Media Server

Each client uses a specific amount of bandwidth when viewing a webcast. When the cumulative client bandwidth exceeds the upload bandwidth of the encoding computer's ISP, a media server must be used. In layman's terms, this means that if you want to reach more than 4 or 5 clients, you will need to send your webcast to a server which can then relay the webcast to your clients.

There are many ways to access a media server. First we need to select an output format. Seeing as though most of our clients will be limited to Windows, we will limit ourselves to the popular Flash Player format and the Windows Media Player format.

Formats (This is simplified to make it understandable.)

• h.264 - compatible with
  • Flash
  • Windows 7: Media Player 12
• ASF - compatible with
  • All recent Windows systems

Solutions (This is simplified to make it understandable.)

• Virtual Server
  • VLC
    • Format - any
    • Cost - free + hosting
  • WOWZA
    • Format - h.264
    • Cost - free for up to 10 clients + hosting
  • Flash Media Streaming Server
    • Format - h.264
    • Cost - $995 + hosting
  • Windows Server
    • Format - ASF
    • Cost - Will need to study the extremely complex pricing structure. + hosting
• Streaming Service
  • Nitro Media
    • Format - any
    • Cost - $29 for 5GB @ 250MB per client => 5 / .25 = 20 services per month => 5 clients @ $7.50 per Sunday
  • streamingchurch.tv
    • Format - any
    • Cost - $99 / month + $2.25 / GB @ 250MB per client => $99 / month + {10 clients x .25GB x 4 sundays) = 10 x $2.25 = $22.5 => $121.5 per month =>10 clients @ $30.75 per Sunday.

It seems as though VLC on a private server would be the cheapest and best solution, but this does not include the cost of hosting. Hosts for VLC would need to be paid for bandwidth, setting up VLC, and maintaining VLC.

We have set up our own virtual private server at VPSLink under Link Plan #4 which costs us $29.36 per month for 500GB of bandwidth which is way more than we will ever use. We are using VLC, and have the programming nearly ready for adding a few other churches. We have no idea what we will charge at the time of this writing, but we hope to bring you the most affordable streaming service on the net.