Author and computer guru Cal Evans wrote this article for us in October of 2002. In this piece he walks us through an introduction to streaming and the various tools and programs available to us for streaming our worship services.

www.calevans.com

Streaming Media Basics

© 2002 Cal Evans, All Rights Reserved.

By: Cal Evans

cal@calevans.com

Introduction

I think it was some time in1997; I was sitting at my desk one day surfing for new finds. In those days, new stuff was waiting for you on every page. This particular day I stumbled across a company named Real Audio. (Then they were Real Networks and now finally, just Real) I started their client downloading onto my computer one day before leaving for lunch. Returning to find my treasure, I guiltily stole a few extra minutes to install (and yes, reboot) my treasure, Real Audio Player.

Flash forward some 7 years, I now have 2 streaming media server loaded, more clients than I can shake a stick at and yes, of course, sitting there in the corner of my hard drive, I still have Real Audio (now RealONE) loaded and ready to sprint into action. It and I have come a long way and move from love to hate to a mutual level of respect. The one constant I have learned is that the more I learn, the more I have to learn.

Artifacts in the stream

When discussing delivering multimedia content (sound files, video files, etc) over the Internet, invariably some people will get confused. (No big deal, it happens to all of us) If you click on a link in your browser, download an MP3 file and then play it, that is not streaming. (At least in the context that we are discussing) That is downloading. If you click on a link in your browser and a multimedia client of some sort pops up and immediately begins playing the content that is streaming. One of the main differences between streaming and downloading is the artifact. If, after listening to the content, you do not have a file left on your computer containing that content, you were most likely streaming. If you do have a file left that you can play again, or send to a friend, then you were most likely downloading.

This is a crucial difference to understand. For the rest of this article we will talk about true streaming technologies that for the most part, do not leave artifacts on the end users computers. If your server has a limited bandwidth connection to the Internet I feel that downloading is your best option. Personally, I prefer it because it allows your user to capture the content on their own computer and play it back at their leisure. However, there are situations where streaming is the best option.

You should consider streaming if your files are large; streaming can let the user begin enjoying the content immediately without having to download the entire file. You should consider streaming if you do not, for whatever reason, want the user to retain an artifact on their computer when finished enjoying the content. You should consider streaming if you want a more accurate count of the users who have accessed your content.

All of these are good reasons to look into streaming your content to your user. Please note, some streaming clients available will allow users to capture your content to a file on their computer regardless of whether you want them to or not. Streaming should not be confused with Digital Rights Management.

Streaming Servers

Ok, so we now know what it is and is not. Now let’s take a whirlwind tour of the tools you can use to Stream files to your lucky clients. Specifically, these servers will allow streaming on demand. Most of them will also allow live streaming from a sound card or other audio source. For the most part though, I’m concentrating on streaming on-demand.

Real Server

http://www.realnetworks.com/offer/download/index.html

Real is the granddaddy of them all. Before there was Real, you downloaded .wav files (or .au) if you wanted to share sounds. These were big files and pipes were small back then. So we didn’t share sounds a lot. Then along came Real. They changed everything. All of a sudden it was possible to listen to sounds without the huge downloads. This opened up whole new worlds…for a price. The price was a lock-in to Real and their technologies. All proprietary file formats meant that to move between servers you had to re-encode all your content. Back then it wasn’t a big problem, we only had 1 server but these days it can be an issue. The setup is easy for any administrator familiar with Windows servers.

QuickTime/Darwin

http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/streaming/

Apple has done their usual great job at promoting and packaging a decent technology. Up until this last version, QuickTime servers were proprietary like their Real cousins. While it is still wholly owned by Apple, the latest incarnation, Darwin, is offered in binary or source code format under a quasi-Open Source license. This is much better than a proprietary license but the file formats are still proprietary and that leaves you at the mercy of Apple.

Setup is a bit complex on this system. Installing it form the command line on Linux requires more than average expertise. Once it is up and running it has it’s own web based interface though that will guide you though most all operations.

Shoutcast

http://www.shoutcast.com/download/serve.phtml

Written by the development team that brought us Winamp and now wholly owned by AOL, Shoutcast is the closest we come to a true open source, open format streaming server.

Shoutcast streams mp3 and OggVorbis format files to clients that can accept Icecast streams. As of this writing, Windows Media Player, Real Player and Winamp are the are all clients for Icecast streams. As with Real Server, the source code for Shoutcast is not available, however, the file formats served are all open standards. Setup is easy on this one, but the configuration files could cause you to pull your hair out. If you are not familiar with editing configuration files then it may be a bit difficult to get running. (No pretty interface on this baby.)

Once running though, it requires little to no maintenance. Of all the servers discussed here this is the one that I’ve had the least trouble with. The only major drawback to Shoutcast that I have found is that it is audio only.

Be warned, this program was written by developers and for developers. The documentation assumes a high familiarity with the concepts behind streaming. Be prepared to scratch your head and mumble a lot.

Windows Media Server

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/technologies.asp

Of all the options available, this is the most proprietary one. It comes built into Windows 2000 Server and available as a download for Windows NT 4.x server. It enjoys Microsoft’s easy setup and tight integration into the OS. The file formats are proprietary but if you are serving to an all Microsoft crowd and have no intention of moving to another format, this may be a good fit.

The best feature about Windows Media Server is that it comes with the server. Please note that I did not say it was free; it is not. You pay for it whether you use it or not. But it is there should you want to use it. All things being equal (and they are not) Windows Media Server is an adequate solution for your streaming needs.

Streaming Clients

Wow, you are still with me! Ok, those were the servers. But servers aren’t worth anything if there are no clients connecting to them. So let’s look at the clients available.

For the most part, I am going to list the clients available for Windows. (Sorry, that’s the desktop I work with the most.) All of these clients are available on Mac but none of them work on Linux without an additional plugin. If you use Linux and you need help finding a client, drop me a line.

RealONE

http://www.real.com/realoneplayer.html

Buried deep in the bowels of the Real.com website is their free player. RealPlayer has always been available for free but of late it’s been difficult to find the link to the free player. The current version, RealONE is an evolutionary step in streaming client software. When playing Real streams, this client will give you the best overall performance. Although is does an adequate job at playing MP3 streams as well. They claim that they can play Windows Media files as well but I’ve not tested this. RealONE will not support Ogg Vorbis streams.

While RealONE is 8 generations away form the original RealPlayer I downloaded, it still does an excellent job at doing what Real does best, playing streams of audio and video. It’s playback is smooth, even on low-bandwidth clients and it does a good job of balancing audio and video streams across the pipe. Earlier versions had trouble when trying to play a video stream with audio on a low-bandwidth connection; one or the other was constantly dropping out. Now, they both play well.

When streaming video. (I know, I said I was only going to talk about Audio but hey, video is cool) Real is a good choice. The quality is above average and at high-bandwidth is it actually enjoyable to watch.

The downside to RealONE is that it likes to do more than what it is supposed to do. Since RealONE will also play many other types of audio streams, when installing you have to take careful precautions to make sure that it does not hijack the other audio file extensions. That is, unless you want it to be your main audio player.

Also, RealONE likes to put a resident program in your system tray. This may be fine for someone who regularly watches a multitude of streams throughout the day but for the average user, it’s just taking up RAM. It can easily be disabled in the preferences dialog of RealONE after it politely reminds you of the err of your ways and gives you a chance not to remove it.

The final downside to RealONE basic player is the Never-ending procession of nag screens reminding you that you can upgrade to the full version. While I usually purchase the latest Real client (a necessary tool in my business) I dislike being reminded of the fact that I’m freeloading every time I use the free player. Alas, subtlety is a lost art in the PC industry.

To end on a positive note, I’ve just downloaded and installed Real Player 9 for PocketPC 2002. This is a cool bit of fluff, should you have an iPaq or something laying around that you want to play with. It’s not that useful today but it is something to stuff in a corner of your brain and pull out again in a year.

As I write this article, things are changing. Real has just announced their plans to release an Open Source player for Linux. This is defiantly a huge step in the right direction. If they continue down this road, they could re-take the dominance in streaming.

Real is available for both Windows, Mac. (and coming soon for Linux!)

QuickTime

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/

QuickTime is the client for Apple’s QuickTime and Darwin servers. The latest version, version 6, supports the new (heavily patent and royalty encumbered) MPEG-4.

• (Side Note; The MPEG-4 API was frozen three years ago. Products are just now reaching the market with it embedded because the group that controls the relevant patents has just now come up with a licensing scheme. If you are involved in a commercial venture involving streaming video, please make sure you read over the applicable royalty fee structures before deploying any product using MPEG-4. Then use a server that does not employ it.)

As with RealONE, Apple can play additional stream types in addition to QuickTime files including Windows AVI files. Apple is a bit kinder in it hijacking file extensions in that it groups them by OS instead of making you choose each one individually. My default setup is to let QuickTime play everything but ‘Windows’ file types. This means that anytime I click on a GIF file or a JPG file, QuickTime pops up to display them for me. Unlike RealONE, when you install QuickTime, you only get QuickTime. No additional ‘Juke Box’ programs are installed.

The downsides to QuickTime are basically the same as RealONE. They want to take over and become the one and only playback program, it likes to leave icons all over the desktop (I’ve never understood Real and Apple’s compulsion to leave icons on my desktop for their programs. Since their programs are players, the only time I need them is when I click on a link to play.) and the endless nag screens to upgrade. Unlike Real though, Apple is relentless in it’s insistence that you upgrade to the Pro version. Every time you close the client you are politely reminded that you are freeloading. (And us freeloaders hate to be reminded of that!)

QuickTime is available for both Mac and Windows.

Windows Media Player

As I write this, Windows Media Player 9 "Corona" has just been unveiled for Mac. From the looks of it, they are trying to out Apple, Apple. They have a ways to go. I could find no side-by-side file comparisons of the video so I had to compare what was available. I compared several short clips from the Microsoft site to some of the trailers (compressed in similar bit rates) on the Apple QuickTime site. There is just no comparison. I watch a video clip from *NSYNC on the Microsoft site. The colors were mottled and pixalized, the audio at times lagged or the entire stream would halt for ‘Buffering’.

When installing the latest version of Windows Media Player for Windows 2000, Windows Media Player 7.1, I was struck by the fact that they show you the components they are about to install with checkboxes beside each component as if it can be deselected. (As is normal) What you quickly find out is that no component, even the controversial Digital Rights Management System, is optional and that to get any part of it you have to agree to all of it. (http://bsdvault.net/article.php?sid=527&mode=&order=0) So once again, I grant Microsoft permission to destabilize my computer. (I did it the first time when I installed Windows.)

All in all I would say that if you have no other choice but to use Windows Media Player then it is an acceptable option. It is hampered by poor CODEC performance, proprietary file formats and Microsoft’s heavy-handed attempts at forcing you to use only the software that they approve of. The latter two would be probably be acceptable if the program performed up to the standards set by the other two.

EOF

I’ve learned a lot about streaming since that day sitting at my desk. Each time I think I have a handle on things, the entire landscape shifts beneath me. Currently, the earth is moving with the announcements of Real releasing an Open Source player and the availability of Players, Encoders and servers for the new Ogg Vorbis format. While Ogg is audio-only, it is the quality and size of MP3 without any patents.

I hope the information in this article helps you in some way. If you like it, please spread it around. If you have questions, I’ll answer what I can, drop me an email. If you have suggestions for additional information I can provide, drop me a line. More important than anything else, I want this information to be useful.

Cal Evans - Technology Concierge

Cal Evans grew up a MK brat in various Church offices around the southeast. After a very brief stint at Walt Disney World where he met and married the lovely and talented Kathy Evans, he went to work as a "Computer Manager". Since then he has lived a nomadic existence spanning 3 states ending in Nashville, TN where he now lives with Kathy, their two above average children and two very stupid dogs.

Throughout his journeys he has picked up odd bits of knowledge about how to start software projects, how to build and manage development teams, and generally anything you would ever want to know about using computers in business but didn't know who to ask. He now uses this knowledge to help companies make informed technology decisions. He is The Technology Concierge.

Should you have the desire to contact him regarding the wide array of services he offers, Cal can be reached at cal@calevans.com.

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