RTP-area local music and culture

["Jason M. Sullivan" <jason AT krazykat.nc.rr.com>]

In article <8a425a5a.0404151233.3f7e9fb6 AT posting.google.com>, Perv, the Nerve 
Prattmeyer &copy; wrote:
> Today I was trying to get audio streaming from WXDU and it would not
> work on Realone player. It's seem to require an account with Real
> Audio to hear @ 9.99$ per month. that sucks! OK I hate the popups I
> used to get with ReaL Audio..so I hate that program..I think??. Now
> I'm using Mac OS10.3 so WXYC works! with no real audio account! I'm
> confounded by all this. I was hoping to get the ogg streaming file to
> work with iTUnes but no dice.

First of all: WXDU is not charging anyone for any streaming access.  If
someone is asking you to pay to listen to WXDU, I'd like to know about it
(and I'd like to know how you're trying to access it).

Now then.  I'm able to listen to WXDU with RealAudio, RealOne (even their
free player), Winamp (the Ogg Stream), and Xmms (also the Ogg stream).
Itunes, while it plays Oggs, doesn't seem to want to stream them (which is
part of why my distaste for Apple is growing.  Ask me about iPods
supporting Ogg someday).

There is a Macintosh Ogg streamer that I've heard works (Actually, two).
Audion (http://www.panic.com/audion/) and Whamb (http://www.whamb.com/).

> Can someone explain the ins and outs of audio streaming..other than
> Quicktime and Windows media player which I usually find satisfactory.
> I really wonder why anyone would use anything but those two
> formats...but maybe I'm just ignorant?

One reason: Cross platform compatability.  Even though we're
overwhelmingly a Windows world, there are other people out there who use
other things.  Things that Quicktime and Windows Media player don't work
on.  Quicktime and Windows Media are limited to Windows and Macintosh.
In fact, due to the DMCA, it might even be _illegal_ to develop a player or
encoder for another platform without first paying tribute to the QT or WMA
developer board.

WXDU is in the unique position of having a rabid Open Souce person
maniacally controlling their computers (that would be me).  So I make sure
that everyone can at least download a completely legal player to listen to
the stream.  I know several Mac/Windows people have issues with Real Audio,
and the Ogg stream is meant to address that.  I just didn't take into
accout how much Apple would drag its feet supporting a completely free and
open codec.

I could write much more on this, but most folks are probably already asleep
by now.  Anyway, let me know what errors you're seeing with RealOne player,
and we'll try and work them out.

Jason "WXDU Computer Guy" Sullivan
--
   ////           Jason M. SULLIVAN   jsullivan AT nc.rr.com
  |c-oo                  http://www.jason0x21.org
   \_-     "That's not music, that's just sound!" - J. David Fries