DRS 2006® - How can I stream with Windows Media?

FAQ: Windows Media Streaming with the
DRS 2006 Internet Broadcaster
After reading the beginners FAQ for Windows Media Streaming, you will already know what you need to stream with ShoutCast servers. The professional alternative is the DRS 2006 radio automation software together with the DRS 2006 Internet Broadcaster. The DRS 2006 radio automation will replace Winamp in the beginners FAQ and the DRS 2006 Internet Broadcaster will replace the DSP Plugin. By using these professional radio tools, you will have countless advantages if you plan a professional radio station. The DRS 2006 allows you to pre-program your radio station and it will let the the playback sound highly professional, just like all the big radio stations. There is much information about the DRS 2006 available on our website at www.drs2006.com. It is hard to explain what DRS 2006 is with just a few words. For all internet radio stations we have the DRS 2006 Internet Broadcaster Plugin available. This will get your professional sounding radio automation on the net. It is a high end software and already contains all sorts of encoders in a single plugin. It can encode mp3, mp3PRO, WMA and Ogg Vorbis. All together and/or as many instances you want to use. It will take anything thats comes from the DRS 2006 playback system and it will then stream it right to your server. Of course it will also take all information and stream it as well, like artists, titles etc. Here is a short overview. For further information take look at our website.

The DRS 2006 Internet Broadcaster
Overview
Configuring Windows Media Audio 9 (WMA9)
Setting WMA Stream Options
Adding/Removing Encoder Instances

Download the complete manual here!
The DRS 2006 Internet Broadcaster plugin allows you to easily add, delete, configure, monitor status and fully manage all your encoder types including mp3PRO, plain mp3, Ogg Vorbis and Windows Media file formats (more formats coming up). You can simply configure the plugin directly over any DRS 2006 playback module or even in stand alone mode without any DRS 2006.
To listen to MP3 Pro audio your listeners will need the mp3PRO plugin for Winamp provided by Coding Technologies. Download this plugin at Coding Technologies for free.

Overview: The Main Display of the Internet Broadcaster
First of all you need to start the Internet Broadcaster with the 'Start/Stop' Button. After starting you should see the VU Meter on the right moving as long has you have any sort of audio playing. This indicates that the plugin is sucessfully grabbing your audio from the sound card. If do not see the VU Meter moving altough you have audio playing, be sure to setup your windows mixer. Set the recording options of the mixer by clicking on the "speaker" icon in the tray. Normally you should find an expression like "What you hear", "Stereo Mix" or "Wave". This depends on the sound card you are using. Choose the option which relates to your soundcard.

Configuring Windows Media Audio 9 (WMA9)
Select Encoders from the main screen, you will be shown a new window, from here press the + sign, a new window will appear. From here choose WMA.

Setting up a WMA encoder is pretty straight forward. First you will need to select your audio 'Profile' or Bitrate/Sampling settings. There are several pre-defined settings available in the profile list and they are generally the most widely accepted settings to use. But you are also able to create your own 'Custom' profiles. Remember you can only stream at the bitrate you have ordered from your Streaming Provider.

Setting WMA Stream Options
After you have selected your Audio 'Profile', click on the 'Stream Options' tab. Here you will need to add your desired 'Port' and 'Max clients' information.

By default the PORT is automatically set for you and in most cases it will not need to be changed, however in some cases with firewalls and proxy servers, they may require that you use another port. Simply add it instead.

With regard to the 'Max Clients', this setting is conditional on how many listeners or WMA servers you wish to allow connection 'Directly' to your encoder or indeed your PC machine.

NOTE: The plugin will actually allow you to encode and stream 'Direct' to your listeners without the use of a WMA server but this is HIGHLY not recommended!

The user will be connecting to YOU directly and it will have an adverse affect on the amount of your Band-width available. Simply you will be serving the stream directly - so be sure you know you have sufficient Band-width resources to achieve this otherwise for 'Optimal' usage, you should only use a WMA Streaming server and set the 'Max Connections' of your WMA encoder to 1 or 2, or dependent on the amount of WMA servers you will be using or allowing connection with.

However, you will need to note that a WMA encoded stream functions with it's server in a somewhat different way than the MP3 encoder/server process.

Basically the WMA server will need to know 'your IP and port information' as opposed to setting it in the plugin configuration itself (reverse of what MP3 Encoder is). The WMA server will then look for your WMA encoders IP and port that each is running on and connect directly to you, then serve the stream to your listeners.

If you are using a Stream Host provider such as the DRS 2006 Radio Streamer, they will require your IP/Port info and then assist you with the servers actual link information to use to serve your stream.

In the 'Scripting' tab you can select the 'Scripting', 'Title Streaming' and 'Allow automatic data streaming' options.

You may also wish to check the Auto Start Encoder box, to allow the encoder to automatically start streaming whenever you start you DRS 2006 Module.

Adding/Removing Encoder Instances
Select the Encoders button on the main display. In the top menu bar of the encoders plugin 'Click' on the + (add encoder) or - to (remove encoder). If you are indeed configuring an encoder for the first time - go ahead and select + (add encoder) and proceed to the next step - ('Select your encoder type').

The 'Toolkit' button will also allow you to configure your plugin at anytime by selecting it in the 'Status' window once it has been initially added.
Additionally you can Start and Stop each of your encoders by selecting those buttons. Simply 'Select' an encoder you wish to Stop or Start in the encoders 'Status list' and click on the desired function/button.

Select your encoder type:
There are currently 3 different types in the list:
- WMA (v9 advanced)
- MP3 (mp3pro or plain mp3)
- Ogg (Vorbis)

Select the one you wish to use and click 'OK' - it is now added to your list and you can now move on to the instructions for whichever encoder type you've chosen.