Issue with transcoding

[tzar]

So I'm using winamp for transcoding, and I have a slight problem. I have a 3rd server listening to my 2 main (redundant) server streams. The 3rd server supplies the feed to a lower rate shoutcast on its own box -- and it's working. (I'm juggling bandwidth here). I also have two items in my playlist on that 3rd server -- pointing to the two main servers. "advance-to-next" and "shuffle" are enabled as well. So if one main server is goes down it will roll over to the next.

That's all working -- except when one of the main server starts to buffer (from say bandwidth issues). At first winamp usually tries to reconnect to that playlist item (buffering), and often succeeds. Sometimes, it fails after trying a number of times and then rolls over to the next item in the playlist (the other server). This is good.

BUT sometimes it just stops, and winamp is no longer is playing anything. So the 3rd server is down, even when the other main server is actually fine, or the first one has recovered. winamp is stuck in its "stop" mode.

In this case I manually press play, only after noticing the lower rate feed is offline, and it generally reconnects just fine then.

I'm looking for better work-arounds, suggestions, and perhaps winamp to fine-tune their (awesome) code there. would like to have a stand alone transcoder (or built into shoutcast) -- tried one but was horribly buggy (oddsock i think, been a while, anyway never got to work). Going to look at sc_trans too, though servers are windows based.

Best,
Tzar
radio.tabla.com

p.s. I use winamp2 because of all the plug-ins tied to the server. the plug-in capability sets winamp apart. awesome!