Index: ahttp.py
==================================================================
--- ahttp.py
+++ ahttp.py
@@ -86,14 +86,17 @@
     if not content:
         return r
     elif binary:
         r = r.content
     else:
-        # Receival is actually happening here
+        # Manually decode charset
         if encoding:
             r.encoding = encoding
-        r = r.text
+            r = r.content.decode(encoding, errors='replace')
+        # See requests isse #2359, automatic charset detection can be awfully slow
+        else:
+            r = r.text
     # clean statusbar
     statusmsg and progress_feedback()
     return r
 
 

Index: channels/xiph.py
==================================================================
--- channels/xiph.py
+++ channels/xiph.py
@@ -146,11 +146,11 @@
       if conf.xiph_source != "buffy":
           buffy = []
 
       # Get XML blob
       if not buffy:
-          yp = ahttp.get(self.xml_url, statusmsg="Brace yourselves, still downloading the yp.xml blob.")
+          yp = ahttp.get(self.xml_url, encoding="utf-8", statusmsg="Brace yourselves, still downloading the yp.xml blob.")
       else:
           yp = "<none/>"
       self.status("Yes, XML parsing isn't much faster either.", timeout=20)
       for entry in xml.dom.minidom.parseString(yp).getElementsByTagName("entry"):
           buffy.append({
@@ -521,11 +521,11 @@
 
 # Convert bitrate string or "Quality \d+" to integer
 def bitrate(str):
     uu = re.findall("(\d+)", str)
     if uu:
-        br = uu[0]
+        br = int(uu[0])
         if br > 10:
             return int(br)
         else:
             return int(br * 25.6)
     else: