Help with internet streaming / flip4Mac

[Queenredspecial]

Hello forum wisards!

I am not a computer specialist, nor do I care to be -- just a simple, fairly literate mac user. I like to listen to the radio online, and it used to happen, flawlessly. But now, something somewhere has changed, and my favourite radio station, (http://streaming.bnr.bg/RadioSofia), is very difficult to stream. It comes on for a second, and then off. Then on again, and off.

I upgraded my internet service, (though the old plan should have been plenty.) I upgraded flip4mac, because something told me I needed to. I have cleared caches and restarted so many times. Still, the same thing happens. I called Apple, they said they had no idea.

So, my hope is, that someone out here in mac-wisard land, will be able to explain to me how streaming works, and what my choices are. (Before you ask -- yes, I have looked for other outlets for this radio station, such as playing it through iTunes, and I have not been successful in finding it.)

I am using a MBP, OS 10.7.5, Safari 6.1, flip4mac 3.2.0.16.

Thank you!

 

[satcomer]

What internet radio station are you listening to? What are you using to stream internet radio?

 

[Queenredspecial]

What internet radio station are you listening to? What are you using to stream internet radio?

Hi!

I see my link didn't make it.

It seems the only way I can listen to this particular station is through my browser:

http://streaming.bnr.bg/RadioSofia

 

[satcomer]

I also see hear the radio cut in and out on the web address you pointed too. Does this internet radio station have a main address?

Plus what is the software you use to stream radio stations? My favorite is software our streaming on the mac is FStream.

 

[Queenredspecial]

I also see hear the radio cut in and out on the web address you pointed too. Does this internet radio station have a main address?

Plus what is the software you use to stream radio stations? My favorite is software our streaming on the mac is FStream.

Interesting… I guess it may be because it's a European server? I know next to nothing about these things.

To listen to radio stations, I usually download a pls from their sites, listening through iTunes. For this station, it's not available, so I go straight from their website. On Safari, I use flash player or quicktime player. Flip4mac factors in there somewhere, but I'm not quite sure what it does.

Thank you for the streaming software. I will try it.

 

[Queenredspecial]

So, could someone please explain to me what flip4mac does exactly, and what my choices are as far as players from internet sources? If you know how all of that works, could you please share?

 

[satcomer]

Flip4Mac is something to view Windows streaming services of .avi files on the web. I just use it as a plugin for certain web cameras (especially older ones) that only put out .avi files. Today is not need as much anymore since the release of .mp4.

I really like the application FStream because it uses such low latency and so little resources of traditional web radios.

Now the new trend seems for streaming radio is to hand off their stream to Stream The World. So it took me while to figure out how to use my own streaming software and it goes like this:

1. Launch the web radio through your browser (I will use my local (Washington DC's WMAL - opening their 'Listen live button) to get that mini-player.

2. When the 'Listen Live' window mini-player comes up (in Safari) I can see the code in the title bar of the mini-player window. REMEMBER that station code you see in the menu of that window and you can use that in the next code I provide.

3. Launch you wen player you use that one can make a custom radio station (like using Quicktime as an example) I use the string (for WMAL radio's player) and see it use the string of

http://provisioning.streamtheworld.com/pls/WMALAM.pls

(noticing in the player window I see the station code 'WMALAM" (hence the WMALAM in the code).

To test this procedure you need to find a radio station that uses a player like flash application like Streams the World can use the code (listed in my example) but just with the flash live payer code with the station code in the local radio station's Listen live player using the custom code replacing the WMALM with your local station's code. So open Quicktime and in Quicktime's menu bar item 'file' and select 'open Location' and put it the code you made (using my example) and Quicktime will play the internet stream by itself. This way you can see you can stream most any internet radio stream this way (that uses the kind of stream technology).

 

[Queenredspecial]

Thanks, Satcomer!

That's really complicated -- I think I am missing some of it. (Sorry, new to this.)

What would you do if you wanted to listen to this station? http://streaming.bnr.bg/RadioSofia

I tried putting it into FStream, and nothing happened. What should I be doing to put in radio station info in order to listen?

Thank you!

 

[satcomer]

Thanks, Satcomer!

That's really complicated -- I think I am missing some of it. (Sorry, new to this.)

What would you do if you wanted to listen to this station? http://streaming.bnr.bg/RadioSofia

I tried putting it into FStream, and nothing happened. What should I be doing to put in radio station info in order to listen?

Thank you!

I only look at that briefly. If you can point me to their main web page maybe I can figure out how to stream their stream. However i did find 103.6 FM in Bulgaria and their steam (for FStream) is

http://online.focus-radio.net:8100/sofia.m3u

Is this the right Radio station?

 

[Queenredspecial]

Hi!

That works -- but it isn't the same station. I have never found any other address for it other than this: http://streaming.bnr.bg/RadioSofia . Is a "code" different than the URL of a radio station that streams?

Here is its original website: http://radiosofia.bnr.bg/Pages/default.aspx You'll see a little streaming symbol on the right side of the page, about half way down.

 

[satcomer]

Hi!

That works -- but it isn't the same station. I have never found any other address for it other than this: http://streaming.bnr.bg/RadioSofia . Is a "code" different than the URL of a radio station that streams?

Here is its original website: http://radiosofia.bnr.bg/Pages/default.aspx You'll see a little streaming symbol on the right side of the page, about half way down.

I found a web streaming address for FStream even though I could only get 20KBS in the USA so it took a while to connect. So here is the code:

mms://84.242.176.20/RadioSofia

I hope it works for you. It buffers for a while but then works.

 

[Queenredspecial]

I found a web streaming address for FStream even though I could only get 20KBS in the USA so it took a while to connect. So here is the code:

mms://84.242.176.20/RadioSofia

I hope it works for you. It buffers for a while but then works.

Thank you SO much. I will try it now. You are so sweet! Many thanks for trying.