- Overview
- Features
- Specifications
- Parameters
- Performance
- Technology
- Players
- Servers
- Playout Systems
- Mobile Streaming
- Eval Streams
- Codec Comparisons
- Cost
- Technical Manual
- Podcasting
- Compare
- PDF Tech Papers
- PDF Brochure
Supported Players
Supported Servers
Operating Cost
THERE's NO SUCH THING AS A FREE ENCODER !
Although they may be a free download, free encoders aren't free. They burn excessive bandwidth and drive away listeners after they discover the inferior audio quality. Either way, you lose.
Free commercial encoders are designed and distributed as an incentive to sell expensive streaming servers. Although several encoders are available as a free download, they still require a license to operate for commercial use. Unlicensed users run the risk of being discovered and reported to the appropriate licensing agency.
Open source encoders are unencumbered but are not state-of-the-art. Some second-rate codecs are even included in operating system bundled players. None of these codecs achieve AAC/accPlus' performance.
Until AAC/HE-AAC/aacPlus, there has been no way to achieve entertainment-quality audio for streaming at bit rates below 64 kbps in stereo. Because the Coding Technologies license for this codec is expensive for manufacturers, Orban must charge end users a fair price. However, no other codec offers as favorable a tradeoff between streaming bandwidth and audio quality. It doesn't take long for bandwidth savings to offset the codec's price. Beyond that, the savings just keep on coming.
The top two graphs show, as a function of the number of listeners, how long it will take before your cumulative cost of streaming at 32 kbps (including the purchase price of Opticodec-PC) is lower than the cumulative cost of streaming at 128 kbps with no encoder license fee. After the break-even time indicated on these graphs, savings at 32 kbps continue to accrue. The next two graphs show how savings grow over time. After a short period of time, the bandwidth savings alone will more than pay for Opticodec-PC, and if used, Optimod-PC, giving you a very quick return on investment. This, coupled with the fact that the sound quality will attract and hold listeners, means that serious netcasters cannot afford to be without Opticodec-PC and that free codecs at higher bitrates actually end up costing more in the long term.
Now, what about those free downloadable codecs?
Also see this section:
Codec Comparisons