How2... Broadcast internet radio via the PeerCast network PeerCast & Oddcast v2 (Ogg Vorbis) setup |
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PeerCast is a free simple and reliable software client using a Peer-2-Peer network for web radio broadcasting where anyone can easily stream audio and video across the internet to other users on the network for free and without the need for expensive web streaming hosts or a large Bandwidth allocation. All you need is a PC, at least a 56k connection, PeerCast Client, A media player, A DSP encoder and a bunch of audio files to stream across the web to other users. PeerCasting is not restricted by your bandwidth to stream your station. each listener acts as a link for the next listener and this means a caster on a 57k modem can reach just as many people as a caster with a T3 connection can. Sounds good Huh? Here we will be dealing with the Broadcasting side of the system and helping you to setup a PeerCast station and stream your stations output using the network. Visit the PeerCast YP and take a look at some of the stations already streaming at PeerCast. At PeerCast there are a large number of stations already broadcasting in many languages streaming a veriety of diffrent content in both Audio & Video media formats PeerCast is an ongoing project and is growing and evolving all the time. |
What will I need to broadcast??? There are three main items you'll need: 1) A PeerCast client. (allows you to access the PeerCast network) 2) A compatable Media Player. (What youll be playing your broadcast on) 3) A DSP. (It prosesses the digital signal from your player and sends it to the client. First - The Client: Its only a small download at about 160k. It connects you to the PeerCast and allows you to stream to the entire network. Second - The Player: There are a few compatable players but Winamp is highly recommended for use with PeerCast. Third - The DSP: This links the player to the Client and encodes & prosesses the audio signal for streaming. There are a few DSP's available but Oddcast v2 is a good one to use as it utilizes 'Ogg Vorbis' encoding and means you can send a low bitrate stream that is high quality audio. A 24k Ogg stream will compare to a 57k mp3 stream and so allow streaming to slow connection Dialup listeners but at a higher quality than is possible with the same rate of mp3 stream. How do I install the Client??? Download the PeerCast Client Then Click 'OPEN' and PeerCast will self install to your chosen folder on your PC. When asked 'Do you want to start PeerCast now?' click '  icon appear in your TaskBar (down by the clock)
How do I install WinAmp??? Download WinAmp v2.91 and save to a folder on your drive. Make a note of the folder as next step you will need to install the DSP in the same folder. How do I install a DSP??? Download Oddcast DSP v2 and install it in your WinAmp/Plugins folder on your hard drive. Setting Up The client setup Now you have the client, WinAmp & Oddcast DSP successfully installed on your computer you are almost there. Go to the icon in your TaskBar (down by the clock) Simply right click on it to bring up a menue. Click 'Advanced and then in the sub menue click on 'GUI' The following window will appear.
In the GUI window click on the Enabled button to fill in the port number(usualy 7144), your password (this password needs to be the same as in the Oddcast DSP configuration) Then click on the Disabled Button. This is all you need to do in the GUI for now. That was easy want it? If you dont know your IP Address Here it is... Winamp & Oddcast DSP setup 
Open WinAmp and on your keyboard press Ctrl & P Look down the list in the left pane for DSP/Effects Click This and it will open the DSP window in WinAmp. Look down the list in the right pane for oddcast DSP (dsp_Oddcast.dll) 
Double click this entry in the list and it will launch Oddcast DSP. 
On the Oddcast DSP click on the Config button. This will open the configuration window. The configuration of Oddcast v2 is quite simple. 
In the first config window you need to set... Bitrate: Leave blank as we will be using Quality Setting not Bitrate Sample Rate The options are 44100, 22050 or 11025 Choose 22050 Channels: Its either 1 (Mono) or 2 (Stereo) Choose 1 Encoder Type: Choose Ogg The chosen settings along with the Quality setting in the next window will determine your output Bitrate and Sample rate of your stream as well as the audio quality. If you choose the suggested settings you will achieve a stream of 24k at 22Khz in Mono This will sound simmilar in quality to a 56k stream in mp3 format. So by using OggVordis you can increase yor potential listener numbers while you decrease your stream bitrate. for every 56k stream you would be sending in mp3 format you can send 2 in OggVorbis format at the same quality. This is the beauty of Ogg and it is a god send to all home base web radio stations. See the list below for more setting and there achieved output quality. Archive Directory: You can save your stream to file and here is where you select the directory to save the file to. Save Stream: Check this if you want to save your stream to file in the selected directory. Save as Wav: Savet the stream file as a Wav file. Log level: Select the level of Log reporting you get from Oddcast DSP. Log File: This is the name of the Log file. Now click the Encode Tab and then OggVorbis Tab. 
Here we need to set... Encoding Type: Choose Quality Quality Level: Options are -1 through 10 Choose -1 Once this is done click on the Server Tab and open the final config window. 
Here we just need to set the Server Options. Record From Windows Recording device: This will broadcast any audible sounds on your PC whatever they are. Wheather its a CD in your CD Rom drive a playlist loaded into your Media Player or any audio device pluged into the LineIn socket of your sound card including a Mic. (see How2... Voice Switch for details) This also included PC peeps & Clicks, IM Alerts and any other sound your PC might make while you are broadcasting. Server Type: For Ogg Vorbis choose Icecast2 Server: Enter Localhost Port: This must match with the Password in PeerCast client (7144) Encoder Password: Needs to match Password in PeerCast client. Genre: Type of music your station will play. Mount Point: This can be /anything.ogg It distinguishes between multiple instances of Oddcast being run on the same PC. If you were running 2 odcast DSP's you might pick /live001.ogg & /live002.ogg Stream URL: Your Stations webpage address. Server Description: Station Name Reconnect Secs: A reconnect setting incremented in seconds. Leave at 10. Live Record Sample Rate: If you use Live record set this to the sane value as your Sample rate in the first config window. Public Server: If you want to be listed in the YP its best to check this option. Reconnect: Best to check this as it will then try to auto reconnect if you have a break in the broadcast. ...And thats all the configuration dealt with. Some lower rate settings to allow for Dial up listeners Quality of: -1 at sample rate of 22050 & a mono setting will give you a 16k stream output. Quality of: 0 at sample rate of 22050 & a mono setting will give you a 24k stream output. Quality of: -1 at sample rate of 22050 & a stereo setting will give you a 30k stream output. Either of these setting will allow anyone with a 56k modem to listen to your stream. Some higher rate settimgs to allow for Cable/Braodband listeners Quality of: -1 at a sample rate of 44100 & a stereo setting will give you a 45k stream. Quality of: 0 at a sample rate of 44100 & a stereo setting will give you a 64k stream. Quality of: 1 at a sample rate of 44100 & a stereo setting will give you a 80k stream. These three examples would only be recieved by users with cable connections. As you can see, playing with the 3 settings Quality, Sample rate and Mono/Stereo will allow for a multitude of diffrent output rates. Remember though thet Dial up modems will not be able to comnnect at a rate higher than 40k so a lower rate means more potential listeners and with Oddcast the quality of the audio will far exceed any mp3 streanm at the same rates. Once you are happy with all your configuration settings you can then Press OK Now all you need to do is to load up some files in your WinAmp player, press Connect on the Oddcast DSP and Play on WinAmp and you should be streaming your station to the PeerCast network. Go back and look in your GUI and in the left pane you should see your station name followed by 'BROADCAST' sometimes you will need to stop and re start Oddcast for it to connect to the network properly. Is it realy that easy??? YES 
But what if I still cant connect??? The four main areas that cause the most initial problems for new casters are: Firewall's/Routers: You will need to allow PeerCast to have access via port 7144. Password: They must match in the PeerCast client and the in DSP. Ports: They must match in the PeerCast client and the in DSP. IP number Its so easy to miss type them. If you have trouible initialy, you should double check all four and then try again. If you should have any other problems with your Broadcast setup you can get Tech support at PeerCast.Org where you will find some online tutorials and a Forum where you can get first hand help and advice from other users of the system on all matters to do with PeerCast and associated third party tools. For Winamp Information, Plugins, Skins or Support visit - WinAmp.Com For Oddcast Information or Support visit - Oddstock.Org All the software that we recomend using and linked to here is all freeware and is certified free from all spy/ad/malaware and all other malicious codes and tracker devices. |