Czech station

[Russ_H]

Having recently bought a Cambridge Audio DAC, I have been hunting for high quality internet radio
streams, and I have found this:

http://www.rozhlas.cz/d-dur/program

You can listen straight from your browser, but I have been using VLC, which is a free download. VLC
gives details of bitrates, and this station seems to vary between 500 and 800 kb/s.

[Bryn]

Just tried it. 128kbps joint stereo mp3.

[french frank]

Just tried it. 128kbps joint stereo mp3.

In the About Us section it says: "The channel is intended for high quality streaming via the internet and digital broadcasting in the DVB-T and DAB systems." 128kbps?

[Bryn]

In the About Us section it says: "The channel is intended for high quality streaming via the internet and digital broadcasting in the DVB-T and DAB systems." 128kbps?

Indeed. I took a sample directly from the online stream and opened it in mp3DirectCut which identified it as 128kbps joint stereo mp3. There was no indication of variable bit rate, so that means basic constant bit rate. 128kbps CBR joint stereo mp3 is approximately on a par in audio terms with 192kbps stereo mp2 (i.e. Radio 3 DAB at its best). Radio 3 HD Sound uses 320kbps VBR AAC-LC,

[french frank]

Indeed. I took a sample directly from the online stream and opened it in mp3DirectCut which identified it as 128kbps joint stereo mp3. There was no indication of variable bit rate, so that means basic constant bit rate. 128kbps CBR joint stereo mp3 is approximately on a par in audio terms with 192kbps stereo mp2 (i.e. Radio 3 DAB at its best). Radio 3 HD Sound uses 320kbps VBR AAC-LC,

I wasn't doubting your info, Bryn, but querying the website statement :-)

Nevertheless, for those (of us) who are capable of/used to listening to music with less than first rate audio quality, it remains another resource.

[Bryn]

I wasn't doubting your info, Bryn, but querying the website statement :-)

Nevertheless, for those (of us) who are capable of/used to listening to music with less than first rate audio quality, it remains another resource.

Include me in, as they say. Until the HD Sound offering from the iPlayer became available I was happier listening to Radio 3 DAB than I was Radio 3 FM, though that was as much to do with electromagnetic interference from next door's podiatry tools as FM's restricted dynamic range. 128kbps stereo mp3 is not what is implied by the puff, but it's not that bad either.

[Russ_H]

Using VLC:

1) Click on "Media"

2) Click on "Open Network Stream..."

3) Paste "http://radio.cesnet.cz:8000/cro-d-dur.flac" into the box that says "Please enter a network URL:"

4) To find out the bitrate, click on "Tools", then "Media Information", then "Statistics"

I am currently listening to Josef Bohuslav Foerster: Symfonie č. 2 F dur op. 29

[Bryn]

Using VLC:

1) Click on "Media"

2) Click on "Open Network Stream..."

3) Paste "http://radio.cesnet.cz:8000/cro-d-dur.flac" into the box that says "Please enter a network URL:"

4) To find out the bitrate, click on "Tools", then "Media Information", then "Statistics"

I am currently listening to Josef Bohuslav Foerster: Symfonie č. 2 F dur op. 29

Ah, that's not the link you originally provided.

When I use you new link as instructed I get:

"Your input can't be opened:
VLC is unable to open the MRL 'http://radio.cesnet.cz:8000/cro-d-dur.flac'. Check the log for details."

No sign of a log.

[Russ_H]

This is currently available:

Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Lecons de Ténébres du Mercredy Sainct H 96-98 Lecons; H 111-113 Répons. Duchovní zpěvy pro tři sólové hlasy a basso continuo

which Google Translate renders as:

Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Lecons de Ténébres du mercredi Sainct H 96-98 Lecons; H 111-113 reponse. Spiritual Chants for three solo voices and basso continuo

[OldTechie]

The flac link works fine for me in foobar2000. The data rate is all over the place as you would expect from flac - it dropped to 6kbps on some silence and went up to over 800kbps on some complex sounds. Foobar2000 reports it as 48kHz sample rate but does not mange to pick out the bits per sample. I'm sure it must be 16.

It sounds great. Audio levels are like Radio 3 (normally peaking to -9dbFS) though the announcements are a bit loud for my liking.

I can't find any mention of the flac stream on their site - but there are plenty of options specified: http://www.rozhlas.cz/iradio/zive

[Nick Armstrong]

there are plenty of options specified: http://www.rozhlas.cz/iradio/zive

Oh thank you OT!

I like to listen to internet radio via iTunes as it enables me to channel it through the main amp and speakers. I've managed to paste in a number of stations not 'pre-set' in iTunes by using the 'Open Stream' / 'paste URL' route.

I'd had a quick look for an iTunes option for D-Dur, without success - but your page offers the AAC 128kpbs link - just pasted that into iTunes and now have D-Dur as part of my Internet Radio playlist.

Cheers

[Beresford]

The flac link works fine for me in foobar2000. The data rate is all over the place as you would expect from flac - it dropped to 6kbps on some silence and went up to over 800kbps on some complex sounds. Foobar2000 reports it as 48kHz sample rate but does not mange to pick out the bits per sample. I'm sure it must be 16.

It sounds great. Audio levels are like Radio 3 (normally peaking to -9dbFS) though the announcements are a bit loud for my liking.

I can't find any mention of the flac stream on their site - but there are plenty of options specified: http://www.rozhlas.cz/iradio/zive

I agree entirely - it is my favourite internet radio station. (after R3 of course). I wish France Musique was output with such good quality.
Just scroll down to D-Dur on the link above and you will see two Internet stream - Ogg256 and Ogg128. I can easily hear the quality difference, even on my tinny laptop speakers.
I believe they used to broadcast a straight FLAC stream, but now the FLAC is inside the Ogg stream - no idea why - but it may confuse some player software (not Foobar). And internet radios may just pick up the 128 stream.

[OldTechie]

I believe they used to broadcast a straight FLAC stream, but now the FLAC is inside the Ogg stream - no idea why.

I suspect it is to allow the assembly of multiple programmes into a combined transport stream at some stage in the distribution system. There is an explanation of why you might want to use ogg encapsulation at https://xiph.org/flac/ogg_mapping.html

[Sydney Grew]

For those who don't want to mess about:

Stream Address: http://195.113.161.70:8000/cro-d-dur-256.ogg

Details (according to the VLC player):
Codec: Vorbis

Sample rate: 48,000 Hertzes

Bit rate: 224 kb/s (slightly different from their claimed 256)

And it's possible - but rather complicated - to rig up a way to get the VLC player to make timed recordings throughout the day.

[Sydney Grew]

Here may be found their detailed programme listing (how we wish the latter-day B.B.C. had the simple common sense to publish a similarly linear one!):

http://www.rozhlas.cz/d-dur/program

And here are a few useful, nay essential translations:
předehra = overture
housle = violin
smyčcový = string (as in string orchestra, string quartet, etc.)
lesní roh = French horn
flétna = flute
komorní orchestr = chamber orchestra
komorní hudba = chamber music
trubka = trumpet
pozoun = trombone (i.e. German Posaune)
dechové nástroje = wind instruments
bicí nástroj = percussion instrument
hrají = performed by
řídí = conducted by
zpívat = sing
a = and