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----- Original Message ----- From: "andy kolovos" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> > I realize that the size of an .mp3 file will have an influence on the time > it takes to download and play the file. What effect does file size have on > streaming--in particular streaming using a .m3u file? > > My reason for asking is that we're about to put up some interview excerpt > audio on our website and I'm trying to weigh encoding rates v.s. file size > to come up with a good balance. My instinct at this point is to err on the > side of file size to make it easier for all those folks in our communities > who don't have broadband access, and I'm thinking in terms of encoding > .mp3s at 24kbs/24kHz. Although at this rate there is a noticeable > difference in sound quality between the .mp3 and the .wav, it isn't too bad > and the file size difference is enormous. > > However, if file size isn't quite the concern it is with streaming as it is > with download, I'd rather boost the quality of the streamed file a bit. > > Any thoughts or experiences more than welcome. File size only affects streaming in terms of the time it takes to recieve the file, since streaming is more or less equivalent to downloading except that the bytes are placed in a buffer. Streaming depends on the receiving party being able to receive bytes as fast as they are played, so the computer doesn't "run out of material" before to finishes playing what it already has received. I don't know (somebody may) if a 56K dial-up connection will allow effective streaming. Steven C. Barr