[PROBLEM] BBC Radio 320k Stream MPD Error

[xthursdayx]

Sorry to fill up the forum with posts, Tim

I'm trying to play one of the preinstalled BBC Radio 320k stations but am getting this error:

MPD error

Failed to decode http://a.files.bbci.co.uk/media/live/man...music.m3u8

Any ideas? Thanks!

[BryceJ]

I believe that you have to be in the UK to use the 320K streams.

[Tim Curtis]

Correct, the BBC geo-fences their nice 320K streams and they will not play outside of UK etc :-(

-Tim

[xthursdayx]

Correct, the BBC geo-fences their nice 320K streams and they will not play outside of UK etc :-(

Dang... uncool, BBC.

Strangely, I just tried to get around this by using selective routing on my AsusWRT Merlin router to route my RaspberyPi through a London-based VPN server, but while moOde tells me that its external IP is indeed the expected London-based IP I'm still getting the same error within the moOde player.

[Tim Curtis]

Interesting network hack :-) My Router is an older RT-N66U with one of Merlin's awesome firmwares from back then. What model Router are u using?

I wonder how BBC has implemented geo-fencing. Knowing that would probably help with finding a way to get access to the streams.

[xthursdayx]

I'm using an Asus RT-AC87U running the most recent AsusWRT Merlin firmware.

If you click on the VPN section through the Merlin interface you can add OpenVPN clients (in addition to setting up a OpenVPN server connection to connect to your own home network). I have an private VPN account so just added one of their UK based servers as a client and chose to only route my RPi through it.

Seems like BBC would just use the client's IP, but if this isn't working I guess it must be something else.

[Tim Curtis]

I'm sure its more sophisticated that just client IP. In any case there are prolly whole sites devoted to VPN type things.

Mind if I ping you sometime about your 87U and Merlin?

I had to shelve an AC88U with stock ASUS f/w cuz of dual-band issues. I reverted to my trusty old N66U running Merlin f/w. I still have the 88 but have not kept up with Merlin's firmwares so maybe its time to reload it and try it out again.

-Tim

[xthursdayx]

Mind if I ping you sometime about your 87U and Merlin?

Sure, no problem.

In terms of BBC, I'd just assumed it was IP only because I remember being able to watch shows on their iPlayer with only VPN routing in the past. Maybe they've gotten more sophisticated since then though.

[Tim Curtis]

Cool.

When u get a moment mark your OP as SOLVED

Thx