Internet Radio Is Now Ready For Prime Time Here

[george]

Listen up! Internet radio is now ready for prime time here

BANGKOK: -- The recent introduction of broadband Internet access here _ 24/7 always-on Internet for a modest fee _ has provided not only faster surfing, but a wider variety of online activities, such as listening to Internet radio.

With Internet radio the world is literally at your fingertips, with programming that caters to every taste and genre.

My first introduction to Internet radio, or web radio, was through Yahoo! Messenger. Yahoo! integrated its LAUNCHCast radio system into Messenger, allowing easy access to online radio content.

As I write this, I'm listening to Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" on LAUNCHCast, and the quality and sound are both top-notch. Yahoo! provides a long list of stations, but to get to some of them requires that you purchase their Yahoo! LAUNCHCast Plus service ... fair enough, and not too expensive.

The problem is, only those in the US can purchase the service! Even so, they have about 50 advertising-supported stations to listen to that are completely free.

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RealPlayer ... free, but a paid version offers more options.

For the more adventurous, there are other options. The two main players are Microsoft's Windows Media Player and RealNetworks' RealPlayer. The really big web radio stations _ like the BBC and CNN _ use either one or the other, very often offering both choices to would-be listeners.

If you own a recent copy of Windows, you will already have Windows Media Player. Updating it to version 10 is highly recommended. Version 10 addresses many of the needs of radio and MP3 fans, from providing a "Guide" to music on the Internet, to offering rip and burn options for the hardcore MP3 fan.

WMP offers access to lots of free content, but also has MSN Radio Plus _ a service you can purchase to increase your options and get premium content.

RealPlayer, also a version-10 piece of software, is the other main contender, the original one, in fact. Real has been around for a long time, in a variety of incarnations, keeping in touch with the changing technologies involved in MP3 broadcasts and online music. Like Windows Media Player, you can also purchase additional services, or simply use the ones freely available.

Free trial periods are offered for both of these, so you can check out the services on offer and see if they meet your needs before parting with any cash.

If you're a fan of web radio _ and you very might wll become one if you start fiddling around with it _ you will find yourself wanting to shell out that $30 bucks for a year of extra choices and premium content.

By the way, while I am emphasising audio content for the purposes of this article, there is also video content available with both Windows Media Player and RealPlayer _ news clips, movie trailers, etc. If that's your thing, you will have to try out both these products to see which caters more to your interests. Or, if money is no object, get both!

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WinAMP ... free and easy to use.

Getting up and running with either of these programs requires a bit of resolve and patience. Neither will get any awards for intelligent design or ease-of-use. Both are clunky, in their own distinctive ways, and somewhat hard to figure out. Stick with it, though, because once you get the hang of it, you'll find yourself using the products a lot.

And after you've fathomed the mysteries of how to use them, you'll see that their design makes sense, in however a twisted, confused sort of way!

RealPlayer has a toolbar only option that I quite like. It will reduce its cumbersome bulk to a toolbar across the bottom of your screen and play in the background, allowing you to get on with your work. Windows Media Player goes a bit further, reducing itself to a tiny toolbar on your Start bar.

Both have "skins" _ you can download skins to give your players a new look, if you choose.

All that said, Windows Media Player and RealPlayer are not the only choices.

One other major contender exists: WinAMP. The best thing about WinAMP is that it's completely free, and does a fantastic job picking up web radio stations (not to mention playing all types of multimedia files _ MP3s, movies, etc). WinAMP, in fact, has a listing of Internet TV stations to choose from (you may not want your kids watching some of those channels _ be warned).

WinAMP is far and away the easiest to use, the most organised, the most user-friendly. One of its most useful features is the ability to bookmark radio stations, and have them displayed in a list, and in a fast, easy manner.

Try doing that with RealPlayer and you'll see what a chore it is. WinAMP also has skins, for those who are into that sort of thing.

To find the radio and TV stations, look under the "Streaming Media" option to the left of the screen. WinAMP initially throws up a list of hundreds of stations and you have to weave your way through them to find the ones you like.

The problem I discovered with WinAMP is that many of the stations on offer are a bit flaky and don't always stream very well, so there are continuous interruptions in the service, which makes for an unhappy listening experience. That aside, there are several excellent stations that I listen to routinely that stream perfectly.

On WinAMP, you can find stations like "American Voice Radio Network: The Voice of a Free People" (last time I listened, they were arguing about abortion _ still) as well classical music stations, and all sorts of pop, rock and jazz and much more, even a Jpop station for fans of Japanese pop music.

Who runs these web radios? Lots of people, it seems.

Major news organisations like the BBC, CNN and MSNBC (to name just a few) provide radio broadcasts for visitors. All you need do is visit their site, find the radio option, click on a link and you're on your way.

There are other "Internet radios" out there, like Live365 and Destiny: These are lesser known products competing with WinAMP for attention.

Because they are small, they lack the range of content that most people want to have. As well, some web sites have set up their own radio station interfaces, which makes it necessary for you to visit their web site and click on the radio link. One such site is Thaivisa.com, home to Radio Bangkok. Pay them a visit and you'll see what I mean.

What's available out there in the land of web radio?

Everything! I'm a fan of classical music, and there are dozens of good sites to choose from. Top 10, hip-hop, rap, rock _ it's all there, just waiting for you to click on it. There are also numerous talk radio programmes, including the American NPR (National Public Radio) network, which offers top quality programming around the clock.

Being an American in Bangkok, if there is one thing I miss it's NPR, but now I can listen every day, and for that alone, I'm happy, and would gladly pay through the nose to do it. I'm also partial to old country and western music from the 1960s, which I grew up listening to, and there's plenty of that available.

There are also numerous spiritual and religious channels, offering all types of programming _ you can listen to the Catholic Mass, and sing along with Gospel songs. There's even something called the Church Channel, which provides tele-evangelism on the web via RealPlayer.

You will need broadband access to enjoy these treats, mind you. You can try listening with a 56K modem, but the experience may not be satisfactory and your options will be limited.

For more information on the world of Internet radio, see www.radio-locator.com or www.shoutcast.com or search Google for "internet radio". See also www.real.com, www.winamp.com, and windowsmedia.com.

Nick Wilgus is the senior subeditor for the Outlook section of the Bangkok Post and the author of "Mindflness and Murder: A Father Ananda Mystery" and the forthcoming "Bilal's Bread".

--Bangkok Post Database (IT News) 2005-02-16

[tuky]

As well, some web sites have set up their own radio station interfaces, which makes it necessary for you to visit their web site and click on the radio link. One such site is Thaivisa.com, home to Radio Bangkok. Pay them a visit and you'll see what I mean.

good one george!!!

[britmaveric]

Congrats George - can't beat free advertising!!!