BBC Proms 2021 - how to stream?

[austinpop]

Folks,

 

The BBC Proms are back! https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/rcc6v2/series

 

What is the highest resolution way for non-UK listeners to catch the performances? The best I can find is the 128Kbps MP3  stream from BBC3.

 

To think that in 2017, we got to listen to this series in 16/48 lossless FLAC. Sadly, BBC chose not to pursue that further.

[Norton]

AFAIK the highest quality here in the UK is 320kbs 

 

http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/uk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8

I know the BBC got “tough“  on VPNs a few years back (seems high handed to me especially for public radio ) but maybe there is a particular VPN service or some other form of proxy that will work? The above doesn’t work for me when using PIA and server set either to USA or UK.

[austinpop]

Thanks @Norton. I've made some effort to get that stream via VPN, as well as the BBC iPlayer, for which my VPN claims to have an explicit profile, but no success. I guess BBC is really really keen to dissuade access.

 

That said, the 128k stream for non UK is proving quite enjoyable on my casual whole-home listening setup using Bluesound Node 2i and Pulse 2i. Since the concerts are in the afternoons here in the US, I just work with it on. Enjoying Mozart 40th right now!

[jhwalker]

Love the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, esp. in Mozart!  Wonderful.

 

[austinpop]

Tuned in late today, but enjoying the Brahms 4th!

[Confused]

Can you get BBC sounds "on demand" in the USA?  I believe it might be possible if you are registered?

 

[austinpop]

11 minutes ago, Confused said:

Can you get BBC sounds "on demand" in the USA?  I believe it might be possible if you are registered?

 

 

Yes, thanks for that. I have no way of knowing what rate it's streaming, but it does allow me to catch the concerts on my own schedule.

 

EDIT: the video links don't work, citing "out of UK," even with VPN, but the audio only links work.

[seeteeyou]

Let's take a quick look at this, any links with nonuk (instead of uk) will work anywhere in the world

 

https://gist.github.com/duracell80/b54b50fd83fa4b8aa739b4252e3420c3

 

Basically there are 4 tiers available within UK but unfortunately the only ones that really do work outside UK (without going through a specific VPN that is) should be sbr_vlow and sbr_low as highlighted below

 

https://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/nonuk/sbr_vlow/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8

https://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/nonuk/sbr_low/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8

https://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/nonuk/sbr_med/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8

https://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/hls/nonuk/sbr_high/ak/bbc_radio_three.m3u8

 

(404 Not Found for those 2 unavailable tiers outside UK)

 

So we're getting at most 102 kbps (LOL) from Akamai unless we could get a little help from the right VPN service provider

 

 

Even a little bit lower when we're switching from HLS to DASH

 

https://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/dash/nonuk/dash_low/ak/bbc_radio_three.mpd

https://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/manifesto/audio/simulcast/dash/nonuk/dash_low/aks/bbc_radio_three.mpd

 

FYI - there's yet another MP3 stream @ 128 kbps that doesn't require VPN outside UK at all

 

http://stream.live.vc.bbcmedia.co.uk/bbc_radio_three

 

Pretty much the same deal with those On Demand streams, we're getting at most 96 kbps

 

 

BBC Proms - 2021 - First Night of the Proms - BBC Sounds

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000y7mb

 

BBC Proms - 2021 - The Golden Age of Broadway - BBC Sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000ycdn

 

BBC Proms - 2021 - An Evening of Mozart with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra - BBC Sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000yd56

 

BBC Proms - 2021 - Proms at Cadogan Hall 1 - BBC Sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000ycr0

 

BBC Proms - 2021 - Ryan Bancroft Conducts the BBC National Orchestra of Wales - BBC Sounds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000ycrb

 

I hope that's clear enough for everyone to understand what we can versus can't do without VPN.

[Norton]

11 hours ago, austinpop said:

 

Yes, thanks for that. I have no way of knowing what rate it's streaming, but it does allow me to catch the concerts on my own schedule.

 

EDIT: the video links don't work, citing "out of UK," even with VPN, but the audio only links work.

 Looking at download size vs concert duration  (c. 1.1 MB per minute) and making some FLAC- like assumptions on compression,  I’m guessing that means you are likely getting nearer to the std 96kbs rather than high  320kbs.

 

The lack of video outside UK is logical, as you need a UK TV license even for BBC on-demand TV, but not for radio (live or on-demand).  Although that doesn’t explain why the BBC deny high bit rate radio streams to OS listeners.

 

 

[austinpop]

It is what it is! 🙂

 

Enjoying the 128kbps MP3 stream for noncritical listening.

[Cebolla]

On 8/3/2021 at 9:16 AM, Norton said:

The lack of video outside UK is logical, as you need a UK TV license even for BBC on-demand TV, but not for radio (live or on-demand).  Although that doesn’t explain why the BBC deny high bit rate radio streams to OS listeners.

 

Perhaps BBC's online servers are only resourced to cope with the bandwidth demands of its UK listeners for those streams.

[Confused]

59 minutes ago, Cebolla said:

 

Perhaps BBC's online servers are only resourced to cope with the bandwidth demands of its UK listeners for those streams.

I presume the additional bandwidth costs money also? Mindful that this is a service paid for by UK residents, but free for the rest of the world?

 

I have no idea how large these costs might be though?  Does anyone have any rough ideas of this?

 

As an aside, I too recall the 16/48 FLAC steam that the BBC tried as an experiment back in 2017.  It is a shame this has not been progressed further, it worked really well for me.

[austinpop]

Having grown up in a commonwealth country, the concept of having to pay for a radio and television "license" isn't as absurd to me as it probably sounds to Americans. 🙂

 

[Confused]

12 minutes ago, austinpop said:

Having grown up in a commonwealth country, the concept of having to pay for a radio and television "license" isn't as absurd to me as it probably sounds to Americans. 🙂

 

Yes, I am sure it seems strange to some. 

 

Although worth noting that whatever the bitrate of the BBC streams maybe around the world, they remain 100% advert free, which is nice.