More than 50 of the live outside broadcast internet audio codecs have already been supplied this year, according to Vortex Communications, which has been importing Comrex products to Europe for more than 20 years.
The ACCESS sends live, very low-delay full-broadcast stereo audio over an IP connection including contended networks such as the public internet. It can connect using 3G, WiFi, DSL and Satellite, and uses ultra-low bit-rate algorithms to demand little of the IP connection. Powerful forward error-correction and error masking means that it can still produce clear, glitch-free audio even when packet loss reaches 10% and above.
BRUTE (Broadcast Reliable UDP Transmission Enhancement) comes as standard and provides additional stability and congestion avoidance for situations where internet connectivity is marginal. It also works over a standard PSTN / POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) telephone line still providing 15KHz stereo audio with low-delay.
Firewall and Port-Forwarding issues often make IP connections less straightforward than dialling an ISDN or PSTN number and the BRIC-TS Traversal Server is a further enhancement that provides straightforward operation of ACCESS codecs, especially for non-technical users. It is even possible to connect back to a codec that is using 3G and behind the network’s own firewall.
To further help with 3G Connectivity – particularly in marginal areas – the new Vortex V3X Intelligent 3G Booster uses patented antenna technology to provide a stable connection even when the nearest 3G cell is more than 10Km distant. It scans available cells and tests to find the best data throughput and lock onto that cell, using the other antennae for error correction. Like a ‘super my-fi’ it has a cabled or n-WiFi connection to the codec, making the ACCESS useful in places where even mobile phones cannot operate on 3G.
