Radio streaming stops intermittently

[bpa]

I have no problem starting another thread, but, being professionaly involved in software development, I can hardly imagine those problem being related to one specific broadcasting streaming

From the first post you can see the problem is associated with a local SBS server and BBC specific plugin - not mysb.com or generic streaming. The title is set by the OP.

When I play BBC Radio 1 / Radio 2, it is prone to stopping. I am using the BBC iPlayer plugin and I am in the UK.

I offered the advice of a new thread because you will get other forum readers interested in your problem as they already know this thread deals with BBC and iPlayer plugin and will not associate it with a user having mysb.com problems.

[majones]

You can see the problem is associated with a local SBS server and BBC specific plugin - not mysb.com.

My Squeezebox Radios, that have in-built AAC processing (and hence don't use SBS to convert AAC), have similar symptoms, worse actually because from time to time the radios will freeze and reboot. I have switched everything over to WMA and certainly the interruptions, rebuffering and reboots are much less common. It's to early to say whether the symptoms are fully resolved.

Is there something possibly within the BBC's Flash/AAC set-up that is incompatible with the SBS and Radio processing capabilities? I read somewhere that the BBC introduced SWF Verification for its RTMP streams in February, whose purpose is to interrupt non-compliant streams. Any thoughts on this?

[nicolas75]

I had given up with this thread, but since you raise it again, I take some time to give my thoughts about this problem.
I find astonishing than somebody can say that a thread which title is "Radio streaming stops intermittently" is only about BBC iplayer plugin.
Even if in this specific case, it might be so.
Anyway as someone who is in the software business, I do consider than the original problem raised in this thread can be related to BBC, but I also do consider that it actually may be due to something else.
Squeezeboxes products are prone to rebuffering problems, no matter if that is due to hardware, mysqueezebox.com, firmware, internal plugins, external plugins, or whatever else, I don't know.
You will find a lot of posts complaining about that, and there is always a good reason to blame something else than squeezeboxes.
I was adviced to open a new thread about that, I am sorry, I gave up.
I have the feeling that if I say that I am using a wired connection with a Belkin brand cable, some smart guy will come and say that my rebuffering problem thread is specific to "Rebuffering problem specifically related to Belkin brand cables wired squeezeboxes " ...
Let's face it, squeezeboxes DO HAVE rebuffering problems.
I can compare with other software/systems used to listen to internet radios.
Rebuffering problems are more frequent, and more annoying with squeezeboxes.
When rebuffering also occurs in others systems, the rebuffering time is much longer (actually inacceptably longer in my opinion) with squeezebox than with others systems.
I am in the businness of developping commercial softwares for end users.
Squeezebox Touch is not a free product, it can be considered as somewhat expensive for a lot of people.
This kind of problem should definitly not be treated in this "geek" way.
A paying customer doesn't want to know why it doesn't work.
He wants a product that actually work fine, period.
I have owned squeezeboxes for several years now.
I am in the computers and software business.
I switched from SB3 to Touch to use TinySBS.
I gave up because TinySBS is definitly not working the way it should, and I came to the conclusion it cannot handle a large library of flac files.
I could make it work fine, and wait from time to time, when unexpected rescanning occurs.
I won't because I didn't bought this Touch to debug it, or wait 10 minutes when I would like to listen to music.
So I use the Touch the way I used my SB3, plus the Touch screen which is nice, plus the better built in dac, and I am fine with that.
TinySBS is not mature, I don't want to lose my time with it, and I am satisfied with the Touch without TinySBS.
But rebuffering problems are getting worse, it is not serious to deny it.
It can work fine for some time (it has actually been working fine for me last weeks).
But I regularly have problems, like many other people, and when I have rebuffering problems, it is either
- only with squeezebox
- or much worse with squeezebox than with others software/systems.

[nicolas75]

From the first post you can see the problem is associated with a local SBS server and BBC specific plugin - not mysb.com or generic streaming. The title is set by the OP.


I offered the advice of a new thread because you will get other forum readers interested in your problem as they already know this thread deals with BBC and iPlayer plugin and will not associate it with a user having mysb.com problems.

I insist once again.
I often have to deal with software developers convinced that they actually identified the reason for a problem, and often have to spend far too much time to make them realize they were wrong.
The original poster problem may be due to BBC plugin, but nothing written in this thread definitly proves that this is actually the main reason for the rebuffering problem.

[Triode]

My Squeezebox Radios, that have in-built AAC processing (and hence don't use SBS to convert AAC), have similar symptoms, worse actually because from time to time the radios will freeze and reboot. I have switched everything over to WMA and certainly the interruptions, rebuffering and reboots are much less common. It's to early to say whether the symptoms are fully resolved.

Is there something possibly within the BBC's Flash/AAC set-up that is incompatible with the SBS and Radio processing capabilities? I read somewhere that the BBC introduced SWF Verification for its RTMP streams in February, whose purpose is to interrupt non-compliant streams. Any thoughts on this?

Answering related to use of BBCiPlayer/BBCRadio plugins:
1) If you do get rebuffering with aac/flash streams then you should try moving to wma. The reason for this is that with aac/flash the player/server only maintains a very short buffer and so will rebuffer with relatively short breaks in internet connectivity or congestion at the radio station end. With wma, if the buffer threshold is set for longer then you should get a much deeper buffer which can absorb more network variability.
2) There was a bug in my rtmp code which could cause reboots especially on radio - I think this should be fixed in the latest radio firmware. If you see reboots please change to wma.

Please note that the plugins and rtmp implemention are a 3rd party additions which I try to maintain to provide the best BBC capability on squeeze devices. The rtmp case uses an implementation which was written from scratch using the adobe spec rather than the closed flash implementation available as a browser plugin means there will be differences. This is especially true related to undocumented features such as buffer management. In most cases I think people find the rtmp stream works well, but if you experience problems please try the wma ones.

Answering your last point - no there is no rtmp verification on the audio streams. The plugins are able to receive all bbc radio streams at present.

[Roose]

If there are still a few problem perhaps you could try enabling PC proxying of the stream using the Settings/Player/Audio/MP3 streaming option - the name is misleading as this setting also applies to WMA streams.

These settings can be changed without system restart so it is easy to run a few tests one after another.

Was experiencing 12 secs buffering listening to Internet Radio stations with streams above 128 kbps (192 & 320) on my Transporter, with a wireless signal strength of 80%. Tried increasing Advanced/Network/Radio station buffer secs = 10, no difference. However, tried Player/Transporter/Audio/Streaming method = Proxied streaming (previously Direct streaming). Stations now play with no buffering, thanks. NB Although a system restart is not necessary after making network changes, you do need to change to a different station, then change back to the original station