FAQ's - auf der x-mb webservices homepage

Questions:

Answers:

How do I get around not having "bandwidth negotiation"?
While encoding, if you set the target audience to 28 K modem, you will be able to reach the largest audience possible. If you want your higher bandwidth connection visitors to receive better quality recordings, you can always create a second link to a RealMedia file that is encoded with a target audience of a higher bandwidth connection.

What are some of the special features of the RealServer?
With the Real Server, you are able to take advantage of "bandwidth negotiation". This feature takes into account the bandwidth of the surfer's Internet connection when clicking on the hyperlink that requests the RealMedia file. Depending on the connection, the RealServer will provide a different version of the RealMedia file that best suits the visitor's bandwidth connection.

You also need the RealServer to broadcast live on the Internet.

Is there a difference between streaming using the PNM-protocol and the HTTP-protocol?
If you visit http://www.real.com/, you might come across a term called "pseudo-streaming". According to audiohost.com:

"Pseudo-streaming" is a discriminating name for HTTP-stream. It was invented by the RealAudio promotion to suggest that you need to use the RealAudio server if you want to get "real" streaming. Here's a free translation: "Streaming RealAudio files without using RealAudio server software". That's all there is to it! The RealAudio server actually has some special features that cannot be achieved (in RealAudio) without it. Regarding "streaming" we cannot find a difference between the two protocols.

Since you do not have the RealServer software running on your servers. Will we be able to stream RealMedia files?
Yes, you will be able to stream RealMedia files. You will need to create a .ram file that calls your real audio/video file. The .ram file is a text file with an absolute URL. This URL will need to be:

http://full.domain.name/realaudio/filename.rm

How do I use REAL Audio/Video in my site ?
Using Real Audio/Video on your account is VERY
EASY! After you have ordered Real Audio/Video you will be notified that a folder called: realaudio has been installed into your main web directory. So, if your domain name is catch.com , then your
real folder will be catch.com/realaudio .

This is where you will put your .rm (the actual real audio/video file) and .ram (a text file that simply points to the .rm file, this is also the file that you link to in your website) files.

So, let's do a real world example:
- You must have a .rm file. This is your actual audio file. Name it test.rm right now.
  
  NOW, UPLOAD it in BINARY to your folder called realaudio
- Next, create a text file, and call it test.ram
  Now, place the following line of text in the text file:
  
  http://catch.com/realaudio/test.rm (of course, the ACTUAL path must be your domain name in place of catch.com)
  
  NOW, UPLOAD this file in BINARY to your folder called realaudio
- NOW, go to your web page, where you are going to create a link to the test file, and CREATE A HYPERLINK to:
  
  http://catch.com/realaudio/test.ram (of course, the ACTUAL path must be your domain name in place of catch.com)
- Now save the page, and view it via the net. CLICK on the link, and it should play the file!
- That's it!

What is the CHARGE for Real Audio/Video ?
Please e-mail us to contact@x-mb.com or view the pricelist at www.x-mb.com.

Do you provide any tools to create real video/audio content with the purchase of the Real Server?
No, we do not.

Do you support RealAudio G2 encoded files? Both streaming & download?
No, our REAL Audio features are NOT STREAMIN... in other words... if you want to run a RADIO STATION, you need to:
CONTACT www.real.com and ask them to suggest a host that can handle this :)

Can I have LIVE streaming audio/video on my site ?
If you are asking this type of question, you probably do not want to use
our Real Server.

Our Real server is extremely basic, it allows for only one stream, and does
NOT allow LIVE streams.

It is simply for posting Real Files on your site, and allowing them to be listened to by your sites
visitors via a Real Player.

IF YOU ARE planning on running a RADIO STATION or something of that nature, then you need to go to www.real.com and consult them about
finding a server that can facilitate this type of function.

Correct path for Real Audio
When you purchase Real Audio/Video as an add-on from
us, we will create a realaudio subdirectory under domain-www, and put all your audiofiles there.

Then your .ram file, a.k.a., metafile, will contain an address with this format:

http://fulldomainname/realaudio/filename.rm

The "subdirectory" is a subdirectory of your domain-www directory.

So for example:

http://musicforyou.com/realaudio/music.rm

Notice:

The above address goes in the .ram/metafile, not in your HTML code. Your HTML code calls the .ram/metafile. Then the .ram/metafile is used to call up the .rm/realmedia file.