Pirate Radio - anyone have a build working with new BBC streams?

Support
1

I got a Pirate Radio kit a few years ago and mainly use it to listen to BBC streams. Like many others I ran into problems installing due to Raspbian version compatibility, but eventually got it running using the pre-built image that Pimoroni released in 2018, and since then have updated stream addresses a couple of times along with BBC changes. However, the most recent changes have left me stumped! When I try the new .m3u8 or .pls streams, it is just dead (stream addresses are fine, they play on current VLC on Windows).

The image I am using can’t be readily updated (it runs in RAM, won’t accept SSH, and doesn’t recognise an attached keyboard), and I didn’t manage to get it working one a fresh install of Buster Lite + the supposedly-updated Pimoroni 1-line installer, even though it should be compatible - the PhatBeat was unresponsive.

Has anyone managed to get the newest (last month) BBC streams working, and can give me some info on their build? Other than World Service, whose old stream address is still live. Or even better, can anyone share an image with me that I can just update with my own playlist and Wifi details?

Thanks in advance for any help!

2

What URLs are you using?

I haven’t touched a Pirate Radio in some considerable time, but I seem to remember last time it did it was possible to get it working with the BBC’s .m3u8 feeds if you set the bitrate low enough for the Pi Zero to cope with. This list of URLs might be useful? https://gist.github.com/bpsib/67089b959e4fa898af69fea59ad74bc3#file-bbc-radio-hls-uk-m3u

3

They are making more changes at the moment (starting with Orkney and Shetland and intended to go through all of them) that might stop simple use via direct (hls) URLs.

If you install LMS (slimserver) you will then be able to install a plugin that, for now at least, still works with the most recent stream updates.
Then install Squeezelite as a player for LMS and it can drive the Pirate Radio audio hardware.

If you do not need to use that Raspberry Pi for anything else then you could replace Raspberry Pi OS with piCorePlayer which makes it very easy to install everything from a web interface.