HOWTO: Screamer and internet radio PLS files

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webfork
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HOWTO: Screamer and internet radio PLS files

#1 Post by webfork »

Edit 2: most recent update fixed the problem with DI.FM premium, making this a working howto again. It WAS incorrect as neither Screamer nor StreamWriter were working with the subscription version of DI.FM.

Background: So I've got one of those premium radio services, but I was annoyed that StreamWriter and Screamer wouldn't work with the .PLS files it uses. Although I wasn't able to fix StreamWriter, Screamer does work. The following steps are more detailed than is necessary so most forum users will be able to skim it for the necessary items, but I wanted to make it more accessible for any non-technical folks who drop by. What follows is my trick for connecting to the Digitally Imported site:

Getting Screamer to work with the DI.FM service:
(... or anything that uses .PLS files)

Note: :
  1. In the settings for your service, make sure you choose Winamp/iTunes/VLC and set it to MP3 (or just skip the test-in-Firefox step below).
  2. Open the PLS file DI gives you in a text editor. Ideally you'll want a programmer's editor like Notepad++ so that it shows up nicely formatted as below, but Window's notepad program will work fine.
  3. Look for one of the URLs (starting with http:// ...):

    Code: Select all

    [playlist]
    NumberOfEntries=2
    File1=http://prem1.di.fm:80/darkdnb_hi?a3ff890fab21d1bff31311dd
    Title1=Digitally Imported - Dark DnB
    Length1=-1
    File2=http://prem4.di.fm:80/darkdnb_hi?a3ff890fab21d1bff31311dd
    Title2=Digitally Imported - Dark DnB
    Length2=-1
    Version=2
  4. Pull out the URL (http://prem1.di.fm:80/darkdnb_hi?a3ff89 ... bff31311dd).
  5. Paste this URL into Firefox and if it starts playing you've got the right one. Drag the icon next to the URL (should look like a small planet icon) into the streamWriter window.
  6. Alternatively, open "File - Open URL" and paste the URL into the text box.
To add more than one quickly, just associate .PLS files with notepad. Then, when you click on a play you just have to copy and paste in the url.

Edit: moving this over from the StreamWriter thread

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webfork
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Re: Screamer and internet radio PLS files

#2 Post by webfork »

Update here: Latest update (v5.0.0.1) appears to have fixed whatever was going on with di.fm and streamWriter. Works great now.

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Midas
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Re: DI Radio

#3 Post by Midas »

(This is only marginally related to OT, but as it pertains to a program with a strong "premium" component, I decided against opening a new topic for it.)

DI Radio (DIR) is a nicely executed freeware OSS BASS based DotNET (v2) specialized Internet radio player, whose major shortcomings are its restricted functionality (it only plays streams from a minimal set of servers, see below), and the lowly bitrates it supplies to non paying users. DIR mostly plays at 96 kbps MP3 or 40 kbps AAC-HE; Digitally Imported also has 64 kbps AAC-HE and Jazz Radio is capped at 64 Kbps MP3; WMV was supported in the past, but DIR dropped it after the networks stopped supporting it.

DIR sports various interface functions (rating, commenting, etc.) related to the social features of the radios it is affiliated with, as well as a customizable graphic equalizer, and several visualization options; it doesn't have any recording options, though.

DIR saves its settings in various text files inside the program folder -- I only found 'options.ini' and folders 'equalizer' and 'servers'.
  • [url]http://difm.eu/[/url] author wrote:DI Radio, a full-feature internet radio player for Windows, built for Digitally Imported, Sky.fm, JazzRadio, RockRadio and FrescaRadio.
    • Image
Download latest DI Radio version (currently v1.27 stable or 1.28 Beta 1) from http://difm.eu/download.

Note: after you click the version download link, be sure to choose the "Package" link to get the zipped portable.

BTW, there's an online Digital Imported player at http://player.highstrike.org/play/.
Last edited by Midas on Mon Sep 15, 2014 2:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: HOWTO: Screamer and internet radio PLS files [bad]

#4 Post by webfork »

Thanks for posting about this. It doesn't support recording but at least I can listen to the radio without pulling up either the somewhat basic VLC setup or the web interface.

Will give this player it's own thread as it's claiming portability ...

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