RIP XM Radio from AOL ** Long Live XMRO

[dohboy]

Just wanted to mourn publicly for the deactivation of the XM Radio channels that used to be available via winamp from AOL Radio. I'm a XM radio subscriber and I've found that the winamp interface was far superior to the web based listening applet provided with XMRO (XM Radio Online).

I realize there is no affiliation anymore between WinAmp/AOL and XM, but I would like to start a grassroots movement to petition WinAmp to support XMRO via a plugin of some sort. I've read that it is possible with some 3rd party software, like SlimServer, to create your own XMRO-->WinAmp relay, but it's just too complicated for me.

I'd like to be able to plug my XMRO credentials into winamp and play XM radio streams right from the source. If anyone is working on this, or knows of an existing plugin or whatnot that makes this happen, please let me know.

If anyone else is interested in this, please speak up. I'm hoping I am not alone. I actually bought an XM radio subscription after getting hooked on the AOL XM Radio feed, provided for free via WinAmp. I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only one who discovered XM radio because of this.

For those who don't know, today (April 30th, 2008) was the final day of free XM Radio -- those channels are no longer available. At approximately 1pm EDT, all the XM radio channel streams were replaced with a looping message explaining that XM Radio is no longer available via AOL radio. AOL does offer some interesting channels but they're just not the same.

Thank you, and RIP XM Radio from AOL!

[ziggyfly]

Well I agree about the superiority of the winamp interface for xm, but I'm not quite hooked enough to pop for a subscription.

What other options are out there for "free" commercial-less internet radio, accessible via winamp or otherwise?

[chips29]

I am also a XM radio subscriber and was devastated yesterday when I realized that I would not be able to stream using winamp anymore. The reason that I like winamp better is because I use plugins that make it sound SO much better than the XMRO interface.

Surely there must be a way!!!

[dohboy]

Yes! I too use a plugin (SoundSolution) in WinAmp to bring up all the levels, and it sounds great! The XMRO interface sounds like a tin-can radio compared to WinAmp.

Originally posted by chips29
The reason that I like winamp better is because I use plugins that make it sound SO much better than the XMRO interface.

[n2jtx]

I am sorry to see it gone. I was a casual listener, especially to Watercolors since our local SJ station changed its format recently. To be honest, I am not surprised. With both XM and Sirius still hemorrhaging money and Sirius looking to take over XM, it seemed only a matter of time before it went away. I just thought it would happen after a Sirius takeover not before.

Oh well, maybe it will be back some day but I'm not holding my breath.

[DJ Egg]

Maybe we'll replace it with something else/better... ;-)

[dohboy]

CBS Radio definitely qualifies as "something else" ... but I wouldn't call it "better" by any stretch of the imagination.

[DJ Egg]

Lord knows.

Weren't the XM Radio channels in Winamp's Online Services all 12kbps AAC+ streams?

Not only were they poor quality, but I seem to remember there only being about 12 of them (less than 20 anyway).

Personally, I never even listened to them anyway, heh.

[dohboy]

The XM streams were 64kbps and were better quality than most of those amateur shoutcast streams that you find. Early on I think the streams were a low bit rate but they apparently upgraded them at some point. All of AOL radio appears to be 64 kbps, 44 khz, co-stereo. According to the Ultravox stream properties, the streams are VBR at some level ( AverageBR=64016 and MaxBR=96024). Needless to say the streams sounded great for the small amount of bandwidth they use.

[DJ Egg]

Oh... fair enough, heh.
I remember testing them when it was first introduced, and they were 12KHz,
but never bothered to look or listen to any again after that.

[quetwo]

I too really miss the XM Radio links within Winamp. The interface is far superior (heck, with Winamp, I can slimline the interface, or I can minimize it to the notification area). I'm an XM sub since 2001, and was overjoyous when they added select channels to AOL/Winamp.

A plugin (or functionality directly in Winamp) that will allow me to use my xmradio sub login and password to steam the music would rock!

[LouCypher]

This makes me sad.

I really loved the Deep Tracks station available through the free XM Radio (not enough to subscribe though). That was my only reason for keeping Winamp instead of trying alternatives.

Now that there is no proprietary streaming protocol required for anything Winamp has to offer I'm no longer bound to one player.

[dohboy]

As I do more research on the internet I've discovered that there are a lot more applications that support XMRO directly than I originally thought... Here is a partial list --

xAmp, XMicroplayer, Replay A/V (shareware stream recorder), XM Plugin for XBOX Media Player.

There are several DVR/Relay type applications that seem to support relaying internet streams to your household devices via wireless receivers.

SnapStream Beyond Media XM Radio Plugin, SlimServer (Logitech) XM Radio Plugin

There are also a number of open source projects which can directly connect to XMRO and play back streams. Most of these projects are for linux, but some are cross platform.

Foobar 2000 (via the Foo_XM plugin), apPHPXM, Stand Alone XM Radio Online Player (for QT).

Also I've found these various XM "widgets" which plug into various sidebar applications.

XM Radio Widget (for Mac), XM Radio Widget (for Vista Sidebar), XM Radio Widget (for Yahoo), and XM Radio Widget (for Google).

Finally I've found some interesting howtos, such as how to get your MythTV DVR to play XM Radio Streams. -- http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Integrate_XM although the links it references seem to be outdated, but it includes all the necessary script code and instructions to allow your MythTV DVR to play XMRO streams.

The interesting thing about these opensource projects is that they do no require Windows Media Player, and the source is available that shows how they go about wrangling in the XMRO stream and dealing with its quirky authentication. Some apps, like FooBar 2000 are basically WinAmp competetors.

With this plethora of examples it seems like theres more than enough information around for someone to make a winamp plugin that does the same. I haven't had time to try out any of these yet.. if I find a solution that lets me relay a stream to winamp I'll post it here.

[MRakestraw]

I was an XM subscriber for 2 years, Deep Tracks was all I listened to, then the quality of XM Digital radio got so bad (most of the time) that I stopped paying for it. I then started listening to Deep Tracks on AOL via Winamp, I thought the sound` quality was WAY better than my XM reciever. It seems that Deep tracks was a target station and bandwidth was stolen from Deep tracks to share with one or more of the many other channels. Maybe this is bull shit but an independent XM sales guy told me this and it explains why someday’s Deep tracks sounds good and other days it sounded like an AM radio.
Anyway I REALLY Enjoyed have Deep tracks available via Winamp, but I am not willing to pay for one station even if XM could deliver a decent sound.

[n2jtx]

I have to admit now that I started exploring around AOL radio, I find it is pretty good. It took a while to find various channels as there are so many available compared to what was offered from the XM lineup.

And the few commercials they have are not that bad.

[GMPCM]

What about HD Radio? IMO, it offers much better sound quality than the typical streaming internet station or sat radio. Most of the HD Radio subchannels have no commercials, and its free.

[quetwo]

HD Radio in my area is pretty much a joke. 4 stations, and all just re-broadcasting the same content as on their analog channels. The advantage of XM/Sirrus radio is the selection and variety of the music. I don't have to drive out to Orange County to hear a punk rock station, and I don't have to listen to Bob and Tom on my commute into work. Having this same selection on my computer at work is a huge bonus (although many of the stations from Shoutcast offer similar, XM is not a 30 song playlist that many of these stations are).

[GMPCM]

Wow, its too bad you live clear out there. WCSX brodcasts deep trax on their HD2 subchannel in Detroit, in fact there are about 18 stations broadcasting HD channels in Detroit, and around 10 in Grand Rapids. Lansing being a very college oriented town would seem to me to have a bit more variety than you describe since they have more than three college channels broadcasting in HD alone.

Alot can be accomplished simply by optimizing the antenna. Although I can get stations that are over 50 miles away with a pretty generic dipole, I am sure I could get fancy with the antenna and pick up a few channels in the adjacent states as well.