Feed works for PC but not on mobile browser

[Mike_0121]

I have set up a feed for Toronto Police in Ontario, Canada. I have noticed that the feed works flawlessly when users connect to it on their PCs, however it seems on Android and iPhone apps the audio is garbled and impossible to understand. Even more confusingly, I cannot hear it when its on my iPhone speaker, but when I plug in the headphones I can hear it no problem. Other listeners have been reporting similar issues.

I'm using SimpleCast to connect to broadcast on the server.

 

[kma371]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3GS: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Internet speeds are much faster on broadband and DSL networks. Definitely much faster than cellular networks. Their cell network might not be fast enough to support the stream they are trying to listen to.

That's probably the issue.

 

[Mike_0121]

I am in a major city on a fast network. Also, this doesn't explain why I can hear it with headphones on but not through the speaker. I also know it can't be the phone because it's brand new and other listeners have also reported this. I am running the feed at 56kbps. Help!

 

[kma371]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3GS: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Ok I just listen to it on my iPhone so it's not the scanner app or network.

What does it sound like on your scanner at home? Audio is really bad streaming. Sounds like you don't have a setting right. Is it P25?

 

[Bote]

I am in a major city on a fast network. Also, this doesn't explain why I can hear it with headphones on but not through the speaker. I also know it can't be the phone because it's brand new and other listeners have also reported this. I am running the feed at 56kbps. Help!

Maybe you are overdriving ScannerCast with too much audio?

Use the line output/record output of your scanner if it has one and adjust the streaming encoder to a reasonable level.

Get Digital Level Meter by Paul Marshall in the U.K. and use that to set your levels, regardless whether this is the specific problem in this case. Proper audio levels are essential to a good sounding feed.

HNY!

 

[Mike_0121]

It sounds fine on the scanner at home, it's an analog system used by many cities around Toronto. Their radios aren't the greatest to begin with and are in the process of being upgraded but for the most part I can't understand why some people hear it great no matter where they are, and some people seem to be having difficulty. I listen to it at work no problem, on my iPhone when the earplugs are in but not on the speaker. I'm using SimpleCast at 56kbps 24.0Khz, maybe I'll try and play with it today or see if another problem works better.

 

[FoeHammer]

That must be the audio feed I tried to monitor with My logitech Squeezebox WiFi Radio ,...I can hear most RR feeds fine , but that one sounds garbled through my Wi Fi radio ,...have dsl so I dont understand whats causing it either ....it sounds fine through a pc on winamp ,but sounds garbled from the wifi radio ,,,strange

 

[Bote]

It sounds fine on the scanner at home, it's an analog system used by many cities around Toronto. Their radios aren't the greatest to begin with and are in the process of being upgraded but for the most part I can't understand why some people hear it great no matter where they are, and some people seem to be having difficulty. I listen to it at work no problem, on my iPhone when the earplugs are in but not on the speaker. I'm using SimpleCast at 56kbps 24.0Khz, maybe I'll try and play with it today or see if another problem works better.

I listened to your feed. The problem is SimpleCast.

I have both SimpleCast and ScannerCast here on my two local feeds and ScannerCast kicks major butt. I am driving SimpleCast with my BC780 because that's the only way I can send channel tags, but I can't increase the audio anywhere near full deflection on the level meters or it distorts the peaks exactly like your feed. I knew it the instant I heard it on yours.

It also sounds like you are taking the audio out of the speaker output of the scanner or receiver. Is there a line output on it? If so, use that.

In any case, switch to ScannerCast and be happy. Peter made a version custom-tailored to RadRef feed providers. If I had a way to get the BC780 channel tags into ScannerCast I would drop SimpleCast like the red-headed stepchild that it is. It's a piece of garbage, crashing periodically on me for no discernible reason. ScannerCast is rock-solid.

If you can insert an automatic gain control in your audio chain between the receiver and the encoding computer that might compensate a little bit for the wildly disparate audio levels on the police radio, but if they have crappy audio it's too late for you to improve it. Just hope their upgrade is done properly.

 

[Mike_0121]

I am using a direct line in to the computer, but Toronto Police radios aren't the best and the quality is up and down. I downloaded Scannercast but I know it defaults to the 16kbps speed. For some reason when I use it the audio is completely unintelligable and you can't understand a word. I tried changing the text file to increase the speed and improve the audio but nothing seems to be working. I'll try again tomorrow though. I have changed the SimpleCast speed to 32kbps but obviously that hasn't resolved the initial problems.

 

[Bote]

...I have changed the SimpleCast speed to 32kbps but obviously that hasn't resolved the initial problems.

That's because that is not the problem.

Answer me these questions:

1) What brand and model scanner or receiver is it?

2) What is the exact label on the radio where you are taking your direct line out to feed your computer?