Ah "top people", them again...
Ok, here's what is happening (takes deep breath), traditionally we have
always (well I say we, that is Simon does the donkey work) the various
streaming platforms one or more playlist files. Here's an example of
one:
[playlist]
File1=http://streaming03.zfast.co.uk:8086/mp3
Title1=Hastings Rock
Length1=-1
NumberOfEntries=1
Version=2
It's actually the one we'll use for this year but that's neither here
nor there. As you can see, it's this file which has the actual location
of the stream - in this instance http://streaming03.zfast.co.uk:8086/mp3
Now up until this year, we've always put those playlist files on a
server that is normally only "up" during the broadcast period - hence
why post broadcast TuneIn etc. typically remove us because they see a
dead link. The thought I had late last year then was that if we put the
playlist file on our own website, it'll always be available and we can
just change the contents on the fly. Therefore the following links:
http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/128k-mp3.pls
http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/32k-mp3.pls
will always be available and yield a suitable playlist to the likes of
TuneIn etc. That's what we did earlier this year, Simon gave this to
TuneIn, Receiva etc. At that point, the playlist file looked like this:
[playlist]
File1=http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/stream_placeholder.mp3
Title1=Off air placeholder
Length1=-1
NumberOfEntries=1
Version=2
In this instance, the actual "stream" is just a file, held on the
website which just plays a jingle. Yesterday, we updated the file to
pick up Nick's stream:
[playlist]
File1=http://streaming03.zfast.co.uk:8086/placeholder
File2=http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/stream_placeholder.mp3
Title1=Off air placeholder
Length1=-1
NumberOfEntries=2
Version=2
So this should now (and it does) pick up the stream from Nick - which
runs on a loop but if for some reason that goes down, it'll drop to the
next item in the list which is our good old jingle.
When we get to the broadcast period, these will change again with the
actual streams to be used, then after we'll put it back to the static
file hosted on the website.
Now the key thing here is we don't actually know what the likes of
TuneIn, Receiva etc. do with the playlist file we send them. It seems
clear to me from what Nick told me yesterday, that because the Receiva
one is working, they are using our updated playlist but TuneIn aren't.
That's either because they only do a refresh periodically - once a
day/week who knows or in fact that when we provide them the playlist
link, their software (or someone) just reads the contents at that one
point, then discards it. In which case we're back to the annoyance of
keep having to tell them when we change it. For now though, as I said to
Nick the thing to do for now is just wait for a few days and see if they
sync up. That's all we can really do because even if someone does get in
contact with them now, it normally (as Simon can confirm) takes some
weeks for it to change anyway.
Onto the streams themselves (more to answer Sarah's question), we
provide two at the links I provided above:
http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/128k-mp3.pls
This one is the standard MP3 stream which should work on pretty much
anything.
http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/32k-mp3.pls
This is the low bitrate stream designed more for mobile networks. It's
actually this one that Simon normally gives to TuneIn and the like as
it's a format we've used for many years and they've never had a problem
(or the app) so continue to do so as it's more economical for mobile
devices. Although when I contacted Fonteria, I specifically had to
identify the stream format and they didn't have AAC as an option, so
assuming they ever bother to action my request, that will have the MP3
stream.
At the moment, both of these point to the same thing so will both yield
an MP3 stream of some sort.
I hope that clarifies things in all the gory detail.
j.
In article <002a01d3d499$9e3ba470$dab2ed50$@bellaf.plus.com>, Tony Bell
<tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
Technical issues (I think that’s the right phrase) are preventing our
key stream, Tune-in, from playing correctly, Top people are working on
this…. And as soon as all streams are up and stable, yep, will drop
everyone a line on the forum to start advertising that fact….
TTFN, Tony
From: hrock-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <hrock-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of sarah@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 15 April 2018 08:49
To: hrock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [hrock] Re: Fw: Re: Streaming "placeholder"
Once you have the various streams up and running, can you please let me
know what they all are and I can advertise them on social media.
Sarah
From: Nick Apps
Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2018 11:20 PM
To: hrock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [hrock] Re: Fw: Re: Streaming "placeholder"
. right now ! we have a problem with “tune in” our best platform! and
one other ... seems there locked on to the old stream jingle even
although that is no longer being streamed .
Hopefully Simon H or Jonathon will explaine more .please / ? meanwhile
we streaming on other platforms and Simon will have this promo streamed
from the website tomorrow
Nick .
From: Simon H
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2018 11:05 PM
To: hrock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [hrock] Re: Fw: Re: Streaming "placeholder"
I have just started looking at the website but it will take me a couple
of days to work out/remember how it all works and to put up a link to
the stream, show reel or whatever we make available. Start the stream
whenever you want and I will put up a link on our website as soon as I
can.
I will let you know when this is done, then it can be promoted
elsewhere.
regards,
Simon.
On 09/04/18 22:51, Tony Bell wrote:
Ok, have just asked tune in to play Hastings rock, and have listened
to the jingle, and that's all, Nick, are we in a position yet to
start the pre-broadcast stream? If so, let's get it going, and then
Sarah can drop that out to social media and perhaps Simon, or Sarah,
can pop,it up on the web site as well, so people can start listened
get in, and getting their "tech" ready, given the ammout of
aggravation we have with people unable to listen to the stream when
we first come on, would be good to get these wrinkles ironed out
before hand.... ?
Cheers,
Tony Bell
Www.hastingsrock.co.uk
On 9 Apr 2018, at 21:39, Simon H <sfhrock.sub@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Just to let you know we are now available on the Reciva internet
radio platform and on the Tunein and Streema apps. Nothing as yet
from Pure, vtuner or Frontier Silicon though I know Jon has
contacted the latter.
No one has responded regarding my question about Radio Player.
Thoughts please.
regards,
Simon.
On 02/04/18 20:12, Nick Apps wrote:
From: Simon H
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2018 6:44 PM
To: hrock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [hrock] Re: Streaming "placeholder"
As promised I have sent a request for us to be added to the
following:
Internet Radio Portals:Reciva, Pure
Internet Radio Apps: Streema, vtuner, tunein
The most onerous of these being tunein where you have to sign
up to all sorts of conditions which I have done, so I hope we
have the music license to cover this? They also put
advertising in the stream, at least at the start so I find it
rather irritating in my view.
The only major player I have problems with are Frontier
Silicon, which provide the chips in current Roberts sets (and
others). As Roberts is quite a popular make I think Frontier
should be contacted. The trouble is you have to have a set and
I do not have one. My Roberts has a Receva chipset so I can
(have) added us to their database but I cannot add us to
Frontier.
If anyone has a later Roberts internet radio or other set
containing Frontier Silicon technology, then here is the link
to set up an account where you can then add our stream. Please
let us all know if you can help and if/when you have completed
the task.
http://www.wifiradio-frontier.com/setupapp/fs/asp/authlogin/RegForm.asp?lngy=eng
The stream url is:
http://www.hastingsrock.co.uk/32k-aac.pls
The other big portal here in the UK is Radio Player. I
contacted them in 2013 and they require payment (£99 annually
at that time) and could not come down due to agreements with
those who funded it in the first place (BBC and major
commercial players) even though we are only on a short time.
However, it might be good for us to be there as its UK based
(none of the apps listed above are) and carries no advertising
- except any the station itself chooses to add. It is also
heavily promoted so is perhaps not a lot of money in the
overall scheme of things. I have not done so as yet but will
contact them again if you wish? Perhaps we could get someone
to sponsor it, then we would have to add our own message at
the start! Thoughts please.
http://www.radioplayer.co.uk/for-stations
There are loads of portals for TVs and other connected devices
but we cannot cover them all so listeners will have to add us
themselves if they want to use anything a bit obscure. We will
only cover the major players.
So just a matter of waiting for a response from those
contacted so far.
regards,
Simon.
On 26/03/18 21:47, Nick Apps wrote:
We seem to be have taken off tune in ?
there was a message on the a week ago saying this station
is not providing audio and to get in touch but i assume
simon has done that by now?
From: jon bird
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2018 5:33 PM
To: hrock@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [hrock] Streaming "placeholder"
Hi all,
Back a good number of meetings ago we agreed to put a
"placeholder"
audio recording on our web server and point the Internet
streams at it.
That way anyone tuning in outside the broadcast would get a
helpful
ditty explaining we're not on air and when we are on air,
we seamlessly
switch it over to the live feed. This also means Simon
doesn't have to
keep updating TuneIn etc. with new feeds every year.
I think this was left with me to (technically) make it
happen (which is
probably why it's not come up again) however we need
someone to actually
make said ident such that I actually implement this. It's
probably
because no one individual actually got this part of the job
that it's
fallen off the radar. Anyway, since we're now going ahead I
think this
needs to be done as a matter of urgency since as Simon will
tell you, it
takes some time for the Internet radio servers to catch up.
Plus it'll
serve as a bit of self promotion should anyone actually
tune it as we
can tell them when we are actually on air....
In other news, I dug out the server from the loft yesterday
and yep,
it's packed up. So I'm going to need to buy a new machine
now.... One
day things will just work when I dig them out of mothballs
(anyone else
miss "toaster", than old 266 lasted for years and was
practically
indestructible, the only thing that finally did for it was
dodgy power
at the Robert). I should be able to get something suitable
for under
£100 if that's ok everyone?
j.
--
== jon bird - software engineer
== <reply to address _may_ be invalid, real mail below>
== <reduce rsi, stop using the shift key>
== posted as: news 'at' onastick 'dot' clara.co.uk
--
regards,
Simon.
-------------------------------------------------
Hastings Rock Radio
www.hastingsrock.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------
--
regards,
Simon.
-------------------------------------------------
Hastings Rock Radio
www.hastingsrock.co.uk
-------------------------------------------------
