Web Streaming, Web Browsers and URLs...

[Joelc]

Apologies in advance should this be lengthy but here goes….

As you may or may not from other threads that I have recently been participating in I have been examining and testing different methods of streaming audio that is received through a web browser to the SONOS music system…

Jamcast ( http://www.sdstechnologies.com/ ) is an excellent solution in that it i) is easily configurable ii) operates by capturing and streaming the audio that is being played through a PC’s speakers iii) provides good supports [both via e-mail and website] and iv) work flawlessly. Asset (http://www.dbpoweramp.com/asset-upnp-dlna.htm ), which I have not tested, is said / suppose to operate similarly.

VLC Media Player ( http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ ) was suggested as another option which on the surface had great appeal to me because i) it is approved / standard corporate software and ii) it would be an all in on solution; that is, were it to provide the above described streaming capability then the same application could be used for all audio playback, video playback and streaming [i.e. there would be no need to add Asset, Jamcast or other software].

VLC Media Player was tough to figure out for a number of reasons not the least of which being that the support – website or otherwise – is horrible. With a little luck, a lot of web browsing and a wasted day I was finally successful at streaming both audio [i.e. CD’s and computer files] and video [i.e. www.youtube.com, etc.] over the network.

VLC Media Player works differently than Jamcast in that it does not capture and stream the audio that is being played through a PC’s speakers but rather it loads / plays the “originating source / URL” – that is, whereas Jamcast captures and streams the audio that is being played through a PC’s speakers, VLC Media Player loads / plays the actual URL [i.e. VLC Media Player does NOT have the ability to capture the audio that is being played through a PC’s speaker].

With success within reach it was time to stream SIRIUS via internet explorer to the SONOS system. With the URL and all the other settings checked and double checked the “STREAM” button was pressed but, alas, nothing was been streamed. With the URLs for other radio stations in hand the process and results were repeated time and time again.

With that out of the way this is where I need help…the only reason [at least that I can think of ] for the failure to stream audio that is received through a web browser is that the “something” is going on behind the scenes with a web browser [i.e. ActiveX control, etc.] that is not going on behind the scenes with VLC Media Player…the reason for this belief / position is that these URLs while playable in a web browser [i.e. copy the URL into Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. and audio is heard] they are not playable ein VLC Media Player [i.e. copy these very same URLs into in VLC Media Player and nothing is heard…dead silence…and, interestingly enough, this is the same effect / result of trying to add these URLs as SONOS Radio Stations].


With that, those of you with the experience and knowledge please:

1. Correct and/or confirm my understanding for VLC Media Player’s failure to stream audio that is received through a web browser; and

2. Provide me with a work around to the extent that one exists.


With much thanks in advance…


Joel

[ratty]

I don't know Sirius, but isn't this similar to a number of other premium streams where the browser needs to run Flash code (or some such) in order to play the stream?

[Joelc]

Originally Posted by ratty

I don't know Sirius, but isn't this similar to a number of other premium streams where the browser needs to run Flash code (or some such) in order to play the stream?

Ratty:

1. I do not know the answer which is the reason that I posted the query...that said, two things ocme to mind...i) there is a need for flash or other "add-on" [as noted in the OP] and/or ii) there is "something" about the "url" that is "not right" [i.e. prior to SONOS enhancing its radio station offerings I had to use a third party app to decode the URL to get the "actual" URL (apologies for being vague but with age comes memeory loss and the details are no longer clear)]...

I am hopeful that someone from SONOS who monitors this forum [or, orthers in the know} will respond to this.

2. The issue / problem occured with local radio stations as well; that is, non-premium stations...

Appreciate the input.


Joel

[ratty]

Ummm.... as a matter or interest am I looking at the wrong SIRIUS when I go to http://www.sirius.com/sonos or read in the Sonos help file about setting up a SIRIUS account? It's officially supported.

[Joelc]

Originally Posted by ratty

Ummm.... as a matter or interest am I looking at the wrong SIRIUS when I go to http://www.sirius.com/sonos or read in the Sonos help file about setting up a SIRIUS account? It's officially supported.

Ratty:

Appreciate the time you are spending in assisting me in tracking this down but in this case it is a matter of reading the fine print...

Although one of the reasons for initially purchasing the SONOS system was to receive and stream SIRIUS but one or both of Sirius Canada and the Canadian telecommunications regulators have precluded this from happening ; that is, SIRIUS is NOT available/supported through SONOS in Canada...a completely ridiculous position for either to adopt because I am accomplishing the very thing that they do not want to accomplish through the use of Asset or Jamcast...


Joel

[ratty]

Understood. I was misled by the fact that Sirius is billed as operating in North America.

FWIW I stumbled across mention in the Sirius FAQs that the streams are in .WMV format, which seems to be rather unpopular these days. The other thing of note is that the station samplers at http://www.siriusxm.com are clearly using a Flash player, so perhaps there's an explanation for your problems: a format - possibly with some kind of DRM - that requires a special Flash player?

Sorry, I'm speculating wildly here. Someone with knowledge of Sirius may be able to chip in.

[Joelc]

Originally Posted by ratty

Understood. I was misled by the fact that Sirius is billed as operating in North America.

As was I...

Originally Posted by ratty

FWIW I stumbled across mention in the Sirius FAQs that the streams are in .WMV format, which seems to be rather unpopular these days. The other thing of note is that the station samplers at http://www.siriusxm.com are clearly using a Flash player, so perhaps there's an explanation for your problems: a format - possibly with some kind of DRM - that requires a special Flash player?

Sorry, I'm speculating wildly here. Someone with knowledge of Sirius may be able to chip in.

That makes two of us...that said, while neither of understand the specifc technical reasons, there is functionality [for lack of a better word] that is enabled/included in a browser that allows the playback of the URLs which is excluded in SONOS [i.e. the URLs can not be added as radio stations as no connection is received], VLC Media Player, etc...

With that bit of information it appearsasthough Asset, Jamcast and the like are the best solutions...having looked at 4 or 5 of these, for me, Jamcast is the best*...

Thanks so much,


Joel



*I am not evaluating these applications as a means of being a "media server" to stream information over my LAN or the internet as I have a NAS / VPN for this purpose [which also provides far better redundancy and security]. I am looking am evaluating these applications solely for their capability/ease of playing the audio that us being played on my PC to the SONOS [or, for that matter, any other LAN networked device]...