Shoutcast constant Buffering, Cutting in and out

[JacquesMoreau29]

Shoutcast Support (DJ Egg, etc...)

I broadcast directly thru your shoutcast server (NO DNAS). Format MP3, Stream bitrate 128

I broadcast from my internet FIBER at home (100 Mbps in & 100 Mbps out).

I ping your "listen.shoutcast.com" server and the pings are fast... no time out request.

Also, I'm listening from any other location (office, friends, cellphone, etc...)... Shoutcast buffering all the time. No matter the time of the day.

Buffering at home also when listening.

No matter the application I use: radionomy (HTML5), tuneIn, Orange radio, VLC streaming, Nomy (android)

https://www.radionomy.com/en/radio/austinbluesradio
http://listen.shoutcast.com/austinbluesradio

After all my reading on many forums... it sounds that the problem is on shoutcast server side.

If it's a global issue... Does somebody at shoutcast is looking at the issue? any ETA?

Any suggestion to make it better with no buffering (cutting in and out)?

Thanks!

[neralex]

It works here in Germany without issues!

Did you checked the files, on which you noticed the bufferings? The most reason for this issue is the difference of the bitrate of your used files. Make sure that all your files have the same bitrate (CBR only - no VBR) and not lower than 44.100hz.

[JacquesMoreau29]

How long did you listen my radio station?
Sometime you can be good for an hour or two.... and after that it's start cutting in & out like crazy.
It's never at the same time of the day.

All my files are CBR - MP3 - 320 kbps - 44100 Hz
All the files are in excellent quality and tags properly

[neralex]

Ok, but the first question to your issue will be: "When?" Why you doesn't send a email to the support-team with the timestamps where you noticed the issue.

Recently I have read many of these messages about outages of the streaming service and I wonder every time: If you really need a stable stream, why you are using a free streaming-service and go into this dependency instead of just setting up your own DNAS? To rent a own server is not really expensive and if you are familar with linux, you will get very cool solutions for paylist-management, re-encoding and a very easy setup.

[JacquesMoreau29]

Thanks for your advise... I'm thinking about changing streaming provider.
I'm not hot (for now) to have my own DNAS... maybe later

Do you have any economic alternative of Shoutcast.com?
I found CastHost.net... they have affordable package.

Does somebody has good shoutcast.com alternative to recomand?

[neralex]

I'm hosting my own DNAS since 2011.

[NJK]

Originally Posted by neralex

I'm hosting my own DNAS since 2011.

as i have i since 2003 but you have to keep in mind that you have to have a good provider with enough upload.

[neralex]

@NJK 2003 - wow nice! And yes a good provider is very important and also the interest how to manage an secure a own box. I'm very happy with the using of a stable linux distro and SHOUTcast since the my start in 2011.

[NJK]

@neralex

simply on windows as that is easier, my streaming is a hobby and not super serious
with besides the shoutcast DNAS the Edcast stand alone DPS , Zara Radio as a playout system and MBL software to manage the sound.

it all started as a testing ground for the commercial radio station on AM that i was working for at that time
nowdays involved in local radio on FM and the stream was turned from a bit of everything into a darkwave / electronic only stream but is still a testing ground for changed on the FM station.

[JacquesMoreau29]

Guys,

Like I wrote in my original email... my internet is FIBER at home with AT&T
I'm running 115.7 Mbps download & 117.1 Mbps Upload
I don't see a problem with that.

My computer as a AMD A8 processor & 32 GB of RAM, HD of 2TB
I don't see a problem with the PC also.

On many forums, I see people having the same issue with Shoutcast.
Sound is cutting in & out

My only guess... maybe the anti-virus... I doubt about it!
Normally Antivirus does not scan the stuff going out my PC (my broadcast)...

[NJK]

start a ping for serveral hours to see what that does.

[JacquesMoreau29]

NJK, thanks for helping me... I really appreciate.

I'm a "IT Support/Network admin" for the last 30 years.
The first thing i did was a continuous ping (-t) and Tracert of listen.shoutcast.com. Everything is normal.

The cutting in & out happen everywhere at home (fiber), at my office (fiber), on my cellphone (with a data plan) and also happen to my friends at their house.

If I drop the quality of the broadcast at 64K (very poor quality)... I noticed that the cutting in & out is less). But 64K is not acceptable in my book. I tried 128 (same issue). I'm at 192 now (and it's not worst than 128)

Also, If I'm not broadcasting (not sending music to shoutcast at all), the shoutcast fallback song located on the shoutcast server takes over.... and that fallback song cutting in & out also. It's prove that the problem is not cause by my broadcasting.... But from the shoutcast server to the customers.

I'm still scratching my head... But my big guess is still pointing on the poor quality service of shoutcast to deliver the sound correctly to the customers. I'm sure that I'm not the only one with this issue.

To make sure that I'm not crazy... if it's possible (If you have the chance)... can somebody listen to my radio for a while (1 hour or less) and tell me if it cutting in & out for them also?

http://listen.shoutcast.com/AustinBluesRadio

Thanks in advance for any help.

ANY SUGGESTION FOR A SHOUTCAST ALTERNATIVE?
(I don't want to create my own DNAS for the moment)

[ryerman]

Originally Posted by JacquesMoreau29

I'm still scratching my head... But my big guess is still pointing on the poor quality service of shoutcast to deliver the sound correctly to the customers. I'm sure that I'm not the only one with this issue.
To make sure that I'm not crazy... if it's possible (If you have the chance)... can somebody listen to my radio for a while (1 hour or less) and tell me if it cutting in & out for them also?

Yes, it starts cutting in & out immediately.
But thousands of other stations play normally.

[JacquesMoreau29]

Thanks Ryerman for trying... I'm still scratching my head

My big clue... is that the fallback song on shoutcast.com is also cutting in & out even if I'm not broadcasting.

My next try this week will be to broadcast with "winamp/dsp" instead of "RadioDJ/MB Recaster"

[JacquesMoreau29]

I found another blog with people with the same problem...

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....highlight=dnas

I contacted DJ EGG for the 3rd time about... still no reply.

It's really on the shoutcast server side... Users with the saem issue should stop trying everything and just try to contact Shoutcast for a maintenance of their servers or routers... something not right on their side.

[Funklbaldy]

When I upgraded to Shoutcast Source v2.3.5, I experienced excessive buffering issues. When I downgraded to v2.3.3 the issues were resolved.

[Tr3v0r07]

So.. I was having the very same issue. Cutting out and the buffer speeds were crazy! I’m also using Rocket Broadcaster. I do live streaming of my church’s services.

Crackling noise/ cutting out:
Double check your Audio API. Mine was set to WASAPI. Once I changed it to WDM-KS that stopped.

Buffer speed:
Check your latency settings. The default should be 2048. If you need to, you can go higher. With mine set any lower than the 2048 and the speed would constantly change. Faster, slower, etc.

I hope this helps you guys.