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THE
STREAM SHOW
Did you
hear KNPH songs online? Music, parties, weddings, movies ... these
days you can put anything on your site, audio or video or audio
+ video... all through a process called streaming. There has been
an explosion of streaming sites, or sites that give you real-time
audio or video. The future will see a lot of interactive, streaming
media pouring down your Net connection. But this streaming media
is scary even to the web developers! Setting up a streaming video
file on your website is supposed to be a geek's job. Why so?
By Nirav
Mehta
WHAT EXACTLY IS STREAMING
MEDIA?
Streaming multimedia is different from normal
web content. A web server is termed as "stateless". The server software
residing on your web server simply waits for HTTP requests. Whenever
it encounters such a request, it pushes the content to the browser
as fast as it can, and disconnects. Then it waits for another request,
maybe from some other user. This serves great for normal webpages
and images, as they only need to be transferred once. Streaming
media goes south here. Multimedia content like sound or movie is
time bound. It doesn't serve a purpose if I see the lip synching
first and get the sound after three minutes, or worse, I hear Amrish
Puri's voice from Hrithik Roshan's mouth! But typical audio and
video files are huge in size. Take for example VCDs-one VCD can
store 650 MB, something like an hour of a movie. If you want to
view it, you would have to download the entire 650 MB and then run
it. Which would, as you guessed, take ages!
SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
Streaming! Streaming works much like your
TV or radio. You receive the signals just when you are seeing/hearing
it. In the Internet, the webserver sends the audio/video data in
small packets using some proprietary technology. The data is compressed
using encoding to reduce the size. At your end, the software receives
the data, decompresses it and plays it. The data stream coming into
your computer is continuous. That makes it possible to listen to
the latest songs or view movies over the narrow Internet bandwidths.
IS IT REALLY LIKE A MOVIE?
Streaming multimedia doesn't give you the
quality you get from a CD. Since the data is highly compressed,
you lose out on minor details-the encoding captures only the necessary
data from the movie and cuts down the rest. The software at your
end tries to fill in the gaps and show you a better picture. But
still, you lose out a lot on quality. This quality compromise may
be in the clarity-jagged pictures, jerky motions or radio-quality
sound.
BUT DO YOU REALLY WANT QUALITY?
When accessing streaming media, the most important
thing is speed or accessibility. The song has to start playing just
after you click on the link. For that, the server needs to pump
in data at whatever speed it gets. Which ultimately results in quality
compromise. (But as they say, kuch paane ke liye kuch khona bhi
padta hai!)
FORMATS
There are quite a lot of streaming formats
available. Big companies in the field are Apple with Quick Time,
RealNetworks with Real G2 and Microsoft with Windows Media Player.
So which one's better and which one's a no-no? Real Player has the
largest grip on the market. And the software-Real Player G2 is emerging
more as a streaming multimedia gallery, Quick Time 4 has a snazzy
interface and easy editing capabilities while Windows Media Player
stresses on "good work done, clutter-free design". RealNetworks
actually revolutionized the Internet with their streaming technologies.
Apple and Microsoft had to do a little catching up then. We are
mainly talking about Real format here, but you can always find enough
resources for the other products too.
WHAT SERVER SUPPORT IS REQUIRED FOR REALAUDIO?
A normal server will not support the streaming
format since it is not designed to handle that. If you want to put
Real or other streaming files on your server, you need to change
some data types on your server (just like file extensions on Windows)
and make it compatible. Then too, the server acts as psuedo-it does
send the file in bits and pieces but there are chances of low speed
as well as low quality. Some other webservers are specially developed
for streaming multimedia-like RealServer, which specializes in delivering
streaming multimedia-so you get better performance. They can even
send the data at a speed that matches with your network connection.
WHAT IS LIVE TELECAST OR WEBCAST?
Simple enough! When you are transmitting the
data from the place of origin directly to the streaming server-and
in turn to the viewers-it becomes a webcast. There are lots of live
events happening online these days. Like India's Internet Guru,
Vijay Mukhi's wedding! There was live webcast of Navratri dandiya
from Ghatkopar-a Mumbai suburb. There are hundreds of seminars organized
online now. Check out the links box to see what's online right now!
Links:
http://www.atomfilms.com
http://www.broadcast.com
http://discjockey.com
http://www.flip2it.com
http://www.movieflix.com
http://www.realguide.com from RealNetworks
http://speed.snap.com from NBC interactive (NBCi)
http://cnn.com/videoselect videoselect from CNN
http://virtualtuner.com
http://windowsmedia.microsoft.com from Microsoft
TheInternetTradeShowList.com
SO WHAT'S NEXT?
It will be some time till we can get video-on-demand
or TV-serials-on-demand on the web, or web-enhanced TVs. We can
certainly look forward to seeing a lot more streaming content in
the near future. (One of them could be yours, huh!)
Q and A
Pervin Malhotra answers your career Qs
I am a class
XII student keen on doing a course in Aeronautical Engineering.
Please advise.
Nanda Dulal Chakraborty, Delhi
Aeronautical Engineering deals with the design,
construction and maintenance of both commercial and military aircraft.
A course in this branch of engineering encompasses a study of fluid
dynamics, material science, structural analysis, propulsion and
electronics. This course offers specialisation in aerodynamics,
thermodynamics, propulsion, structures, celestial machines, acoustics
and guidance and control systems.
After 10+2 (PCM), you can take up a course in Aeronautical/Aerospace
Engineering at the following institutes:
BE (four yrs): University of Madras,
Centenary Buildings, Chepauk, Triplicane PO, Chennai 600005. Eligibility:
Class XII with Physics, Chemistry and Maths or vocational stream
(Engineering and Technology) or Diploma in Engineering or BSc (Applied
Science).
BE (four yrs): Hindustan College of
Engineering (Univ of Madras), Old Mahabalipuram Road, Padur, (Via)
Kelambakkam, Chennai 603103.
Anna University (M.I.T.), Chennai,
offers four-year BE/BTech and three-year BTech (for BSc degree-holders
under Lateral Entry Scheme). Diploma-holders of State Board of Technical
Education (60-70 percent) are also eligible. Selection procedure:
Merit in qualifying exam/entrance test (TNPCEE).
BE (four yrs): Punjab Engineering
College (affiliated to Panjab University), Chandigarh 160012. Eligibility:
10+2 with English, Physics, Chemistry and Maths as subjects. Selection
procedure: Entrance test.
BE (4 yrs): Panjab University, Sector
14, Chandigarh 160014. Eligibility: Class XII with 50 percent marks
in English, Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
BTech (four yrs): Indian Institute
of Technology (IIT), PO IIT-Powai, Mumbai 400076.
BTech (four yrs): IIT, IIT Post Office,
Kalyanpur, Kanpur 208016. BTech (four yrs): IIT, PO Kharagpur Technology,
Kharagpur 721302.
BTech (four yrs): IIT, IIT PO, Chennai
600036.
Associate Membership Exam of the Aeronautical
Society of India. The Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) conducts
an Associate Membership Examination twice a year. Sections A and
B of this exam have been recognised by the M/o Education at par
with a Bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from an Indian
university, for purposes of recruitment to supervisory posts in
government and public sector undertakings. Hence, aeronautical engineering
can be studied through the ASI via correspondence. The exam consists
of three parts-Studentship, Section A and Section B. The minimum
educational qualification for appearing in the exam is a pass in
class X. Students who have cleared 10+2 with science subjects are
eligible directly for Section A. For further information, you may
contact the Aeronautical Society of India, 13-B, Indraprastha Estate,
New Delhi 110002. Entrance to IITs is through a common entrance
test (IIT-JEE). The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and
the four IITs also offer postgraduate and research programmes (super
specialisation) in virtually all areas related to Aeronautical Engineering.
I
am a class XII student. Can you please suggest some of the good
institutions offering courses in Architecture and also their selection
procedure?
Ramesh Sawhney, Delhi
A Bachelor's course in Architecture (BARCH)
is usually a five-year or 10-semester programme. This course is
open to students who have passed Class XII with Physics, Chemistry
and Maths as subjects. A few institutions, however, (eg TVB School
of Habitat Studies) only require Mathematics. You must be between
16-21 years of age. There are as many as 90-odd schools of architecture
in India, of which some of the well-known ones are:
School of Planning & Architecture (deemed
Univ), 4, Block-B, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi 110002. The Sushant
School of Art & Architecture (affiliated to GGS Indraprastha Univ),
Delhi.
Tulsi Vidya Bhartiya (TVB)
School of Habitat Studies, Sector-D, Pocket-II, Vasant Kunj, New
Delhi 110070. School of Architecture, Centre for Environmental Planning
& Architecture (CEPT), Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009.
IIT, Kharagpur 721302.
Vastu Kala Academy, Aruna
Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi.
Birla Institute of Technology,
Mesra, Ranchi 835215. Chandigarh College of Architecture, Chandigarh
160012.
Sir JJ College of Architecture, University
of Mumbai, 78/3, Dr. D.N. Road, Mumbai 400001.
Govt. College of Architecture, Tagore
Road, Lucknow 226002.
Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
143005. Anna University, Chennai 600025. The
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara
390002.
University of Roorkee, Roorkee
247667. LS Raheja School of Architecture, Bandra, Mumbai 400050.
Besides these, there are other private schools
and government-run polytechnics that offer diploma-level courses
in Architecture. Admission to most of the Bachelor's degree courses
in Architecture is through an entrance examination comprising two
types of tests.
Test-I: The
main aim of this objective-type test is: to assess your general
awareness to measure the level of your scholastic achievement and
to assess the general level of your intelligence.
Test-II: Separate
aptitude tests are conducted to judge visual and spatial perception,
creative ability, drawing skills, aesthetic sensitivity (for architecture),
ability to comprehend, ability to write and your general wareness
of society, environment and human habitation (for planning).
I would like
to pursue a career in advertising after my graduation. Please advise.
SS Roy, Calcutta
Liberalisation of the economy, new products
and services and proliferation of media have boosted the advertising
industry in a big way. It has been witnessing an annual growth rate
of over 30 percent.
Advertising is the business of reaching out to people to either
influence their acceptance or purchase of an idea, product or service.
The main areas of specialisation in an ad agency are copywriting,
art direction and visualising, client servicing, media planning
and buying and production. Depending on your skills and qualifications,
you can opt for the area of your choice.
Client servicing department: Preference
is given to executives with a formal management or advertising qualification
at the entry level.
Creative department: Actually
creates the advertisements that you see. It is manned by two kinds
of people-visualisers and copywriters. To join the art department,
a trainee visualiser must have a formal qualification in art (BFA),
preferably commercial art. Increasingly, knowledge of computer graphics
is becoming a must. While no specific qualification is required
to become a copywriter, it helps to be well-read and to have a good
command over the language, besides the ability to think creatively.
You have to take a copy test which will evaluate your skills on
this score.
Media department: You
need a Master's in Statistics or Maths, with knowledge of computers.
Besides numbers, you must be good at desk research. Those entering
this field must be prepared to work under constant pressure and
erratic working hours. Advertising is essentially a result-oriented
industry and careers can be built very quickly through hard work,
creativity and achievement. After your graduation, you can do a
postgraduate course in Mass Communications offered by several universities
or a specific course in advertising at any of the following:
Indian Institute of Mass Communication
(IIMC), Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, JNU New
Campus, New Delhi 110067.
Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA),
Shela, Ahmedabad 380058.
Xavier Institute of Communication,
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai 400001.
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies,
VL Mehta Road, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai 400056.
Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC),
Jamia Millia Islamia, Mohammad Ali
Jauhar Marg, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025.
EMPI Institute of Advertising, Communication
& Management, CSKM Educational Complex,
Satbari, Mehrauli, New Delhi 110030.
YMCA and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centres
in various cities.
Some leading advertising agencies like Lintas
and Clarion also conduct short-term advertising courses, while some
others take in fresh graduates as well as MBAs as trainees in the
copy and servicing departments. Of late, several private institutions
have started offering courses in advertising. Do check out their
credentials thoroughly before you enrol. Not many are genuine or
professional.
Pervin
Malhotra is Director, CARING (Career Information & Guidance), New
Delhi. e-mail: caring@theoffice.net
DIY:
MAKE YOUR WEBSITE STREAM
If you have been wondering how to put your
home video or your very own pop album on your website, RealAudio/Video
is the best option. Here's how you can do it yourself in six easy
steps...
Step 1 Get the
files in digitized format: AVI, MOV, WAV or MP3 (most of the recent
computers now even have a card that lets them capture video from
a VCR or a camcorder and so on.) For wav or mp3s, there are softwares
available on the Net that let you rip off a CD. Or you can even
record your own songs! So getting a file should not be a problem.
Step 2 Ensure that your webserver supports
streaming. One free server is at hyperlink "http://www.hypermart.net"
Otherwise, you can check with your webmaster and see if it is supported.
Step 3 Download the latest version
of RealEncoder. Get it from hyperlink "http://www.real.com/products/tools."
It will convert your original files into Real format. The converted
file should have the extension .rm.
Step 4 Fire up Notepad and type in
the url of this file eg hyperlink "http://www.yourserver.com/myvoice.rm."
Now save it with an extension .ram (eg. myvoice.ram). Note: The
file should have only one line of text so do not hit "Enter".
Step 5 In your HTML pages, create a
link to the file myvoice.ram like Click here
to listen to me. When a visitor clicks on this hyperlink, the
RealPlayer loads and the file begins to play.
Step 6 Upload all these files to your
server, and rock!
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