Broadcast 101???

[sparkie]

What might one learn in a broadcast class 101? I know nothin'

My brother can broadcast LOUDLY but I don't think that's what you mean. My family thinks my brother watched too much of Archie Bunker in his developing years.

Back to broadcast. Ok, easy question: What's streaming radio? :o

[sparkie]

Debby,
You got a neighbor who can broadcast well too...like when she is hollerin' at her grandson.

[Franklin]

Hi Sparkie,

I missed your easy question, "What's streaming radio?"

It means the audio starts to play on your computer almost immediately. When you click on a link - whether that link is an actual webpage or an audio file, video file, etc. - information must be downloaded to you computer in order for you to see or hear it. So if you click on a link to hear a song, for example, an audio file is downloaded to your computer and the appropriate application (program) is invoked to play it.

Audio files tend to be really big, so they take a long time to download. The broadcast archives would probably take 10 - 15 minutes on average to download the entire file. So you would have to wait that long before you start hearing them.

With streaming, the program starts to play the audio while it is still downloading. It takes a few seconds to get started because the software buffers the data - i.e. it loads some of the data in a buffer to allow for slowdowns in the data stream. If you have a really slow connection, you can experience dropouts where the audio you are listening to gets ahead of the download. This would only happen if your connection speed slowed down after the audio started, because most of the software used for streaming is smart enough to calculate your speed during the time it is buffering, and it pre-loads enough to ensure that the download is always ahead of the actual real-time playing. This is assuming that the connection speed is reasonably consistent. If it slows down after the calculation, then it might not have buffered enough data and you get a dropout.

This probably more than you wanted to know :) But better too much than too little. Just pick out the bits you want and disregard the rest. At least I didn't burden you with the actual algorithm to calculate the buffer rate. But that's only because I don't feel like figuring it out myself...

Cheers, Franklin

[sparkie]

Franklin,
Thanks for the reply. I really found that answer useful. It was full of details w/o being too techie for the common man/woman.

So, the downloading process is just slightly ahead of the speakers...Right?

Great idea! Did you invent that too, Mr. Franklin?

Ok, 1 more...Is live streaming the same but live, happening right then (real time) audio files? I listen to several internet music stations for old school/old skool music. That's R & B from the 70's & 80's. I'd like to find more stations but hard to find.

Thanks Again! I truly enjoy meeting friendly people who are also very knowledgeable and giving!

Rock On Brother!!

Someday maybe I'll show you some home improvement stuff or electrical. :tails: