Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

If I want BBC world service or Radio One I can subscribe to Sirius satellite radio but when it comes to BBC radio Two and Four - I am stuck. You can listen to them online at home via the Internet but is it possible to listen to these radio stations in the car?

I have e-mailed XM and Sirius and they have no plans to add these stations so....

Is there a cell phone out there that can stream real audio and costs less than $20 a month to run? That is the only way I can think of doing it... maybe getting an FM transmitter for it and picking up the signal via the radio....

Any other ideas? I need my BBC fix! :thumbsup:

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Think you're out of luck, World service has to suffice for us in the car at the moment wtih an XM to go thingy.
I am sure there are mobiles that can stream but they probably cost a fortune for the web airtime.
We stream through a wireless system at home so at least we can take the speakers anywhere in the garden and any room in the house and are not tied to a laptop or a desk top. Are you missing Steve in the afternoon and ask Elvis???

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

There are cheaper unlimited data plans for PDA's / Cells. I pay $40 BUT you can do a lot more than just radio.

I have the Verizon AudioVox XV6700... Since it's an internet device you can get virtually anything on it. Verizon's 3G network, I often see 600k + Since I also have a UK SKY+ box connected to a sling box, I effectively get all the UK TV channels live (and recorded) too.

I also can link back to my home PC's using ORB and can access my thousands of photos/video's/MP3's live too. SOund connects through any typical adapter.

$40 a month for wireless (almost anyway) fast internet is very valueable to me for business and pleasure.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

You could stream rip an hour or two worth of programming before you get up and then take it in via an iPod and play it back in your car. Not live, but pretty close.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

I've seen a lot of posts on here about bbc sky and slingboxes. Forgive my ingnorance but what exactly is a slingbox? And how does it hook up to pick up UK TV. Do you have to subscribe to Sky, which wont have match of the day will it? Okay I am a bit of a technie novice but if I could work out someway to get Match of the day and Test match special for the OH it would make his year especially if I can pick it up on the TV and not the pc.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Slingbox is cool. Its basically a box that sits between your TV and the TV signal and plugs into a high speed internet connection. It essentially takes the TV feed and streams it to an address and you pick it up via the slingbox software on your computer. To do it with sky, it would have to have the sky feed going into it. A lot of people in my office hook it up to their TV at home and watch whatever on a second monitor at their desk. Sky will have match of the day because it broadcasts all the standard channels as well as the sky ones.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

There's a thread called slingboxes that explains it...but basically you need someone in blighty who'll be willing to hook it up, and have broadband...and they need dual tuners or they might not be to impressed with you changing channels on them :lol:

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Okay that sounds way too complicated for me. When OH is out I cant even get our surround sound music system thing to work. Cheers anyway.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Yes ;)

Although I like the way Sirius delays the transmission by 5 hours for Radio One so at least you get the breakfast show in the morning! Just wish they would carry Two and Four and I will be happy.....

Thanks everyone else for the replies.... there must be a cheapo way to stream Real Audio via a mobile data plan...

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

40 smackers didnt sound bad further up the thread.

I cant stand that bloke that does the am show on Radio One so I am not missign out there but really really miss radio four but have it on at home all day long so dont miss much when out adn about in the car.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

isn't sprint $29 unlimited Data Plan ? It's all coming down in price....

www.orb.com is pretty cool and really simple. You could get someone in the UK to run orb for you on their machine, connect a TV tuner / Radio tuner....

There's lots of tech..... just nothing (other than slinging) that's packaged!

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

People occasionally pop up on Sirius Backstage suggesting they bring R2 and R4 here, so maybe it'll happen in the future. Wasn't there a BE member who was going to work at Sirius or interviewing there or something? Maybe he could influence things :). In any case, if the Sirius/XM merger goes ahead, it may free up bandwidth, but difficult to predict what will happen.

Personally make do with dumping R4 shows to mp3 to listen to in the car - would be nice if it were a bit easier though.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

I have a program called Audio Hijack which is pretty easy to set up. Allows timed recordings so I can grab certain programs or have a few hours of music in the morning.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Or there's this service. We're not going to sign up as we'll be moving again soon, but maybe once we're in NZ we will. :thumbup: I've heard nothing but good things about this, though.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Hmmmm might have to invest in that. The kit's not cheap though is it? But no such thing as a free lunch. Will have to run by OH

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

thetelly does look fantastic but I'm gulping at the equipment costs and the rates, especially with the weakness of the dollar against the pound.

For now UKNova will have to do....

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Based on 13 month minimum service contract...and it's as dodgy as they come, it's re-broadcasting which means they could get shut down at anytime and you'd be out of your money...

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

I subscribe to the Radio 4 today show podcasts, shove them on a USB memory stick, and use a USB MP3 FM transmitter (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3579125) to listen to them on the drive to work.

[Well I used to do this until I found that the local NPR news station broadcasts the BBC World service every morning, which I now prefer due to the absence of set-piece political arguments. They still cover the UK when anything of international consequence happens...]

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Apple Iphone - $20 a month on top of your cell bill for unlimited email and web

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

rew1000: Now that is a GREAT idea, with a super link too! Thank you!

Big D: Too expensive for me :( Plus I didn't know the iPhone could stream Real Player streams?

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

:) I really like the VR3, especially the price, but two caveats :
1. Like all FM-transmitting solutions, the results will vary depending on what's on the FM spectrum in your area (and may change on long drives). You do have a choice of a few frequencies, and it works OK for me.
2. It has very little brain - you can't pause, fast forward or rewind, just skip through .mp3 files on the USB drive one at a time. If you cut off the power, you're back to square one. You can always plug in a proper MP3 player, but I'm too cheap to buy one, and the USB drive fits on my keyring...

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

yep full safari browser but you're right not cheap

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Hehe, funny you bring up that particular model. I got one of my friends in the US to buy me one and ship it to the UK about a year ago, before the UK started making similar transmitters. I've since misplaced it - must dig it out again.

The law is different in the UK regarding broadcasting over the FM frequency, but it's flouted and ignored for the most part.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Great thread. This forum at its best -- loads of interesting suggestions. :) And it's nice to think that there are lots of others who are bending over backwards to find ways of listening to Radio 4 etc.

I download the Radio 4 and FiveLive podcasts (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/waystolisten/podcasts) and listen to those in the car, plugging my MP3 player into the cassette player. A cassette with a wire to your MP3 player is very cheap now; you can easily pick it up for $5 or so from all over the place.

I tried an FM transmitter but mine was useless -- had to be right next to the aerial for it to work. Nearly crashed the car when I tried to adjust it one time. But it was cheap ($15). I am interested to hear about the VR3, but I think I'll stick with my cassette and wire for now, which works like a dream -- never drops.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Well that would be the most perfect solution then... at a cost... but when you consider what else comes with it - it's a pretty sweet deal. I will wait to the end of the year to see if the price drops...

Until then - it's the FM transmitter Wally World special for me! :D

(thanks for the suggestions btw!)

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

I used the cassette thingy all the time in the UK for other things but my Dodge Stratus car only has a CD player and radio with no input jack... so yes, FM transmitters are far from perfect but it will have to do :) (can you tell I am on a budget hehehe)

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Sounds like a good idea as the podcasts are not the full programmes it seems....need to find something for my PC that can do timed recordings

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

It depends which podcast you are talking about. Several of the Radio 4 podcasts are the full programmes, e.g. Start the Week, Broadcasting House, File on 4, Radio 4 Choice Podcast. The only one I can think of that is not the full programme is Today, where they have the morning briefing (6.30-6.50 am, roughly), the 7.50 interview, the 8.30 interview and the 8.10 interview. But you wouldn't want the full programme at 3 hours worth.

Some of the other podcasts for other channels are highlights programmes, including the Daily Mayo (one of my favourites), which is the choice guest of the day, usually c. 20 minutes. I'd also recommend Mark Kermode's movie reviews, which is also available as a podcast.

There are, of course, lots of programmes not available to download from the BBC, but for the best of those, e.g. I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, one can go to UKNova or TheBox.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

I do the same as my heap of junk has no audio inputs. Most trips I end up retuning it a couple of times:blink:

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

That should have read vodcast. Speaking of vodcasts, anyone else dabbling with these? They were mentioned in a recent thread in another forum. I am quite enjoying BBC Breakfast Takeaway, but on yesterday's episode they announced that it was only a trial and that this is the last week. :frown: I've also been watching PMQs, Panorama and Best of the Ten, all worth downloading.

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

I use Total Recorder professional edition to do timed recordings of R4 from their Listen Again offerings. The CD player in my car plays MP3 CDs, so I can burn appropriate CDs. Bit of an effort if it were news shows, but use Sirius for that and it's in-depth documentaries etc that I download and burn.
What would be really nice to help recording would be a TIVO like interface with the BBC radio schedule...

Re: Need BBC radio Two and Four in the car - possible?
 

Thanks for the software tip...

I think the solution is finding the cheapest phone that can stream real player with the cheapest monthly payments... my quest continues as I must have live BBC radio Four and Two in my car :)