Upload Speed

[willas00]

Im a DJ for a website and use Winamp/SC Plugin to upload my music to a SC Server. I Currently DJ at 32KBPS.

My question is, is there limits at all VM may or could/would apply to me if i put this rate up higher.

Recent speed test done a few moments ago

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2007/10/31.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[ECW_Original]

what you could do is upgrade your package (for example the 'upto' 20Mb has an upload rate of around 94-105KB/s)

[xspeedyx]

I throught it was a max of 91KB/s

[ambc_666]

its a max of 96KB/s i think, 768kb/s is the max isnt it?

if it is right then the max upload you should be able to hit is 48KB/s, the only way to put it up is to get the 20 meg conn.

[AbyssUnderground]

I think he's referring to if he uploads too much will VM limit him.

Yes they could if you upload too much during peak hours (4pm-12am). I don't know if upload is included in the STM or not or if there is a separate limit on upload. Some people have reported having STM activated after only uploading. Your only choice would be to try it.

If you're on 2Mbps then you'll be halved to 100Kbps upload if STM kicks in, leaving you with just 8KB/s to play with (thats roughly a 64Kbps stream, 96Kbps probably wouldn't work).

If you upgrade to 4Mbps, you get 400Kbps upload with 200Kbps upload if you're on STM. This is plenty for a 128Kbps stream. I assume you're streaming to a server which relays your DJing?

[willas00]

I think he's referring to if he uploads too much will VM limit him.

Yes they could if you upload too much during peak hours (4pm-12am). I don't know if upload is included in the STM or not or if there is a separate limit on upload. Some people have reported having STM activated after only uploading. Your only choice would be to try it.

If you're on 2Mbps then you'll be halved to 100Kbps upload if STM kicks in, leaving you with just 8KB/s to play with (thats roughly a 64Kbps stream, 96Kbps probably wouldn't work).

If you upgrade to 4Mbps, you get 400Kbps upload with 200Kbps upload if you're on STM. This is plenty for a 128Kbps stream. I assume you're streaming to a server which relays your DJing?


Cheers for that.

Im Djing to a SC Server where listeners then connect to the server direct to listen in.

I usually DJ at 32KBPS but have been asked to DJ at 192kbps on another station.

Also was thinking of uping my 32kbps on the station I normally DJ on but dont want to bit hit with problems from VM.

[scottyboydfc]

I'm sure audio streaming is measured in kilobits rather than kilobytes so if you are on 20meg, theoretically you can stream 768kilobits/s

[AbyssUnderground]

You could stream at 160Kbps no problem even after STM kicks in. 160Kbps is better than CD quality so you'll be fine.

[Mr.X]

Quote 160Kbps is better than CD quality .

No its not!!

[dave6x]

Well said Mr X. CD bit rate is 1.41Mb/s

It is generally considered that for MP3 (MPEG Codec Layer 3) that 192Kb/s is "near CD quality"!

There is a lot of nonsense about 128Kb/s being "CD quality". It isn't! At 128Kb/s on decent equipment the effects of digital artifacts on the sound are readily audible, particular classical choral or piano music!

[AbyssUnderground]

Well said Mr X. CD bit rate is 1.41Mb/s

It is generally considered that for MP3 (MPEG Codec Layer 3) that 192Kb/s is "near CD quality"!

There is a lot of nonsense about 128Kb/s being "CD quality". It isn't! At 128Kb/s on decent equipment the effects of digital artifacts on the sound are readily audible, particular classical choral or piano music!

I stand corrected. I hate it when you read something not true (which is where I got that statement from...)

Anyhow, at 160Kbps you wouldn't notice much difference in quality. Put simply its good enough to listen to. Hell even 96Kbps is good enough to listen to. FM radio quality isn't far off that (that I am almost sure of).

[willas00]

You could stream at 160Kbps no problem even after STM kicks in. 160Kbps is better than CD quality so you'll be fine.

Would that be for my current 2MB or if i upgraded?

[dave6x]

Would that be for my current 2MB or if i upgraded?
I noticed nobody had replied to you.

On BB Size M, 2Mb, your upload speed is a theoretical 200Kb/s without Traffic Management, and 128Kb/s if you download more than 350MB and Traffic Management cuts in. So theoretically you should be able to stream at 192Kb/s unless overheads push you over the 200Kb/s, however in practice when I was on 2Mb my upload speed measured around 194Kb/s so you may be unlucky, but at a constant 160Kb/s it should be fine. Incidentally overheads may mean you are streaming data at more than the 192Kb/s or 160Kb/s.

Have you also looked into streaming at a Variable Bite Rate (VBR) like the BBC and other broadcasters do? This will enable you to stream at a variable rate up to a preset maximum thus saving usage!

I don't know if or how the Traffic Management limit applies to uploads, how ever at a constant 192Kb/s you will upload 350MB in 4.05hours and at a constant 160Kb/s you will upload 350MB in 4.86 hours. This is not inclusive of any overheads.

See http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html

Hope this helps

[AbyssUnderground]

Would that be for my current 2MB or if i upgraded?

This would be if you upgraded to 4Mbps. You could do this on 2Mbps until STM kicked in but on 4Mbps you could do it continuously.

[willas00]

This would be if you upgraded to 4Mbps. You could do this on 2Mbps until STM kicked in but on 4Mbps you could do it continuously.


I DJ on an average of 6days a week from 9pm to 12am.

Therefore DJing quite alot. Could you at all advise me what bitrate would be fine to DJ at without causing problems with STM?

Thanks

[AbyssUnderground]

I DJ on an average of 6days a week from 9pm to 12am.

Therefore DJing quite alot. Could you at all advise me what bitrate would be fine to DJ at without causing problems with STM?

Thanks

We don't know what amount of upload activates STM so you would have to trial and error it or upgrade so even when STM kicks in you'll still have plenty of upload to play with.

[dave6x]

We don't know what amount of upload activates STM so you would have to trial and error it or upgrade so even when STM kicks in you'll still have plenty of upload to play with.

Have to agree there, however if we could assume that STM is triggered by the Total of upload + download you should have no problems uploading at 160Kb/s, or even 192Kb/s if your 2Mb/200Kb/s connection will allow it, from 9pm to 12am you will only be uploading for 3 hours in the STM trigger period and your upload should be well under the threshold.

As AbyssUnderground says, give it a go and run a few trial uploads at various speeds over the relevant time period and see what happens. Please report back and let us know if you are successful.

Good luck

[chamoan]

my upload speed always seems what it should be, apart from being capped when go over limit of course :(