Let’s share our ideas and experiences about starting, running and keep running streaming servers. Correct me if I am wrong at any point.

Real Audio
Streaming in real audio format is what most of the clients want. But real system professional server is too expensive to buy. It’s around $22,000. This supports around 250 simultaneous connections. Real system server PLUS supports around 80 connections at a time and is relatively cheap. So, what would be an easy way to stream real audio and video format?

Windows Media Format
Another format for streaming is windows media format. Called, Windows Audio also. Most of the web sites offering good streaming supports automatic selection of the client media and stream accordingly. A good example is http://audio.cnn.com though selection is not difficult and based on server side coding but how to manage such formats?

MP3 and QuickTime Format
MP3 can be easily streamed with Icecast streaming server as well as Darwin Streaming server. Quick time is streamed very well with Darwin Streaming server.

Now my question based on all the above is that how to manage all the formats at a time. Do I have to set up different dedicated servers for each format. What would be an easy way to administrator all the stuff both technically and economically as well. Is it possible to stream all the above formats using some open source available streaming server? What is the difference between a fully working streaming server and a simple server. Like I just put down a file on my Apache and when I try to access that file, ( http://foo.org/foo.ra ) Clients real player will open and start streaming the file. If that can be done, why I need a streaming server ? Is it only to control connection class or something else?

Dedicated Server
Another important issue is the selection of dedicated servers. What sort of servers should be used? I am looking ahead to fdcservers.net for some nice bandwidth deal and they do seem to be good. 250 Users connected all the time (though it won’t be possible at the beginning but let’s assume ) and each getting around 20 Kbps bandwidth will burn around 12 TB of bandwidth each month ( 5 MBps continues through) .. Uuhhmm .. So, a good solution will be? Service providers, contact me with good offers.

Sorry for my bad communication skills but I think I have explained what I need. Do let me know about your ideas and it will result in a good server we will be able to provide.

Thanks,

Naseer

click click .. waiting for replies ..

here you go:)

1.) if you upload soem streaming format file to web space and offer it direct download via http:// IT'S NOT STREAMING! Using http you lose the streaming technology most advanced features (e.g. bandwidth saving etc)

2.) I suggest you offer windows media streaming services - good solution that is capable of high-bandwidth streaming...

3.) why not real media? I guess a bit too expensive...... (it also runs on Windows platform, so if you have a powerful server you may combine realmedia server and windows streaming service on one box..)

4.)quicktime is also getting popular (also some free and opensource audio/video streaming formats), but they don't come close to user base that has Windows Media player already installed (this is a big plus, trust me!!)



Streaming is always expensive from bandwidth view. Please note that the link should be good (you don't want to watch video or audio when it stops every 10 seconds to buffer data etc).

Hope this helps a bit!

you are correct, but what is the difference between a windows solution and a Linux solution? btw, m still waiting for more replies.

Real streaming tends to be very good and there is a free version (although I think it can only support 5 simultanous streams).

Windows Media tends to have good quality video (in my opinion). I believe the server technology is free which is a great bonus but is only supported by Windows (I only have linux servers so I can only http 'stream' windows media).

Never investigated quicktime streaming.

You can do HTTP streaming is not as good as REAL streaming,
but works.

Look at this example:
http://www.virtual-orbis.com/ejemplos/clip0002.htm

It is encoded with windows media and requires windows media 7 or later.

I am also trying a sample with Realmedia Helix (last version) but my example only produces error on RealPlayer, don't know why... (maybe I don't have the last decoder on my Player)

SHOUTcast !!!

Streaming mp3. runs on linux and windows.. but i think you need a machine to send data to the master server, then it broadcasts that data to the listeners. i LOVE SHOUTcast :)




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This is the Solution
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Its called mod_mp3. its a mod to turn apache into a mp3 streaming server like SHOUTcast. you compile it into apache, and point it at a playlist.

see http://media.tangent.org/


I am sure mod_mp3 is almost the same as streaming an mp3 over normal http but mod_mp3 just adds some extra headers into the http that streams the i3d tag too. sweet stuff