[grant]

Hi,

I'm looking in to the possibility of setting up a website that will stream live video using Streamcast software.

The main questions I have are:
a) is this possible?
b) what would typically be the maximum number of users who could connect simultaneously?
c) what exactly would the implications be for a UK resident viewing a stream on a US server - simply a short lag, or possibility of extra buffering etc?
d) would it be possible in the future to transfer from a US server to a UK server?

Thanks,
Grant

[Tom]

Hi Grant!

Thanks for your post - let me answer your questions.

1) Yes.

2) Well, if your server was connected at 100mb/s - you could expect to see around 80mb/s excluding overheads before you have problems network wise.

This also depends on CPU power. Whilst the boxes we have seen that run shoutcast - none have load anywhere near worrying about.

3) Mainly the possibility of extra buffering. However, due to the advent of superfast broadband and increased transit links buffering is not as bad as it once was.

I listen to many US relayed streams and have maybe had a problem once or twice.

4) Yes. Your IP address would change but apart from that, there is nothing stopping moving over to the UK.

Tom