Do I Really Need 'Windows Media Server' ???

[mark4man]

hello all...

...[man...it's been so long since I launced my music-based web site, I forgot why I thought it was neccessary, but]...

my Hosting service (Hostway) offered Windows Media Server at the time. I wanted visitors to have the ability to quickly stream .wma's, so I went for the cost.

now...I'm unemployed; & money is real tight...so, I was thinking of dropping Hostway...going over to GoDaddy; & switching my means of musical delivery to .mp3's.

So:

1) How much slower is mp3 streaming from a conventional server than .wma from a dedicated server ???

2) Is there a way to speed it (mp3) up (save decreasing file size) ???

3) Will .wma's stream without the dedicated server; & if so...how is that implemented ???

I really need to save money in this economy...but I don't want my listeners to suffer. Is that possible ???

Thanks,


mark4man



UPDATE:

I remember now...fear of piracy (someone convinced me that it's impossible for an end user to save a streamed .wma on their PC). So by utilizing Windows Media Server, visitors to my site could hear an entire song...but not swipe it.

So...a follow up question:

If I find the html code to EMBED .wma's in a page...is that: A) just as fast (in terms of streaming...i.e., not having to use WMS) ??? B) just as secure ???

how about embedding .mp3's as a solution...but the end user has to have the particular player installed on their system, correct ???

Thanks again,

mf

 

[siforek]

I'm not positive about which is best for you're needs, but if piracy is a big thing keeping you from one or another consider that I and pretty much anyone technically inclined could get your audio one way or anther.

 

[rumsfo]

how about embedding .mp3's as a solution...but the end user has to have the particular player installed on their system, correct ???

I assume that would not be a problem at all for the end user. Yopu need to discover web hosting solution for you with administrative rights and with possibility stream that.

 

[Zachary McClung]

hello all...

...[man...it's been so long since I launced my music-based web site, I forgot why I thought it was neccessary, but]...

my Hosting service (Hostway) offered Windows Media Server at the time. I wanted visitors to have the ability to quickly stream .wma's, so I went for the cost.

now...I'm unemployed; & money is real tight...so, I was thinking of dropping Hostway...going over to GoDaddy; & switching my means of musical delivery to .mp3's.

So:

1) How much slower is mp3 streaming from a conventional server than .wma from a dedicated server ???

2) Is there a way to speed it (mp3) up (save decreasing file size) ???

3) Will .wma's stream without the dedicated server; & if so...how is that implemented ???

I really need to save money in this economy...but I don't want my listeners to suffer. Is that possible ???

Thanks,


mark4man



UPDATE:

I remember now...fear of piracy (someone convinced me that it's impossible for an end user to save a streamed .wma on their PC). So by utilizing Windows Media Server, visitors to my site could hear an entire song...but not swipe it.

So...a follow up question:

If I find the html code to EMBED .wma's in a page...is that: A) just as fast (in terms of streaming...i.e., not having to use WMS) ??? B) just as secure ???

how about embedding .mp3's as a solution...but the end user has to have the particular player installed on their system, correct ???

Thanks again,

mf

I understand your need to save money in this economy. I can definitely respect that. YOu need to look into Go Daddy's Terms of Service though. The last time I checked most of them have clauses in there stating that your unable to store media files for streaming, etc.

That is why the can offer so much for a small price. They make sure that all the items that use resources are unable to be used. With that being said, piracy will be an issue no matter how hard you try. There are copies of big movies being spread around on P2P sharing sites and new movies being sold under tables in NYC. If someone has the time and the skills they can take it.

With that being said, you could pick up a shared hosting account who has reasonable space & bandwidth that does not have the clause in their terms of service and simply embed them.

 

[JamesCWilson]

As far as I know, even streaming WMA files are not entirely piracy proof, although it is still more difficult to do, than if one were to just use the mp3 format or some such. You see, even when you stream WMA files, they are often still saved in files on the users hard drive, and then all they have to do is locate them on their computer, although using feeds with lower sound qualities makes this less appealing. Unless Microsoft has come up with some sort of way to combat this, piracy is still an issue.

 

[siforek]

As far as I know, even streaming WMA files are not entirely piracy proof, although it is still more difficult to do, than if one were to just use the mp3 format or some such. You see, even when you stream WMA files, they are often still saved in files on the users hard drive, and then all they have to do is locate them on their computer, although using feeds with lower sound qualities makes this less appealing. Unless Microsoft has come up with some sort of way to combat this, piracy is still an issue.

It can even be easier than that.. A streaming file generally points to the full file at some point.. There's even little websites that can grab them from flash streamers.. I know this because I lost 2 of my own recordings and had to use one of the sites to download them off of my myspace music profile.

 

[ldcdc]

As far as I know, even streaming WMA files are not entirely piracy proof

If it is played on the user's computer, it can be recorded/copied one way or another.

 

[rumsfo]

I assume that you need to do more efforts in finding decent provider. And the size is your biggest issue. But as for the start you can start with the simplest one and not expensive

 

[mark4man]

Now Going w/ (typical) .WMA Streaming

wow...!!!

thanks much, people.

[forgot to come back & check on my post...sorry.]

anyway, after looking at my existing 'listen to music' page; & realizing I liked the design aesthetics of it (which also consisted of simple text-based links)...I decided to not go w/ the embedded player thing; & continue w/ a stream link to .wma's.

When I tried it...much to my astonishment...they buffered & streamed just as fast as they did from my former dedicated windows media server. (I'm now w/ GoDaddy; & the media files are located in their own folder in the root directory...nice & simple).

But...

...they seem to hic-cup at the very beginning of playback...the music starts a second or so into the peice...not at the very beginning (cutting off a tiny bit of music as a result).

So I'm thinking that it may be the way I have my meta file structured (the asx text file that points to the media file)...& the fact that things may be different now that the tunes are being streamed in a typical way (& not from a dedicated server).

I found two basic types on the web:

<asx version = "3.0">
  <entry>
    <ref href = "mms://myserver.com/mediafolder/mysong.wma" />
    <ref href = "http://myserver.com/mediafolder/mysong.wma" />
  </entry>
</asx>

<ASX version="3.0">
   <TITLE>MySong</TITLE>
   <ENTRY>
      <REF HREF="mms://www.myserver.com/mediafolder/mysong.wma"/>
   </ENTRY>
</ASX>

So:

Q1) Which one is the authentic deal ???

Q2) Why are the mms & http refs combined in the second section (& is that why www. has been added to the combined tag) ???

Q3) Am I right in assuming that my meta file is causing the music to jump-start ??

Q4) As a digital musician w/ only a meager knowledge of html coding...what in the h*** do I do now ???

Thanks a million,


mark4man

 

[siforek]

wow...!!!

thanks much, people.

[forgot to come back & check on my post...sorry.]

anyway, after looking at my existing 'listen to music' page; & realizing I liked the design aesthetics of it (which also consisted of simple text-based links)...I decided to not go w/ the embedded player thing; & continue w/ a stream link to .wma's.

When I tried it...much to my astonishment...they buffered & streamed just as fast as they did from my former dedicated windows media server. (I'm now w/ GoDaddy; & the media files are located in their own folder in the root directory...nice & simple).

But...

...they seem to hic-cup at the very beginning of playback...the music starts a second or so into the peice...not at the very beginning (cutting off a tiny bit of music as a result).

So I'm thinking that it may be the way I have my meta file structured (the asx text file that points to the media file)...& the fact that things may be different now that the tunes are being streamed in a typical way (& not from a dedicated server).

I found two basic types on the web:

<asx version = "3.0">
  <entry>
    <ref href = "mms://myserver.com/mediafolder/mysong.wma" />
    <ref href = "http://myserver.com/mediafolder/mysong.wma" />
  </entry>
</asx>

<ASX version="3.0">
   <TITLE>MySong</TITLE>
   <ENTRY>
      <REF HREF="mms://www.myserver.com/mediafolder/mysong.wma"/>
   </ENTRY>
</ASX>

So:

Q1) Which one is the authentic deal ???

Q2) Why are the mms & http refs combined in the second section (& is that why www. has been added to the combined tag) ???

Q3) Am I right in assuming that my meta file is causing the music to jump-start ??

Q4) As a digital musician w/ only a meager knowledge of html coding...what in the h*** do I do now ???

Thanks a million,


mark4man

First, thanks for coming back. You're the exception of many who ask and never return, so welcome back! It's been a while since I've dealt with online media, but the first one looks right..