TechViews
Internet radio on the edge of breakthrough
Radios have become quite outmoded for its inability to keep pace with other modern-day gadgets in terms of information dissemination. Thanks to FM stations, the old sensation of the Marconi device is back again. FM broadcasting have brought a new tune in the society. This is not all. Another exciting technology is readily available on the cyber world in order to entertain radio fans. Yes, it's an internet-based radio system, commonly known as internet radio. As the name implies, it utilises internet infrastructure to deliver audio contents. The internet radio caught the public's attention in late 1990s. Today many traditional radio stations have grabbed at the technology to distribute their programs over the web. Advancement in wireless devices and widespread availability of the internet will enable people to enjoy internet radio from any geographical location, helping to narrow the digital divide in developing countries. The invention of transistor helped radio go mobile. But traditional radio broadcasting has coverage limitations and there is no scope for interaction for radio listeners. Internet radio has cleared the drawbacks associated with its traditional counterpart and unveiled a new way to attract people to listen to radio programs. The main advantage of internet radio is that it is not limited to voice: it also encompasses graphics, text, chat rooms, message boards and others to make the entire arrangement more interactive. If a listener, for example, comes to know about a new mobile phone, they can instantly order it through the web interface of internet radio. Besides, internet radio could be used as a platform for strengthening public interaction, conducting corporate and academic programs with access to eligible resources. Novice music artists can use this medium to perform their music. In order to develop a complete internet radio system, one requires components such as CD player, ripper software, assorted recording and editing software, microphones, audio mixer, outboard audio gear (equaliser, compressor etc), digital audio card, dedicated computer with encoder software and streaming media server. During broadcasting, audio contents enter the encoding device through a sound card. Encoder translates the audio contents received from the sound card into digital bit streams and samples the incoming audio and compresses the information so that it can be distributed over the data communication network. Compressed audio is sent to a particular server connected to internet with high-speed connection. Protocol on listener's computer translates the digital bit streams and converts them into sound for listening. Nowadays internet radio is gaining momentum and has gradually emerged as a potential way to gather information. An online source, Live 365, offers more than 10,000 internet radio broadcasts. Internet radio is not only a blessing of information technology (IT), but also a unique platform for interaction.
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