Streaming Media From the Web (and other alternative deliveries) The technicals, the processes, the formats, and the reasons

Where are we going today… Digital Sound Compression and CODECs The Formats Web Delivery Local Delivery, including PPT Supporting your original music The future of music delivery

Digital sound – In the beginning… Analog – where (almost) everybody starts –Recording in analog and converting, vs. recording in digital: Production scenarios – MIDI, sampling, performance recording, controlling quality Issues of analog quality Duplication source quality –Digital converters: Live: –stand-alone, –Integrated into recorders Computers: –Internal sound cards –External/interface

Digital Sound – the parameters Digital quality issues –Sample rates, in bits per second (Hz) 44,100 Hz – CD quality 48,000, 96,000, and the implications of DVD –Bitrate 16 bit – CD quality 20 bit, 24 bit What is your REAL bit rate? –File size and streaming delivery Computing your size Computing your delivery 44,100 X 16 X 2 = 1,411,200 bites per second = 1.34 megabites per second

Compression and CODECs Lossless compression –Zip, Stuffit (no streaming here!) Lossy compression –Reducing sample rate, bit rate Source concerns – speech, music, mixed –Masking, and other perceptual codings – requires the use of a format which standardizes on the encoding and decoding….

The Formats Non-proprietary –WAV (no compression beyond bit rate and sample rate control) –MP3 Proprietary –Real (Helix Producer from Real.com) –Quicktime –Windows Media Proprietary and MP3 use scalable perceptual encoding

The Formats - Software Playing the formats: –MP3 (MPG) and WAV – all players –Real – RealOne player –Quicktime: QuickTime Player –Windows Media: Windows Media Player Encoding the formats: –WAV: not required –MP3: almost all independent encoders/sound software –Quicktime: Quicktime Pro ($30) –Real: Real Helix Producer (free) –Windows Media: Windows Media Player, Windows Media Encoder (both free) Serving the formats (more later)

Web Delivery – on the cheap Crude delivery: –Simple web server/links –Embedding the player –Auto-start and other web page sillinesses –Does it stream? Crude delivery issues: –Platform –Proprietary client-side players –File size vs. quality –Security

Web Delivery – true streaming Advantages of using a media server –Error correction, packet size, channel use, and other geek stuff –MultiStreaming –Security Disadvantages: –Technical support –Dedicated servers Supported server software: –RealServer (‘Basic” is free) –Windows Media (included with web server software) –QuickTime (open source - free from Apple)

Local Delivery CD Production –Music CD –MP3 CD Computer/LAN delivery: –File size (storage capacity of media) –Network capacity Embedding in PowerPoint: –File size and transportability –File management –File “relative pathway” problems

Supporting Your Original Music CD Production –Graphics –CD duplication MP3.com eBay.com Garageband.com Your own webspace

The Future of Music Delivery What do we mean by intellectual property? Who gets the money? The implications of Napster, Kazaa, and its ilk Sony.com and Apple.com – pay per download XM and satellite delivery Who makes the playlists? What’s happening to radio stations?

…and thanks for your attention! Jeffrey L. Jones, District Technology Resource Teacher Fayette County Public Schools “The Long Way ‘Round” now available on CD! Only a few left! Hurry – just a few more shopping days until Christmas!