ShoutCasts are a less known product of Nullsoft, the company that produced the once-famous WinAmp media player. Anyways, ShoutCasts are an interesting form of “internet media broadcast system”, that means, a PodCast is like a FM radio channel that is transmitted over the internet instead of over the air around you. PodCasts enjoyed limited popularity in PC circles for a long time, and PocketTunes 3 now brings them to a Palm OS handheld near you!
I performed the following tests with a Palm Tungsten T3 handheld and a F8T030 Belkin Bluetooth access point. I used an evaluation version of PocketTunes and WebPro 3.5. Opening a podcast on the Palm Os box is very easy - visit the download page with Web Pro, click the download link and click save. PocketTunes will immediately launch and will start playing:
ShoutCast streams exist in a variety of styles, with bandwidth and encopding format beeing the most common differentiators. Palm OS handhelds support only MP3 broadcasts via PocketTunes, so AACplus streams are not usable. The bandwidh says how much data you need to transer per second - and this is where the Palm Tungsten T3 has its problems.
People who read TamsPalm from the very beginning probably still recall the post called “Bluetooth-why art thou so slow” - in case you can’t, here is a link to it once again:
http://tamspalm.tamoggemon.com/2004/11/18/bluetooth-why-art-thy-so-slow/
Anyways, no whining - Palm OS users want to listen to Shoutcast streams. The first test I performed was a 128K MP3 stream from Nectarine. The T3 buffered approximately every 30 seconds, but sound quality was really really high. This 3gp video should help clariify what I mean.
A 96k MP3 Shoutcast stream worked better, the handheld buffered about once per second with sound quality still beeing very good. Here is another 3gp video.
Last but not least, I tried a 48k mono MP3 shoutcast stream. The sound quality was much worse than before, but there was absolutely no buffering(even with VersaMail starting to get mail in the background). A last 3gp video proves this.
Interestingly, pausing a stream for half a minute and then clicking play again really helped combatting lag on the Palm. Don’t ask me why, but it works…
Overall, what should I say. Shoutcast for Palm OS handhelds is a reality. WLAN-capable handhelds like the Palm TX probably can play next to everys MP3 podcast available on the internet, whereas Bluetooth-only handhelds are limited to lower-bandwidth ones if you want totally uninterrupted play.
What’s your Shoutcast mileage?
I regularly list to 128kbps streams using a T|X via bluetooth to an EVDO cellphone with no buffering.
I also tested PocketTunes Demo (but with NetFront). And I hope that Pocket Tunes (or another player) will support WMA streaming soon, the most German radio stations use this audio codec and it would be good to receive them on a Palm.
My Tungsten C (and a Wireless router) have enough speed to receive MP3 streams of shoutcast.com. I never had any problems.
Alex
Indeed, I have a TX and of-course know shoutcast, and streaming radio is great. Once my sister forgot to bring some cd’s with her for her birthday party. So I connected my TX to the adapter and receiver: my sister had commercial-free music the whole evening!
I often use my TX to listen to shoutcast broadcasts using WIFI. I’ve listened to 256kbps broadcasts without buffering. (Thought I don’t think any buffering is really the bandwidth of the Palm device, but the bandwidth of the server serving it more often then not when buffering occures.). Now if only streaming video where possible with other players other then Kinoma :).
Hi you all,
thanks for the insightful comments!
Basically, I have had a suspicion that the T3 has a very slow bluetooth interface for quite some time now. The server that I used for the 128k stream was very very fast, and the handheld was like 15cm away from the router. Maybe, I can test this with the E2 when it comes back from my tester!
Best regards
Tam Hanna
I’ve been listening to shoutcast ’stations’ via Pocket Tunes for ages.
First with a T3 and SE Z600.
Now my Treo 650 is my ‘transistor radio’. I get unitinterrrupted streaming up to 128k.
More than enough stations broadcasting via shoutcast to prevent this listener from complaining about lack of other standards on Palm OS
I am trying to get streaming video and audio on my Palm TX and so far cant get anything to work. I paid for and installed Kinoma Player 3 EX. Trying to use Orb and keep getting it doesnt like the LiveStream.asx and my pda doesnt support it. What software are you using to get the shotcast stations?
Hi Darci,
I use PocketTunes and use regular ShoutCast stations!
Best regards
Tam Hanna
I have a T3 with palm wifi sdio card… I downloaded PTunes demo to try the streaming and it works! - for about 2 and a half minutes before my T3 reboots. Google search tells me that the T3 cannot stream via the Wifi card, you get this crashing. Now I know why you are trying Bluetooth streaming. The same Wifi card CAN stream on a T5 however. TX works. E2 with Wifi card?
I have ordered a Bluetooth USB dongle with LAN Access profile and will try to get BT streaming working on the T3. Thanks for this article on this cool feature Tam!
Hi,
thats ridiculous…
Did you try updating the drivers and the PocketTunes version?
As for bluetoth, keep in mind the awfully short range!
Best regards
Tam Hanna
Streaming does work, and quite well, on the E2 with a wifi card.
Its very effective work. I’ve listened to 256kbps broadcasts without buffering. I feel buffering is really the bandwidth of the Palm device. I wonder for updating the drivers and the PocketTunes version? Do this can really work.
Hello,
seeing the above comment from a TE2 user, your ideas about the bandwidth are likely to be correct…
All the best
Tam Hanna