How to Get TRRS's Signal Over the Web

More information on streaming audio

Skip the lecture and start listening

Streaming Audio

We'd like to tell you a little bit about streaming audio, which is how you listen to TRRS over the Internet. We're just going to assume that you may not have heard this before, so it may sound elementary.

Providing an audio signal over the Internet is a complex process, but recent innovations have made it a lot easier. The process by which an audio signal travels from a distant host computer to your desktop is called "streaming audio". As with many new technologies, a variety of processes and formats have entered the marketplace, and that can make it challenging to get it to work. Patience is a virtue, and having a friend who can set up your computer is even better.

Processing the Signal

There are several methods for converting an audio signal into a file accessible to a computer. Converted audio files get large fast, which can make them challenging for a computer to handle. Some audio files are quite detailed; that's great for music. TRRS's audio signal is mostly of people reading, so it's a lot simpler, and the files are smaller, which means you don't need the most sophisticated computer to listen. We've gone with a program called Shoutcast to convert our digital signal for Web broadcast. 

Formats

A variety of audio formats are available on the Web, offering anything from CD-quality sound to low-fidelity styles intended for phone conversations. We're somewhere in the middle. Our signal is in a format called "mp3", which you might recognize: it's a common format that combines reasonable fidelity with manageable file size.

Bandwidth

Our streaming-audio is hosted on a local computer at the TRRS studio in Raleigh. With the current configuration we are able to provide our audio stream to a limited number of our listeners. This capacity is called "bandwidth". While we've got the capacity to support several listeners, we might run out occasionally. If you click the link to the TRRS audio stream and you get a message saying we're out of bandwidth, you'll have to try again later.

Dialup or Broadband?

Do you have to have a broadband connection to the Web, or will a regular old dialup modem do? We're delighted that the signal comes through loud and clear over a dialup connection.

What Do You Need to Listen?

You'll need a piece of software capable of playing mp3 files. Examples include WinAmp, RealPlayer, or iTunes. Much of this software is available for download, and it usually sets itself up automatically. A list of links is below. A lot of these programs start on their own when they detect an mp3 audio stream, which is convenient. Setup can be a chore, but then listening is generally easy.

If you don't already have mp3-capable software and you run into setup problems, you're welcome to e-mail us, and we'll try to help. We're not experts at this yet, and we'd like to hear from Web listeners on how your setup is working.

So How Do I Download and Set Up the Software?

Here's a list of links to download the software:

• WinAmp(Recommended)
• RealPlayer
• iTunes (for Mac and Windows)
• Windows Media Player (See notes below)

Each application requires a particular computer configuration to work, and each has its own setup routine. If you've never installed software, it can be comforting to have a knowledgeable friend around to help.

Then What?

When your mp3 software is installed and configured, click here. The audio stream will start in a few moments.

Windows Media Player

To use Windows Media Player make sure you update it first from the Internet by choosing "Help" then "Check for Player Updates". Follow the instructions step by step to update your WMP to version 9 or later.

The other MOST IMPORTANT thing unfortunately with Windows Media Player is that you have to "manually" enter the URL for the stream to listen. Microsoft does not want to support Winamp’s “Shoutcast" streams in hopes that their formats become standard since Windows Media Player is pre-installed on most every computer running any version of Windows.

Therefore, to manually play the “.pls” file select the menu option "File", then choose "Open URL", then type in the following URL:

http://24.199.147.246:8000/

(Omit the "listen.pls" which is needed for playing in other media players)

To avoid entering the URL each time you want to connect, select the menu option “File”, then choose “Save Now Playing List As…”, enter a File name, such as TRRS, and select a location to “Save in” in the pull down menu, such as Desktop.

For More Info...

To ask about streaming audio, please call 919-832-5138, or e-mail us.