BBC radio catchup on vTuner

Posted by: Salmon Dave on 16 July 2015

I seem to remember being able to get I'm sorry I haven't a Clue as catchup on my Naim streamer, but today, though it's on iplayer on the puter, nowhere to be seen on the ND5XS. Any ideas?

 

Also, presumably this new format business relates to the recent communication from Naim about updating the streamer?

Posted on: 16 July 2015 by Dave***t
I can't see it in either the on demand or podcast folders under R4 in iradio either.

I'd expect it's pretty low priority, so might just be slow updating. Or perhaps it'll show up after the R4extra repeat?

Though you've made me want to listen to it now, so it'll have to be iPlayer for me!
Posted on: 16 July 2015 by ChrisSU
As I posted yesterday, the BBC have just announced they're about to start making many of their radio programmes available to download so you can listen for up to 30 days. This is a big step up from the current podcast/OD services. I can't see this being added to Naim streamers or servers any time soon, but for R4 spoken word programmes, I don't see sound quality as being a huge issue. Playing from an iPhone over AirPlay to a streamer should work fine.
Posted on: 16 July 2015 by Dave***t
True podcast facilities on streamers might not be forthcoming, but any word on whether they'll show up in the OD/podcast folders when browsing BBC services via the iradio input?

I'm not sure how it all works, but someone, somewhere is providing the current lists of catch up stuff available on iradio. The vtuner website doesn't seem to list the current selection of BBC catch up stuff, so I'm unsure where to look.
Posted on: 16 July 2015 by Dave***t
PS, the episode of Clue in question is great, especially enjoyed Miles Jupp's marrow song. He'll be an excellent News Quiz chair IMO.
Posted on: 16 July 2015 by ChrisSU
Originally Posted by Dave***t:

       
True podcast facilities on streamers might not be forthcoming, but any word on whether they'll show up in the OD/podcast folders when browsing BBC services via the iradio input?


       
Podcasts, and the new downloads, obviously can't work on a streamer, they need to be stored somewhere. Perhaps this would be a good thing to add to Naim servers, which could store them.
Posted on: 16 July 2015 by Dave***t
No, as things stand, downloaded podcasts can't work directly on the streamers. But they are available on demand on streamers via iradio (many users seem not to know/to overlook this). All that is needed is adding more things to the lists which are already there.

I just don't know where the current lists come from.
Posted on: 17 July 2015 by Salmon Dave

Thanks for the replies, not quite what I was getting at ( Clue was just an example). If I go to R4 on the streamer menu, it gives options of R4 Live or a variety of previously broadcast programs. I used to be able to listen to these, now I can't. Is this to do with the streamer upgrade which I have yet to apply?

 

I was confusing the issue by mentioning Clue, though I still think that used to be on the streamer...

Posted on: 17 July 2015 by David Hendon

I'm on holiday 500 miles from my Naim streamers and outside the UK anyway, so can't check, but after you do the 4.3 firmware upgrade, you get a new item in the top iradio menu - BBC Radio, and if you select that, a list of BBC channels and if you select one of them, say R4, you get further options including Radio 4 live, Radio 4 HD live, podcasts and catch ups. I haven't looked further than the HD live option but someone else on the forum who is in the UK and has done the 4.3 upgrade should be able to do so for you.

David

Posted on: 17 July 2015 by Dave***t
Ah, I see the issue. Yes, it's to do with the update. The streams are now in HLS format, which the streamers need firmware 4.3 to be able to play. Once you update it should work as normal.

In fact, much as it may have been just an example, I even found Clue and a load of other stuff under 'Arts, drama, readings & specials' & am playing as I type.
Posted on: 17 July 2015 by ChrisSU
Originally Posted by Dave***t:

       
Ah, I see the issue. Yes, it's to do with the update. The streams are now in HLS format, which the streamers need firmware 4.3 to be able to play. Once you update it should work as normal.

In fact, much as it may have been just an example, I even found Clue and a load of other stuff under 'Arts, drama, readings & specials' & am playing as I type.

       
Much as I like the new HLS streams, the 'Arts, drama, readings and specials' section is just a long, jumbled list of random programmes, and it's easy to miss things. Why on earth these programmes aren't just added to the alphabetical list like everything else, I have no idea. The iPlayer radio app doesn't have this list, and seems to have a more comprehensive range of programmes available. The poor functionality of the Naim app search facility doesn't help either.
Posted on: 17 July 2015 by Dave***t
Yeah, bit of a daft way to categorise stuff. It seems to be because all of the programmes in the category have been given a 'radio drama' genre tag, whether they're drama or not.

Hopefully that'll be sorted out eventually once someone other than a BBC trainee has a look at it (assuming that it's the BBC that assigns the genres). But at least they're there somewhere, and the OP is just a firmware update away from being able to play them.