[BC] Internet Radio App

[Greg Ogonowski]

I thought that the readers of the listserv would be interesting in hearing
about a new Internet Radio App for iPhone/iPod touch/iPad. StreamS HiFi
Radio supports and lists thousands of AAC and HE-AAC streams, including
AM/FM stations. Some of these devices do not require a contract with AT&T.
If they use a Wi-Fi connection, any carrier can be used.

In 2002, Orban introduced the first Internet HE-AAC streaming encoder
application, back when HE-AAC was still called aacPlus. Since then, HE-AAC
became an MPEG standard. It has been included in all mobile multimedia
devices and is supported by Adobe Flash, Microsoft Windows, and now Apple.
It is now more popular than MP3 and WMA in streaming applications because it
is more efficient and sounds better at a given bitrate.  Meanwhile, AAC
powers the world’s largest music download store, Apple iTunes, because AAC
offers the best audio quality at bitrates of 128 kbps and above.

There are thousands of tested HE-AAC streams listed in the StreamS
directory, including AM, FM, and NET streams. Broadcasters and netcasters
can add their own streams within the StreamS App without having to register
on a website, although they may wish to manually add their stream URLs to
the StreamS directory if it is not yet included.

Because the StreamS App decodes HE-AAC and AAC correctly, listeners will
hear these streams in full fidelity the way their creators intended. (Many
of the dedicated single-station and other players do not decode HE-AAC
correctly; some have egregious problems with frequency response.) Apple’s
Steve Jobs recently decided that single-station players have no place in the
Apple App Store because of their limited functionality. (Jobs used saltier
language than that :-) With its ability to play thousands of
standards-conforming streams, StreamS is the kind of App Apple prefers. Of
course, Apple hardware allows users to run many other Apps as well,
including web, e-mail, and contacts, so their Internet radios become
portable multipurpose devices, including table top radios when used with
docks, and as hi-fi accessories that support Apple AirPlay.
 
As the developers of Orban Opticodec-PC HE-AAC encoders, we thoroughly
understand the technology and get the HE-AAC decoding right, unlike many
other Apps. This gives listeners the best fidelity possible with
capabilities that are more than competitive to satellite and HD Radio when
the devices are connected to auto sound systems or home stereos. The
quantity of deployed mobile devices far out-numbers other digital radios.
Moreover, we have found that unlike cellular voice channels, the high-speed
data-grade mobile channels used by this service are typically free from
dropouts, noise bursts, and unexpected disconnections. We know, we drive
around and listen all the time.
 	
Detailed information, including very technical, can be found here:
http://www.indexcom.com/iphone
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/streams-hifi-radio/id381467884?mt=8

If your station is streaming and is not listed, either you're not streaming
in HE-AAC or we have not yet found your stream. We are constantly adding and
updating. If you know your stream URL, you can always enter it manually or
contact us directly for inclusion.
 
Custom versions of StreamS HiFi Radio are available.

_________________________________________________________
Greg Ogonowski
VP Product Development
orban
Diamond Bar, CA USA
http://www.orban.com

First to bring HE-AAC audio streaming to the Internet
MORE Audio – LESS Annoyance