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| Streaming
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| What is Streaming?
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Streaming Media is a technology that enables
large rich media content to be listened to and/or viewed over the Internet no
matter what connection speed you are connecting with.
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Audio and video files tend to be very large, for broadband streams they can
easily be several hundred megabytes and even into gigabytes. Streaming media
allows you to watch or listen to a stream in "real-time" as it streams to your
computer. This permits you to watch or listen at your leisure without waiting
for long downloads.
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Streaming media enables a person to watch or
listen to real time content as it is produced, such as television, radio, or
live events
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| How does it work?
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The process is pretty simple. You need content, either audio
or video, or both. You need an encoder, which encodes the content into a format
capable of being sent over the Internet. Finally you need a streaming server,
which distributes the stream from the encoder to all the viewers or listeners.
Your audience then needs a player, often installed on most personal computers
and even mobile devices such as PDAs and Cell Phones.
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How do I get started?
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You probably already have most of the components required to
start streaming.
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The first requirement is a computer capable of running as an
Encoder. We recommend a medium-specification desktop machine running Windows XP
(2.0GHz, 512Mb RAM, 20Gb HDD minimum) for a single live stream. You will also
need a suitable media capture device. This can be as simple as a sound card for
audio only streaming. For audio and video we recommend the Osprey media capture
cards from ViewCast
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(
http://www.viewcast.com )
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Secondly, you will need the encoder software. This is
dependant on the format you wish to stream in. For Windows Media format,
Windows Media Encoder is required - this is available free from Microsoft
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( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/
encoder/default.mspx ). For Real Media format, RealProducer is required
- this is available in two versions - Plus ($200) and Basic (Free) from Real
Networks
( http://www.realnetworks.com/products/producer/index.html
)
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If you wish to stream your content in both formats, then you
will require either two encoders running Windows Media Encoder and RealProducer
respectively or a more powerful encoder which could run both applications on
the same computer.
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The final component is a connection to the
Internet. You need a reliable, always on, broadband connection. (Cable, xDSL,
ISDN, T-1, Ethernet, etc). If you are going to share a connection with your
office or station, you need to be aware that slower connections could
negatively impact both your streaming and Internet browsing experiences. Unless
a higher capacity, business grade service is used, we recommend a dedicated
connection for your streaming connectivity. If you require assistance with
broadband, we can assist with selecting and recommending a solution for your
needs.
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Gyrocast provides the streaming server components,
and can assist with the encoding, both for live and on-demand content. If you
have any questions, please contact out Technical Assistance Center at
1.866.506.2374.
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