Since last Friday, I've not been able to "Listen Again" to many Radio 4
programmes (Afternoon Play, The Archers, PM, to name but a few) by using
the BBC iPlayer (when I try, the player says "Audio stream is
unavailable at this time") or on my internet radio. In some cases, I've
been able to listen anyhow by going to a different webpage and accessing
from there and I've assumed it was a general problem at the BBC with the
iPlayer. However, I've just had a look at the Beeb message boards and
there someone seems to be saying that the problem is confined to people
who are trying to listen again from abroad. I know that is true for the
TVplayer, but I wondered if a UK-based rat could kindly try the TA Omni
from the player and see what happens, pretty please?

Gumrat wrote:
> Since last Friday, I've not been able to "Listen Again" to many Radio 4
> programmes (Afternoon Play, The Archers, PM, to name but a few) by using
> the BBC iPlayer (when I try, the player says "Audio stream is
> unavailable at this time") or on my internet radio. In some cases, I've
> been able to listen anyhow by going to a different webpage and accessing
> from there and I've assumed it was a general problem at the BBC with the
> iPlayer. However, I've just had a look at the Beeb message boards and
> there someone seems to be saying that the problem is confined to people
> who are trying to listen again from abroad. I know that is true for the
> TVplayer, but I wondered if a UK-based rat could kindly try the TA Omni
> from the player and see what happens, pretty please?

It's working OK here. However, the other day I did have such a message
on the iPlayer for a daily episode. I just kept trying and by the end
of the day it was available again. I'm not sure it didn't happen twice.
None of this is conclusive in any direction, though, is it?

As I'm soon to be a Eurorat again for a few weeks, with my wonderful new
internet radio, I'm sorry if listening is getting more difficult :(

Jane Vernon wrote:
> Gumrat wrote:
>
> It's working OK here. However, the other day I did have such a message
> on the iPlayer for a daily episode. I just kept trying and by the end
> of the day it was available again. I'm not sure it didn't happen twice.
> None of this is conclusive in any direction, though, is it?
>
It's still not working here, directly from the listings in the iPlayer
or from the TA website. Last night's is available to me as a podcast,
though. Damn. Out of curiosity, I wonder if you could look for "High
Table, Lower Orders", or "Any Questions", as they might work on a
different basis than the regular Sunday Omni, IYSWIM. But I must say, it
seems pretty much as if it's the Doom Music for Listen Again/On Demand
for those of us who are living abroad..
> As I'm soon to be a Eurorat again for a few weeks, with my wonderful new
> internet radio, I'm sorry if listening is getting more difficult :(
>
All the programmes which are daily and or episodic are gradually
disappearing from the listings on my internet radios. Presumably, come
Thursday, nothing will be renewed, updated or replaced and the only
option will be to listen live. What a PITA.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:04:45 +0200, Gumrat <gumrat> wrote:

>Since last Friday, I've not been able to "Listen Again" to many Radio 4
>programmes (Afternoon Play, The Archers, PM, to name but a few) by using
>the BBC iPlayer (when I try, the player says "Audio stream is
>unavailable at this time") or on my internet radio. In some cases, I've
>been able to listen anyhow by going to a different webpage and accessing
>from there and I've assumed it was a general problem at the BBC with the
>iPlayer. However, I've just had a look at the Beeb message boards and
>there someone seems to be saying that the problem is confined to people
>who are trying to listen again from abroad. I know that is true for the
>TVplayer, but I wondered if a UK-based rat could kindly try the TA Omni
>from the player and see what happens, pretty please?

"Audio stream is unavailable" up here int' North, as well. I get TA as a
podcast, there's no problem there.

Which reminds me of something I wanted to ask: I've really had it with iTunes,
which insists on installing stuff I don't want (like Bonjour) as well, of
course, as trying to push Safari at every update (but at least you can uncheck
that).

At the moment I'm using Zune, but I don't really like it (especially the girly
wallpaper, though I expect there are other options if one pokes around a bit). I
liked the classic style of iTunes. Are there other Podcast readers around? I
suppose I could just use Thunderbird, but I quite like to have a separate app.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:52:11 +0100, Jane Vernon
<spam> wrote:

>As I'm soon to be a Eurorat again for a few weeks, with my wonderful new
>internet radio, I'm sorry if listening is getting more difficult :(

Don't worry, so far the internet radio service is unaffected.

Jo Lonergan wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:04:45 +0200, Gumrat <gumrat> wrote:
>> "Audio stream is unavailable" up here int' North, as well. I get TA
> as a podcast, there's no problem there.
>
Curiouser and curiouser..
> Which reminds me of something I wanted to ask: I've really had it
> with iTunes, which insists on installing stuff I don't want (like
> Bonjour) as well, of course, as trying to push Safari at every update
> (but at least you can uncheck that).
>
> At the moment I'm using Zune, but I don't really like it (especially
> the girly wallpaper, though I expect there are other options if one
> pokes around a bit). I liked the classic style of iTunes. Are there
> other Podcast readers around? I suppose I could just use Thunderbird,
> but I quite like to have a separate app.
>
I just use iTunes whilst ignoring it, IYSWIM. You could probably adapt
Real for it, though "everybody (except me) hates Real" seems to be one
of the bases on which the new iPlayer is founded..

Oh, and whilst I'm here, could I thank everyone for their good wishes
after my fall. Went to the doc about something completely different this
morning and he's told me to tell myself, as my employer, that I've got
to be off work for an indefinite period. He insisted on calling me
"Robocop", for some reason.

Jo Lonergan wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:52:11 +0100, Jane Vernon
> <spam> wrote:
>
>> As I'm soon to be a Eurorat again for a few weeks, with my wonderful new
>> internet radio, I'm sorry if listening is getting more difficult :(
>
> Don't worry, so far the internet radio service is unaffected.
>
I'm afraid it is, Jo. I've been checking the Reciva forums and it seems
to be a problem both with the new iPlayer and the Reciva feeds. Nothing
much has been updated since they did maintenance on the new iPlayer on
Thursday, it seems.

Apparently, the reason the UK iPlayer is unaffected is that it
automatically uses Flash, whereas Real is still used for international
(IIUC) and it's the Real feeds which are affected (and which go to
Reciva, of course).

Anyhow, I've also been given this link* for Listen Again, which takes
you to the old Real Player:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/progs/listenagain.shtml
I'll continue to use this for as long as poss, as I much prefer it.

*Not sure if someone more techy than moi has already posted it here.

On Aug 12, 12:58 pm, Gumrat <gum> wrote:
> Jo Lonergan wrote:
>>
> I'm afraid it is, Jo. I've been checking the Reciva forums and it seems
> to be a problem both with the new iPlayer and the Reciva feeds. Nothing
> much has  been updated since they did maintenance on the new iPlayer on
> Thursday, it seems.
>
> Apparently, the reason the UK iPlayer is unaffected is that it
> automatically uses Flash, whereas Real is still used for international
> (IIUC) and it's the Real feeds which are affected (and which go to
> Reciva, of course).
>
> Anyhow, I've also been given this link* for Listen Again, which takes
> you to the old Real Player:[..]
> I'll continue to use this for as long as poss, as I much prefer it.
>
> *Not sure if someone more techy than moi has already posted it here.

When and if Reciva fix their feeds - and it might have happened
already (I don't have my device at work) - it can sometimes speed
things to force the device to update its firmware and/or station data.
Unplugging and replugging can cause it to do so, otherwise I believe
there is also a menu item to force an update.

Ralph B wrote:
> On Aug 12, 12:58 pm, Gumrat <gum> wrote:
>
> When and if Reciva fix their feeds - and it might have happened
> already (I don't have my device at work) - it can sometimes speed
> things to force the device to update its firmware and/or station
> data. Unplugging and replugging can cause it to do so, otherwise I
> believe there is also a menu item to force an update.

No, it hasn't happened yet. The Olympics are more important.

BTW, I've checked out the Listen Again link above and unfortunately, not
all LA progs are available that way. :-(

Anyone wanting to access a LA stream and not finding it through iPlayer
needs to try the method explained by me on Jul 22 in the "Catching up,
technical issues" thread:

> For a programme starting at weekday WWW at HH:MM hours,
> turn your player or similar program to
>
> rtsp://rmv8.bbc.net.uk/radio4/HHMM_WWW.ra
>
> e.g.
>
> rtsp://rmv8.bbc.net.uk/radio4/1000_sun.ra
>
> for last week's omnibus. (And I've just checked, it is the last)

The last remark - "And I've just checked, it is the last" - applies to
the present situation as well. :-)

Sebastian

In message <48a1360c$0$16175$5402220f>, Gumrat
<gumrat> writes
>Since last Friday, I've not been able to "Listen Again" to many Radio 4
>programmes (Afternoon Play, The Archers, PM, to name but a few) by
>using the BBC iPlayer (when I try, the player says "Audio stream is
>unavailable at this time") or on my internet radio. In some cases, I've
>been able to listen anyhow by going to a different webpage and
>accessing from there and I've assumed it was a general problem at the
>BBC with the iPlayer. However, I've just had a look at the Beeb message
>boards and there someone seems to be saying that the problem is
>confined to people who are trying to listen again from abroad. I know
>that is true for the TVplayer, but I wondered if a UK-based rat could
>kindly try the TA Omni from the player and see what happens, pretty please?

I have received the self same massage in the UK ...

Toodle Peeved,

Mike

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:04:45 +0200, Gumrat <gumrat> wrote:

>Since last Friday, I've not been able to "Listen Again" to many Radio 4
>programmes (Afternoon Play, The Archers, PM, to name but a few) by using
>the BBC iPlayer (when I try, the player says "Audio stream is
>unavailable at this time") or on my internet radio. In some cases, I've
>been able to listen anyhow by going to a different webpage and accessing
>from there and I've assumed it was a general problem at the BBC with the
>iPlayer. However, I've just had a look at the Beeb message boards and
>there someone seems to be saying that the problem is confined to people
>who are trying to listen again from abroad. I know that is true for the
>TVplayer, but I wondered if a UK-based rat could kindly try the TA Omni
>from the player and see what happens, pretty please?

Oh! I just assumed I was doing something wrong and downloaded the
page. The podcast thing doesn't work but going to the url it
downloads, taking a few minutes, and opens automatically. I think I'm
so zonked with sunshine, exercise, swimming at odd times, dogs,
shopping, learning Spanish and siestas I didn't have time to think of
asking umra.

It's jolly hard work, this retirement stuff.

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:11:19 +0200, Jo Lonergan
<jolonergan> wrote:

>On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:04:45 +0200, Gumrat <gumrat> wrote:
>

>
>"Audio stream is unavailable" up here int' North, as well. I get TA as a
>podcast, there's no problem there.
>
>Which reminds me of something I wanted to ask: I've really had it with iTunes,
>which insists on installing stuff I don't want (like Bonjour) as well, of
>course, as trying to push Safari at every update (but at least you can uncheck
>that).
>
>At the moment I'm using Zune, but I don't really like it (especially the girly
>wallpaper, though I expect there are other options if one pokes around a bit). I
>liked the classic style of iTunes. Are there other Podcast readers around? I
>suppose I could just use Thunderbird, but I quite like to have a separate app.

This sounds feeble but there was the whooshing sound there. I am not
quite sure about the difference between itunes and audio and podcasts,
or even what exactly *is* allowing me to LA now. I have an mp3
player. It's a creative zen v but I don't listen on that. I click on
a url now since the other immediate thing which I think it the iplayer
stopped working. The url downloads and I listen here on the computer
just as before with real player.

I think the podcast link is for the zen, isn't it? But things are
harder to find on the zen once you put them on there, and actually
hard to find on the computer unless you listen at once when it opens
automatically. I know you should tell it where to dl to but I don't
seem to be asked anymore.

Then there is the other things you mention like Safari and Zune. Are
those like media player? And that other thing that plays things here?
Real player?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:29:12 +0200, Gumrat <gumrat> wrote:

>Jo Lonergan wrote:
>> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:04:45 +0200, Gumrat <gumrat> wrote:
>>
>
>Oh, and whilst I'm here, could I thank everyone for their good wishes
>after my fall. Went to the doc about something completely different this
>morning and he's told me to tell myself, as my employer, that I've got
>to be off work for an indefinite period. He insisted on calling me
>"Robocop", for some reason.
I was going to ask how you are now? I hope you didn't have to go
again because of being worse.

I'm just noticing a tooth I can't bite on and am not sue back in the
UK for 4 weeks. I had a check up last time home in June and am
wondering whether I want to go here or chance waiting. The trouble is
they all go on holiday in August so if there is a dentist still
working will it be the junior inexperienced one?

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:58:49 +0200, Gumrat <gumrat> wrote:

>Jo Lonergan wrote:
>> On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:52:11 +0100, Jane Vernon
>> <spam> wrote:
>>
>>> As I'm soon to be a Eurorat again for a few weeks, with my wonderful new
>>> internet radio, I'm sorry if listening is getting more difficult :(
>>
>> Don't worry, so far the internet radio service is unaffected.
>>
>I'm afraid it is, Jo. I've been checking the Reciva forums and it seems
>to be a problem both with the new iPlayer and the Reciva feeds. Nothing
>much has been updated since they did maintenance on the new iPlayer on
>Thursday, it seems.

Ah, sorry, I'd forgotten about LAing, which I only do from the computer, not
having yet had the Tuit to set it up on the internet radio. The live feed is
working fine up here.