IP Radio

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UKenGB
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:54 pm

IP Radio

Post by UKenGB »

How easy would it be to enable IP radio receivers to utilise the output from minisatip?

An IP radio receiver 'app' just connects to a URL and uses the provided stream. How different is this from connecting to a Sat>IP stream?

What I would like to do is be able to use any IP radio receiver (software app or dedicated hardware) to play any radio station broadcasting over e.g. the satellite feed that minisatip is 'handling'. Would it be possible for minisatip to provide this service directly? Or how could I 'munge' the SAT>IP service into IP radio?

The same could be said for DVB/T(2) radio.

I currently use IP radio receivers to play radio, but that pulls everything over our Internet connection, which is fast, but seems wasteful when those same channels are also being transmitted via the DVBS/T feeds that I am capturing, but discarding. Makes more sense to me that I utilise the DVB broadcasts to listen to radio and leave the broadband Internet connection clear for other data use.

Any suggestions on how to do this?
cata
Site Admin
Posts: 768
Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 1:01 am

Re: IP Radio

Post by cata »

If you plan to do it just in local network, any DVB-* radio channel can be accessed thru an http link. You can create a playlist and selectthe needed channel.

I am not familiar with radio streaming apps, but if it accepts http or rtsp links u can connect it to minisatip
UKenGB
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:54 pm

Re: IP Radio

Post by UKenGB »

Am I correct that minisatip actually performs the streaming? It attaches to the tuner card, tunes to the requested freq. etc. and then streams that to the requestor? When the requestor stops listening, presumably minisatip stops streaming (that channel)?

What I'm wondering is whether I can use Icecast to 'relay' directly from the SAT>IP source (i.e. via minisatip). It can do this with another IP stream source, e.g. some other Internet Radio and re-broadcast it (on the local LAN in my case), only connecting to that source and streaming 'in' when there are listeners. To relay, Icecast is simply provided with a URL for the external server and I'm wondering whether if that URL is simply the SAT>IP URL for a channel, would Icecast then simply relay that as it can for other IP stream sources?

If so, then that would be the perfect way to stream Satellite radio stations to local listeners that could be any regular IP radio 'receiver'/player. Each tuner only being used when required by one or more listeners and free at other times to supply TV to e.g. Plex.

Anyone tried this and/or can confirm either way?
cata
Site Admin
Posts: 768
Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 1:01 am

Re: IP Radio

Post by cata »

Yes minisatip can perform the streaming and can accept a large number of clients simultaneously.
When the client disconnects the tuner is freed for other usages (tv, ...).

You can use icecast but I am not familiar enough to say what are the advantages of using another softwareon top of minisatip.
UKenGB
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:54 pm

Re: IP Radio

Post by UKenGB »

cata wrote: Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:54 pm …You can use icecast but I am not familiar enough to say what are the advantages of using another softwareon top of minisatip.
I wanted a way to allow any normal IP radio player (software or dedicated hardware device) to be able to stream and play the satellite radio stations. They connect to steaming audio servers like Icecast and Shoutcast, but I thought it unlikely they could connect directly to a SAT>IP server. However, it is just a URL and if Icecast can connect and relay, then an actual player should be able to do the same directly.

There is a reason though that I want to interpose Icecast (or similar) into the stream route. I also intend to use Icecast to relay any Internet radio streams of stations that I want to be able to play, but cannot receive from the Satellite. So using Icecast to also relay the SAT>IP stations means players always connect to the same (local) streaming server with simple URLs that I can control and whether the station originates on the Internet or satellite will be irrelevant to the listener.

First of all I need to get minisatip running, although even before that I need to prepare my list of stations and relevant parameters. I'd better get started.
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