Omnia Audio Omnia A/XE - Manual (Page 73)

16
ShOUTcast Streaming
Omnia A/XE performs audio processing and encoding and requires a media server to send
the encoded stream to large numbers of listeners. While A/XE does have a built-in stream
server, it is intended for stream monitoring and can only support a small number of con-
nections. SHOUTcast (yes, that is the way it is spelled), Steamcast, or other SHOUTcast
protocol compatible servers are commonly used for this application.
Audio
Source
Audio
üüüü Encoder
Source
audio data
Processed
audio data
SHOUTcast /
Icecast Servers
Internal
Stream Server
Wowza Server
Encoded
streams
Media player
Media player
Flash player
Windows Media Server
Windows
Media Player
Omnia A/XE
For delivering audio over a LAN or private network, Omnia A/XE and server can run
together on the same PC. For public streaming over the Internet, Omnia A/XE typically
runs in the place where the audio is generated (e.g. a studio) and the server is in a place
where a lot of bandwidth is available such as an Internet collocation site.
Streams that are served by SHOUTcast protocol servers can be heard on Winamp, Apple
iTunes, XMMS, VLC, Foobar, MS Windows Media Player, and many other PC software
players. Many hardware players are also on the market. Among the most popular are
Logitech’s SlimPlayer, and Freecom’s network player.
The original idea for the SHOUTcast server is that it was to accept an audio input from
the Winamp player which has a special ‘DSP’ plug-in. But since Nullsoft, the company that
designed both Winamp and SHOUTcast, published the specifications for the interface,
encoders like the Omnia A/XE can connect, as well. The server ‘thinks’ A/XE is a Winamp
player.
If you are planning to make public broadcasts via the Internet and you don’t want the hassle
of running your own server, or if you don’t have enough network bandwidth, you can host
your broadcast through a third party that will handle the streaming for you. You can search
the Internet for the streaming host solution that fits your needs. The SHOUTcast forums
would be a good place to start.