Trouble with Stream

[mmichaelson]

I'm having a lot of trouble with the stream this morning. It is continually buffering, or connecting, etc.
Is there a problem?

[barfle]

Mine seems to be dropping out fairly often, too. I get about an hour at a time.

Are they running at capacity? That seems like it would be good news!

[Nicole Marie]

Try setting the buffering on your Windows Media Player to 30 seconds. On a Windows computer, click START, select Accessories, then Entertainment, then Windows Media Player. Next, click Views, Options, Advanced, Change, and where it says "Buffer- 5 seconds" change the 5 to 30. Then click OK.

Also, you may be experiencing network congestion -- that is, too much data traveling on your Internet connection. Try closing any other Internet related applications (browsers, email, etc...). If you're using a 28.8 modem, consider upgrading to a faster 56k modem, DSL or Cable modem.

[haggis]

Yeah,
I'm havoing problems as well, lots of starts ad drops, very unusual since we went to WMP

[mmichaelson]

Did as you sugguested YRH and I'm still getting the drops and buffering that I was before. . .
Am not sure what is going on today, but have switched to a normal radio until I can get it lined out. .. too many starts and stops for me. . .was driving me crazy!

[EJA]

I'm having a lot of drops today myself. In fact, I think that the music is off more than it is on. I have my buffering set to 30 seconds and I don't have a bandwidth problem -- I checked my linespeed and it is > 280 Kb/sec. I tracerouted beethoven.com and I have some fairly slow responses once I hit gen.twtelecom.net. I guess maybe the routers are just really busy betwixt here and there. Either that or the b.com server just can't handle this much traffic. It sure makes it not much fun to listen. I've reset my buffering to a full minute while typing this, and it seems to be an improvement, but WMP won't let me buffer more than a full minute.

BTW, I still have the "static" issues I mentioned previously and I get helicoptering after I've been playing the stream for an hour or so. Stopping and restarting the player resolves the helicoptering and seems to help with the "static." All in all, it's a little miserable out here in beethoven radio listener land. Is it time to take up a collection?

[mmichaelson]

Ditto on the static thing. . .today was the first time I've ever heard the static. I checked a few minutes ago and was still having problems with the buffering, dropping, and static.

[mmichaelson]

I don't know what was up yesterday, but my stream is up and running great today!

[barfle]

Yeah, I'm into hour #10 with nary a hickup. Don't know who fixed what, but apparently someone did. My thanks to whoever it was.

[mmichaelson]

Help!!!! Did the stream drop off again? It was buffering, then I lost connection, now I can't get back on. . it keeps having errors!!!!

Please restore my beloved BR!

[mmichaelson]

Ok, so as sure as I finally whine to you guys. . .it finally comes back up. . .disregard said whining please.

[Nicole Marie]

Hi Saxy-

The stream is doing that bc we are maxing out. We only have 3000 available streams at the Windows Player and it's packed. But we are going to cut that number on 31 Dec. You will have more problems with the stream after 31 Dec. We are asking folks to sign up for the Real Pass so they can still connect. We are also going to give you extras through the Real stream. Folks that listen through Real will have their requests played 100% of the time, access to MP3's, 3000 other radio stations, presets to find Beethoven Radio and more. (Visit the Beethoven.com homepage to read about it.)

[mmichaelson]

Wow. Will definitely sign up by then. Have to have my BR to survive the workday.
Thanks YRH!

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Unfortunately, some of us have to depend on the media player stream. We've been "secured" at work, to the point where I can't install software. At all. Everything not mandatory is forbidden.

Slows things down, too.

[mmichaelson]

That sucks Selma! For now, we're allowed to download what we want. TAMU has a HUGE network and they will have a hard time closing it all down. We'll see how long it takes them. For now, I'm safe. . . .

[BenODen]

Hey Nicole,

I think you'll need rules for your 100% request playing... I don't think I could bear all Bolero all the time! (And I like it, imagine the noise the haters would make. *LAUGH*)

I'm thinkin hard about subscribing though...

-Benito

[Nicole Marie]

Good point Benito. I'd pull my hair out if I had to palyit all the time too. We'll have to see how that feature goes and tweek it as we move ahead after 31 Dec.

[BigJon]

Originally posted by Nicole Marie:
The stream is doing that bc we are maxing out. We only have 3000 available streams at the Windows Player and it's packed. But we are going to cut that number on 31 Dec. You will have more problems with the stream after 31 Dec. We are asking folks to sign up for the Real Pass so they can still connect. We are also going to give you extras through the Real stream. Folks that listen through Real will have their requests played 100% of the time, access to MP3's, 3000 other radio stations, presets to find Beethoven Radio and more. (Visit the Beethoven.com homepage to read about it.)

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion of this. I don't find anything on the homepage about this change. Why is it being done and were any other models considered?

BigJon

[piqaboo]

Originally posted by Selma in San Diego:
Unfortunately, some of us have to depend on the media player stream. We've been "secured" at work, to the point where I can't install software. At all. Everything not mandatory is forbidden.

Us too.

[Nicole Marie]

BigJon-

We are doing it bc the cost of paying for free bandwidth is to high. Plus we now have to pay Sound Exchange fees (the whole RIAA thing) per song per listener. So we are paying for bandwidth AND royality payments per listener per song. It's to much $$$.

We have posted a Press Release on the homepage you can click and read. Plus we talk about it twice an hour on air. We are encouraging people to sign up for Real. It's a better stream and Real pays for the bandwidth and royalty payments. Sorry folks, but we like our company and our jobs. And if we have to keep paying for high bandwidth and royality... well we'd have to close the doors.