[Fwd: Re: Low cost remote stereo feed to FM station]

[Roger Kirk]

Aaron Read wrote:

 >The Barix boxes use VBR MP3's, and for a stereo feed "broadcast
 >quality" demands about 112 to 128kbps of bandwidth. Mono feed requires
 >half as much bandwidth. All MP3's will need that.

Why VBR?  If the source audio changes characteristics, the required 
bitrate could increase, making the bandwidth requirement a tad 
unpredictable.  Unless, for example, the upper limit of the VBR is 
clamped.  Would ABR manage the bandwidth better?


 >Even over the public internet, these things tend to be remarkably
 >stable...even over limited bandwidth like a cellphone (which frequently
 >is a lot less than DSL)...but yes, sooner or later you probably will
 >get "bitten" by a downed internet connection or something like that.


We were "bitten" in Fremont, NH a couple of weeks ago when the rains
came.  Verizon's Raymond Exchange was completely flooded and the
access roads were all washed out.  So, for 10 days, we had no land line,
no Cell Phone coverage, no 911, no alarm company connection.  The
only thing that continued to work was Comcast High Speed Internet
and Comcast Telephone service.  VOIP saved my day.  Most businesses
were paralyzed with no phone communication and thus no connectivity for
Credit Card swiping.