WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Discussion about my Wifi Radio project at http://mightyohm.com/wifiradio/ or my WL-520gU talk at NOTACON.
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stefan
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:08 pm

WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by stefan »

Hi all

I'm pretty unfamiliar with Linux, but pretty programming / electronics hacking aware.

I'm trying (like many before) to get WMA streaming working on the original MightyOhm radio router. Thing is, I don't really know how to go about it. So far I have followed the instructions on the site, got nice audio playing for FIP radio (excellent French station, try it if you haven't already!). However, like most people in Britain, I'd love to get some BBC radio stations playing. The BBC, in their infinite wisdom, offer only WMA or 3GPP streams - neither supported by my version of MPD.

I tried "tricking" the router (as I didn't have time for a full re-flash) by pointing OPKG at the 10.03 stable packages (having read that MPD 0.15 was built into this and could *theoretically* support WMA). Running

Code: Select all

opkg install mpd
gave me

Code: Select all

Package mpd (0.13.2-1) installed in root is up to date.
Browsing the directory shows a few version numbers higher than this, but I have no idea how or where the latest version number is stored, or how opkg decides what you get. I realise this is a pretty basic Linux fail on my part, and I apologise for my ignorance!

Then, just for funsies, I thought I'd ask opkg for ffmpeg. Both the MightyOhm and 10.03 repositories (right usage?) gave me:

Code: Select all

Collected errors:
 * Packages were found, but none compatible with the architectures configured
Hmmmmmm.

So, after all that waffle, any suggestions as to next move? Try to install 10.03.1-rc4 from http://downloads.openwrt.org/backfire/1 ... uashfs.trx? Try to get a higher version of MPD onto my Kamikaze install from MightyOhm (how)? Use another media player? Give up and take up knitting?!

Any help would be SOOOOO appreciated. Oh, and if it's a known fact that the WL-520GU definately hasn't the power to decode 128kbps WMA, I'd be appreciative of knowing that too and whether there's a beefier platform I could try again on.

Thanks in advance to any helpers, and happy Sunday from England.

Stefan
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mightyohm
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Location: Seattle, WA
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Re: WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by mightyohm »

I think if you specify the complete package file name you can force install other versions... Hmm, but it has been a while since I have tried this. Yes, there is a way. You want to uninstall your original version first.

BUT, as I remember, the problem is that later versions of mpd do not fit within the flash space of the WL-520gU. So unless you have added some additional flash space in the form of a USB stick, etc, you will need to use a router with more flash or compile your own stripped down version of mpd. (I have no idea how to actually do this, but I would like to learn!)

Others have played with later versions of mpd and WMA, if you do a seach on the forums here you should be able to find some other threads on this topic.
stefan
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:08 pm

Re: WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by stefan »

Hi Jeff, thanks for the reply

Spent quite a bit of time today looking through the forums today and it seems you are right - first limitation is the flash and second is (potentially) the processing cycles available to do the decoding. In all honestly, it's starting to look like acquiring a Roku HD may be the answer to my media needs (my plan WAS to create a Wifi radio hacked into an old TV used for display and audio - ironic!). I'm going to keep playing with the ASUS though, for educational benefit and will be sure to share anything I discover of any merit. It might be very interesting as the basis for a wireless weather station...

Kind regards and I can only echo the thanks everyone has for such an inspiring project with first class documentation!

Stefan
Schwabinger
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:04 am
Location: Munich, Germany

Re: WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by Schwabinger »

Hi Stefan,

would "podacst-bounce" be a solution to your "BBC-needs"?
http://mpd.wikia.com/wiki/Hack:podcast-bounce

With that implemented, you can play

mp3, m3u, pls and xml (podcast) streams.

I listen to the world service right now on my SlugRadio ...

Greetings,

Schwabinger
stefan
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:08 pm

Re: WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by stefan »

Hi Schwabinger

Unfortunately, it's the live streams I'd like to listen to and the only reliable format the BBC provide is WMA 8 encoded. Unless I can fit a version of MPD that will decode it onto the WL-520GU *and* get sufficient performance from the cpu to actually perform the decoding, I think I'm at a dead end.

Thanks for your suggestion though!

Stefan
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mightyohm
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Re: WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by mightyohm »

stefan,

Thank you for the kind words. Please share your results here as I know there are others interested in WMA streaming on the 520.
jeroen94704
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Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:27 am
Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands

Re: WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by jeroen94704 »

I don't know if this is an option for you or not, but if you have a NAS or home server or something that IS powerful enough to play the BBC streams, you could set up mpd on that device to re-encode the streams to something the 520 can handle, and let your internet radio connect to your local server.

That's what I use to listen to streams on the go, since the data connection on my smartphone is not always fast enough to reliably play high-quality streams.

Jeroen
stefan
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:08 pm

Re: WMA streaming on WL-520GU

Post by stefan »

Hi Jeroen

I do have an old mothballed PC sitting about that I could use as a transcoder with the Asus set up to receive. For the time being, I think it may end up being the solution I choose, but it's just not quite as satisfactory as the neat solution Jeff made.

Still, it would solve my immediate issue and leave me able to get on and enjoy my music!

Stefan
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