LMS Loss and Gains

With my usual obsessive behavior, I have been deep-diving into Logitech Media Server, now that its MySqueezebox intermediary service has been shut down. I am very pleased to have restored some long-lost streaming services.

Years ago, for whatever reason (probably non-technical), the TuneIn app for LMS that I relied upon dropped AAC codec support. The result was the loss of iHeart and BBC stations. The fact is, although my TuneIn account is needed when using a Web Browser, the phone app, and Roku, I shouldn’t have bothered with it for LMS.

Thanks to some plugins, iHeart stations and BBC Radio are back on my LMS network. The only iHeart station I care about on LMS is WBZ in Boston*, but the BBC is a variety-filled candy store of listening. By chance today, I caught this radio play with Prue’s old drinking buddy Norm Rossington.

There are two plugins for accessing the BBC stations. Shown above is the official, full-featured method, BBC Sounds. But take note below of the alternative selections I have set up for BBC Radio 2, and the Classical station, BBC Radio 3. Why the three ↑↑↑ arrows?

The answer is here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/about-bbc-sounds-and-our-policies/codecs-bitrates

The BBC Sounds stations, that are so nicely presented with images and descriptive text, run at Profile 3, HE-AACv1/96kbs (high efficiency). The other plugin I’m using accesses the raw audio feeds, including Profile 1, AAC-LC/320kbs (low complexity) that is not available outside of the UK on BBC Sounds. One arrow for good quality, two for better, and three for best. No fancy features, but the sound quality on headphones and IEMs is as good as streaming stereo audio gets.

* I listen to iHeart’s WZLX-FM, Boston’s Classic Rock, on the porch’s Bose Wave.

Prue True Love

OMG… look at what Pattie is auctioning, with no mention of Prue.

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/pattie-boyd-collection/pattie-boyd-ringo-starr-a-hard-days-night-1964-3/211849

I sent the link and those pictures to Prue. She’s going to be so pissed, and if she isn’t, she should be. I haven’t heard from Prue in a few months, which is my fault really, and I hope she’s doing all right.

That photo is actually the second in a series. It comes after this one.

Freakin’ Freak-Out

Yesterday I mentioned a very impressive episode of Star Wars: Andor I’d watched. The outstanding series is produced in England, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard the expression “fit for work” in the episode.

Today I walked along what had been, until recently, one of my running routes, listening to an installment of Drew Carey’s Friday Night Freak-Out. One of the songs Drew played is called “Fit for Work”.

The UK band DeadLetter reminds me of the Clash’s long-ago social activism. After getting home I paid £5 ($6.60), £4 more than required, to download a copy of “Fit for Work”.

https://deadletter-band.bandcamp.com/track/fit-for-work

I also recently mentioned Drew Carey’s day job, hosting The Price is Right. The price was wrong for the game show’s theme music.