Ogg streaming--does it exist for the PSP already? (Or should I just make it exist?)

[Golem]

You've a few options, the way I understand it (and note that I'm no authority on this, generally, but I can probably point you in the right direction...)

1. If you've a PS3, you can use remote play. My understanding is the PS3 will pick up a WMA stream (which CBC sends in), and have it resend it to the PSP... This is the 'official' way. (Note: I don't do it the official way even though I have a PS3 because I want to be able to get the stream even when I'm nowhere near my PS3, like in a hotel somewhere on business).


I don't own a PS3


2. If you've somewhere you can set up an icecast server or similar, you can do it that way: set up the icecast server to rebroadcast CBC as an MP3 stream, and then use a homebrew app like FreeRadio to read the stream from there. Note that since FreeRadio doesn't do WMA, and CBC doesn't broadcast directly in MP3, you again need that server in the middle. A bit of a pain, again, but doable. Note also, however, that you'd have to homewbrew your wife's PSP to do this... not sure how she'd feel about it, as it is a bit of a step. If you know noone with one already set up like that, you pretty much have to do the hardware mod--which I've done--it just involves sawing a pin off one IC in a battery--but it's not quite trivial. Google Pandora's battery for more. Note also that by this method, you happen to be able to get CBC Radio 3 (the sorta youth/alt version) directly in FreeRadio, as it broadcasts via MP3, tho' you have to hunt around a bit for the link... I can send it, if this is interesting... annoyingly, CBC Radio One and Two only do WMA and ogg, so you have to resend them...


Hacking the PSP is an interesting option. I have done lots of hardware mods and hacking. The battery mod, does that turn a regular battery into a Pandora? I read that only the first generation PSP slim/2000 can be cracked with Pandora because the two subsequent motherboards have disabled the battery crack hack. I am new to the PSP, I've used it with Skype too which has the potential to save lots of money, especially when on long-distance bills while on a trip.


3. If you're homebrewing anyway, and don't mind trying alpha code, I do now have this thing I've just built and which works fine for me: reads the CBC Radio One and Two streams (a Toronto station which supports Ogg/Vorbis) directly. Works fine for both, still a bit unstable, tho' once it's reading, it's reading--I've used it for hours at a time. I'm planning on releasing the code and binaries shortly, anyway, so I'm happy to have a tester, if you're going that route... (Standard legal disclaimers go here: alpha code, may not be fit, homebrewing has some modest hazards, yadda yadda).

I would be pleased to test your alpha code. Your code is constantly being changed as you improve it so alpha 1 could become alpha 1.1 then 1.2, etc. virtually as soon as I get it loaded. Is your alpha version at a point where it is almost ready for beta? I am in Toronto. How would I get your software?

[NineByNine]

I used the hardware hack on my PSP2000; it worked fine. I'm pretty new at this, but I believe it's the software hack that's now a non-option, since the new boards won't write to the eeprom. But the hardware hack's still the same--saw off the post, and the eeprom just reports all 1s, and it works. I can report success on mine: I bought a new battery, sawed off the eeprom post on the old one (just used a utility knife), stuck it in, and the thing booted to maintenance and loaded the custom firmware install stuff...

Again, I just did it the once, so no expert, but there's stuff all over the web on this. I actually found some youtube videos that show the hardware mod, which is nice--you can make sure you've got the right post. There's a few different videos using different batteries, but if you know your way around boards and ICs, you can handle this: just make sure the chip is oriented right, and you know you've got the right pin. You can also try to desolder it for later resoldering if you actually want to save the battery (you can't use a Pandora's for general use), but of course, this is pretty fine work; I didn't try to mess with it. Then you also need a magic memory stick--which you can pack together with a handful of packages... You put this in with the Pandora's battery, the thing boots, installs the custom firmware, and you're good to run homebrew on it. I've also got FreeRadio on mine, which is nice--tho' it doesn't do Ogg streams, it does MP3, and you're not locked into Shoutcast the way you are on the Sony apps.

Re my code: I gotta find some hosting for the project anyway... which should happen today or tomorrow--so you can just download it from there. I'll update here when I do. I was thinking of just opening something up at sourceforge... Do absolutely let me know if/when you're set up to do homebrew and do want to test it.

[NineByNine]

Actually... mods... anyone? Is there anywhere here I can host an EBOOT.PBP and the example URL file? Compressed tarball with 'em both is just 184Kb.

Hell, Golem, for that matter, it's small enough I guess I can just email it to you, if you're interested. PM me an address; should keep it away from the spammers.

[NineByNine]

Oh and re alpha/beta, I'm not honestly sure. Issue right now is occasionally it freezes, especially at network setup, which is a bit of a pain. I'm asking around about why that might be, and I figure I should probably also clean up some stuff at shutdown, allow you to shut off one stream and bring up another (without just exiting the program, which is what you have to do now). Thing is, the latter I can fix myself, the former, I have to hope someone out there knows... so it could be days, or it could be... well... more. Apologies I can't be more definite.

[NoQuarter]

I'm interested too,let me know.
I'll be checking this thread for updates on your progress from know on.I wish more apps used ogg as oppossed to proprietary formats.

[NineByNine]

Thanks, good to hear. And I've excellent news: the network hang issue is fixed already. Someone at psp-programming (thanks, Insert Witty Name Here/Insomniac) were able to point me to updated code for initing the net; and that bug is squashed.

And that was the hard one. Hell, at this rate, I can probably put a binary on the net sometime tonight, now.

[Golem]

Congratulations!

[NineByNine]

Additional fixes, as of yestereve:

-- Added 48000 Hz stereo support
-- Made config (stream list) prettier/easier to edit/setup
-- Did menu driven system for picking stations; comes back to menu after last one stopped (there are still some issues with recv thread shutdown, tho)
-- Added recv buffer status display
-- Added a few more sample streams to the default config

TODO before I'd call it beta:

Clean up error handling in the decoder thread; it can still freeze on some errors.
Clean up thread shutdown/restart around stopping/starting new stations.

[NineByNine]

... oh, and I also proposed a project at SourceForge. Should have word shortly, and, with any luck, hosting for source and binaries.

[NineByNine]

Threading stuff much more stable; still got some increasingly rare deadlocks occuring...

It's actually stable enough now if anyone wants to try it... stuck a package up at this spot. Might, once in a while, freeze during initial load only. But even that's pretty rare now.