The BBC stream uses MPEG-DASH–it’s not like the other FLAC streams mentioned earlier in the thread. Much more complex to support–both technically and commercially.
The BBC has a penchant for piloting a new streaming technology every few years. I remember when we added MMS support to Sooloos solely because of the BBC. I remember when we added HTTP Live Streaming support to Roon solely because of the BBC, too. It’s pretty perplexing why they are using DASH for this–since they already support HTTP Live Streaming, which offers essentially the same functionality.
(My theory: The BBC is prone to influence by the people who make these streaming technologies, since those companies know that once the BBC is using something, a lot of people will feel compelled to support it. Microsoft got them to use MMS. Apple got them to use HLS. And now MPEG is trying to get them to use DASH).
DASH is heavily patent encumbered, like most MPEG technologies.
In any case, we’ll be keeping an eye on this to see if DASH/FLAC streams are just an experiment or if it gains real ground. If it becomes pervasive, we can start looking into what it will take to support it, what licenses might be required, and so on. If it’s just the BBC, and just a short term experiment, I’m not sure the time to move is now.