Good question, maybe Steve will have some suggestions. The latest firmware is 4.8 so while I don’t know if that will help, it’s always worth keeping up to date. I vaguely recall that 4.8 had an HLS radio update of some sort in it.
As expected, the BBC internet radio streams I had as presets have stopped working on my Uniti (Mark 1; streamer version 4.7).
I’ve tried to locate the new streams in the directory using the Focal & Naim app (iOS app version 6.2.0; build version 9153) but no iRadio stations (not even non-BBC stations) appear. The list remains empty. I can still listen to my preset Classic FM stream, even though it doesn’t appear in the iRadio stations list on the app.
Any help with getting BBC internet radio streams working again will be greatly appreciated.
I hadn’t thought of checking the app. I had just been trying via the remote control presets.
Would the app have a more up-to-date list than List on the Uniti screen?
Thanks.
D.
Just go to iRadio on the app. You’ll see this screen.
Then go to BBC, choose the station you want, and save as a preset or favourite as you wish.
Hi all,
Thanks for your feedback.
Uniti 1’s and old servers
If these are very first generation Uniti’s (2008-2012) then unfortunately these devices do not support HLS due to the sheer age of the processor, so BBC radio streams will no longer. If on the home internet radio menu there is no BBC then your unit cannot support it. The BBC have asked us to stop using the old MP3 stream and they are switching it off very very soon.
I’ve checked other non BBC stations and as long as they play in AAC or MP3 format, then they should play.
The only real option is use the FM/DAB module built into those products to get BBC Radio.
For reference the menus on the front display and Naim app are identical content wise. The app reads the menus from the product and formats then in a nicer way on the app.
As a side note the Unitiserve, HDX, NS01, NS02, NS03 also do not support HLS so will also loose BBC radio support. Due to the age of the platform and the tech company Digifi that made the platform back in 2006 closed down in 2015, we have no opportunity to add HLS support to them.
Everyone else
There should be nothing new to see for those based in the UK. It’s a backend server change and it should just play. Bit rates of either 320K (HD) or 128K (SD) are offered.
For those based outside of the UK BBC geozone, then the old MP3 stream is replaced with an HLS AAC 96kbit stream. Based on some packet overhead that reports on now playing as ~101-102kbit, but it’s the same stream. Based on the more efficient and superior audio codec sound quality wise its better than an MP3 at 128kbit.
I see someone posted some URL’s in this thread for BBC stations. The MP3 link posted will stop working very soon so this at most will be a very very short term life line. The HLS (m3u8) link are now legacy and that will also stop working later on this year. The new BBC URL’s take a rolling token parameter and each distribution channel has a unique private key after signing their distribution licence with the BBC.
Best wishes
Steve Harris
Software Director
Naim Audio Ltd.
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Hi Steve, if these early units have had the 24/192 board upgrade does this limitation still apply?
Hi Chris,
24/192 ‘eDMP3’ are fine. If a unit has very old firmware in it then it may need to be upgraded to v4.8. There was a BBC/HLS compatibility patch on v4.6 (I think released around 2015) so that is the minimum version to have.
If in doubt, our helpdesk can advice on a personal basis based on device & serial number.
Regards
Steve
2 Likes
Time to sell my Uniti, it seems.
D.
My NDS has stopped receiving BBC, i have tried reselecting stations.
Hi I live in Wexford (Irish Republic), and cant get any of BBC stations (except world) to play on my NDS streamer. At first I spoke to a UK dealer I used to buy from and he pointed me to a BBC R3 101 hls stream that worked from the directory. That was about 2 weeks ago. That has disappeared, and everything the app brings up for BBC seems to be 96Khz which would be fine if it worked. However, they all say ‘can’t play’ when you select them. Other broadcasters ‘conventional’ streams work fine. I have not updated my NDS to the very latest firmware, i.e. 4.8, as I am still using the previous 4.7 with no problem, and thought the update was principally needed for TIDAL which I don’t use… Am I wrong in this assumption, and is it needed to decode hls encoding in some way. I have resorted to using the BBC R3 URL in a computer using VLC, and then feeding that into a digital input of the NAS (just using it as a DAC). Any ideas what is occurring ? Steve O
Firmware 4.8 does include an HLS-related update. It is described as non-BBC, but that was then and might nevertheless still apply to the new BBC HLS situation. If you contact Naim support, they are likely to ask you to put the latest firmware on your NDS, so I suggest you should do that first now anyway.
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Hi @SteveOrm
We’ll check your use case here and get back to you shortly. I think this is a https tls1.3 issue, as v4.7 can’t handle all the very latest https cyphers, while v4.8 can.
If that is the case I’ll ask vtuner to use the non http streams to help smooth over compatibility.
Regards
Steve
Hi @SteveOrm
Can you try playing International BBC Radio 2 (96kbit one) and see if it now plays. The play URL has been adjusted to http, rather than https.
Regards
Steve
Likewise my 24/192 NDX running latest 4.8 firmware 
My 2019 272 is on 4.8 and I don’t see the BBC option in the iRadio menu.
I can see all of the BBC options on my NDX 4.8.
And despite that this thread is specific for BBC outside UK, I’m in UK.
But something is going on, it’s very slow, spinning wheel etc.
If I load a BBC that I already have on presets, it shows the star as not infilled, so the current program is not the same as the preset I have.
So I’ve deleted the BBC presets I had and reloaded again from the latest Naim ‘BBC Radio’ selection.
That worked OK, but as I said, at the moment it’s very slow, I suspect it’ll be all OK tomorrow
Hi Thanks for your response. BBC Radio 2 does indeed now play, but trying Radio 3, which I assume you have not modified, still gives you can’t connect. Regards Steve
Hi everyone,
Based on the @SteveOrm part of this thread we’ll get the BBC URL’s converted to http only URL’s.
If you still have issues by Monday evening UK time, please raise a support ticket to:
support@naimaudio.com
Please specify:
- Your location (country)
- Device (eg. NDS), Serial number & firmware version installed
- if you see the BBC option on the internet radio home menu?
- Can you browse BBC streams in the internet radio directory?
- Can you play the station after browsing the internet directory - if so is it 320,128, or 96K?
- Can you provide your public IP address. So in Google type ‘What’s my IP’
With regards
Steve Harris
Software Director
Naim Audio Ltd.
2 Likes
Working well for me in New Zealand through my NDX2. Bit rates do seem a bit strange, but I do hear an improvement in audio quality.