Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

> Is there some way to add a buffer to mpg123?  Or amp, which comes in the same 
> package?    Could I, for instance, start downloading an .mp3 and one minute 
> later start to play the partially downloaded file?

I discovered that it is indeed possible for mpg123 to start playing a file 
during a download.  I just downloaded a file encoded at 128kbit/sec (16 
kB/sec) at 2.7kB/sec, which is 7 min for a 1.2min file.  About 1 in from 
the end of the download I could start playing and it would reach the end 
the same time as the download finished.

I have a 56K modem.  Connection speed is always listed as '57600' for this 
modem.

In order to listen to streaming mp3s, I would need to find some station 
that streams at 2.7KB/sec, which is about 20Kbits/sec.  All the ones I 
tried were at least 24Kbits/sec except for one 16K.  Even for a 
20Kbits/sec files it would help to have a buffer of a minute or so.

Is my download speed typical for a 56K modem?  I think my 'free ISP' 
(local community college) may be worth about what it costs.  Web pages are 
loaded at up to 5K but downloads rarely reach 3.2K.

I was able to download one piano piece encoded at 32K/sec and one at 128K. 
What is typical?   With 32K, I could download about a third and then start 
to listen.