In article ,
Dave Boland wrote:
Anyone KNOW why radio stations insist on using flash for audio instead
of normal audio formats like Windows, MP3, etc? I see no advantage
since it won't work on Apple products and HTML 5 has audio built in.
Just makes the listener's job more difficult. Makes no sense.

I'm with you on not liking Flash on radio station streaming
sites, Dave! But FYI, it does work on most Apple products.
I can't remember whether Flash support is built into Mac OS
X or whether you have to add a plug-in, but I view Flash sites
all the time on this MacBook and my big Mac Pro.

However, I believe it would be a problem with an iPhone or iPad.
Or has some third party come up with a Flash app for them?

One suggestion, if you haven't tried it already, is to see whether
the station is available via iTunes. I know of some stations that
have their own Flash-based players but are also accessible (via
an MP3 feed, I presume) through iTunes. Another advantage of the
latter is that you can quickly change from station to station
without having to switch between different websites or media players.


Patty

Patty Winter wrote:
In article ,
Dave Boland wrote:
Anyone KNOW why radio stations insist on using flash for audio instead
of normal audio formats like Windows, MP3, etc? I see no advantage
since it won't work on Apple products and HTML 5 has audio built in.
Just makes the listener's job more difficult. Makes no sense.

I'm with you on not liking Flash on radio station streaming
sites, Dave! But FYI, it does work on most Apple products.
I can't remember whether Flash support is built into Mac OS
X or whether you have to add a plug-in, but I view Flash sites
all the time on this MacBook and my big Mac Pro.

However, I believe it would be a problem with an iPhone or iPad.
Or has some third party come up with a Flash app for them?

One suggestion, if you haven't tried it already, is to see whether
the station is available via iTunes. I know of some stations that
have their own Flash-based players but are also accessible (via
an MP3 feed, I presume) through iTunes. Another advantage of the
latter is that you can quickly change from station to station
without having to switch between different websites or media players.


Patty

Thanks Patty. As an update, I see all CBS affiliates are now using
Flash for audio streaming (with the exception of WTOP). I'm guessing
that CBS is requiring the use of Flash. Since Flash won't work with the
iPhone and iPad, CBS has released apps for that. Here is my rhetorical
question -- wouldn't have been easier for CBS to stick with platform
neutral mp3's or other audio CODECS?

While I'm venting, I have to wonder what radio would have been like if
the FCC didn't standardize it? I guess we would have had the stations
using the Microsoft transmitters requiring the use of radios with Silver
Light and Windows audio. The broadcasters using Apple transmitters
would require receivers to be AAC. And there there are the Live365
stations that are something else. Wish the FCC would standardize
streaming audio so it is open. Ah, I feel much better now! Thanks for
listening.

Dave,

On 2/10/2011 2:36 PM, Dave Boland wrote:
Thanks Patty. As an update, I see all CBS affiliates are now using Flash
for audio streaming (with the exception of WTOP). I'm guessing that CBS
is requiring the use of Flash. Since Flash won't work with the iPhone
and iPad, CBS has released apps for that. Here is my rhetorical question
-- wouldn't have been easier for CBS to stick with platform neutral
mp3's or other audio CODECS?


For iPod/iPhone, look into the Tunein Radio app. It's well worth the
$2.99 cost. The only radio groups I haven't had any luck pulling are
Clear Channel (there's iHeartRadio for that for free) and Lincoln Financial.