’ve stopped listening to it - either makes me feel angry or depressed.

So, as long as the £€ rate: stays strong (well OK it might get better), or strong-ish (that would be OK-ish ), just not totally useless (oh s**t) but in any situation, I no longer wish to listen to news from the UK.

Let them get on with whatever they’re trying to do, or trying to stop happening

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As the article says:

To be clear, the BBC isn’t switching off all of its internet radio services. It’s switching off a service called Shoutcast, which is used by a lot of older internet radios and some newer models too. The BBC will continue to use two other streaming standards called HLS and DASH.

If you’re hearing a message on your radio saying your stream is about to be cut off, it uses the Shoutcast technology.

Why is the BBC doing this? Frankly, it looks like a cost-cutting exercise and a data-gathering one.

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It strikes me that using relatively cheap smart speakers (Amazon Alexa, Google etc.) is the answer to having lots of separate radios around the house.

Another option is to use a smartphone to receive internet radio & listen via a Bluetooth speaker.

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Hmmm

I have a Revo Axis XS (well, a pair as I have one in the UK) - not sure if it is completely reliant on Shoutcast but it *is* a very old device - I can’t remember when I bought it though I think I acquired the one in France specifically for the house so that one would have been 2015.

I like it because it is small, sounds OK (but only mono) and seems nicely built (though I know, having taken one apart, that much of the “solidity” is courtesy of lumps of steel plate bolted inside - a much loved technique of cheap Chinese knock-off merchants). It also does not insist that I sign up to an account of some sort before I can use it.

I have occasionally browsed the offerings online and come to the conclusion that all current Internet receiver models, whatever the brand, are too big, too ugly, too expensive or, not infrequently, all three.

I *think* it is based on a Frontier Smart Technologies SoC, not sure if it relies on Shoutcast - I generally listen to Planet Rock and it (and all the Bauer stations) ran announcements about the impending demise on streaming platforms a while ago, then nothing, service as normal, so I can only assume that “something was done” to maintain availability, I suspect that the platform manufacturers like Frontier will tweak something to keep the BBC available on their platforms.

I have /still am listening to bbc radio via a PC laptop/ HIFI amplifier for the last 15 years they can do what they like I will still find a way to listen just like I watch any UK tv channel via a cheap VPN

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I always thought that, if I had something similar, I’d get someone technical to fit a mono jack socket so that I could listen to any input (eg phone) through it.

I’ve done that and use it as a guitar amplifier. Very sweet :yum:

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I hope there’s an isolation transformer involved somewhere. Not all 1950’s valve receivers are mains isolated.

That would look très cool.

Though my friend’s Orange AD5 is my current favourite guitar amp.

Some older Roberts and other radios may have a line input socket which could be connected to a smartphone. Failing that, one of those devices to enable recorded music to be played in cars using a small FM transmitter.

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Of course there is…