RealAudio is a compression, encoding, and deciphering method that allows for appropriately encoded sound files to be accessed by users with much smaller connect rates than required for conventional sound files.
A static file is not available for real-time listening. Instead, you must download the enitre file before listening to it.
RealAudio files can be listened to in real-time over the web at even modest connect rates. Stereo is available for even 28.8 connections. Since the RealPlayer is developed for multiple platforms, RealAudio ensures that one file-type will be accessible to both Windows 95 and Macintosh users (as ell as Windows NT and other platforms). RealAudio files are smaller than other file types, meaning more sounds can be kept on a server.
Since one does not have to pander to connction rates for real-time pseudo-streaming, files can be encoded using the best algorithms available. These files can also be compressed for post-download expansion (zipped) without losing any sound quality.
Since RealAudio relies heavily on compression algorithms (though quite advanced), sound quality is always lost. While there are REALLY good encryption algorithms designed for faster connection rates, resulting in broadcast- or near CD-quality sound, most people don't have ISDN connections, and these larger files will sound jumpy.
Static files tend are larger, allowing for less sound files to be available on a server, and a longer download time in general. You must wait for them to download before you can hear them.
RealAudio encoding provides the best real-time listening available. The files are small and universally accessible to all major platforms. However, sound quality is often sacrificed to serve a broader base of listeners.
While listeners would miss out on a real-time listenig experience, and have to decompress and play the sounds manually, the best option for static files woud be o encode them as RealAudio files, encoded for faster connection rates (resulting in high-quality audio), and then zipping them (compression resulting in no further loss in audio-quality). The listener would then downlad the file, unzip it, and then play it with RealPlayer 4.0 for best sound quality.
I have a 10MB hard limit on the server-space to which I have access. The Horner Shrine is not the only project I have online, so this 10MB must be shared between projects. I prefer RealAudio for three reaons: 1)The files are smaller, meaning more sounds for the audience 2)The files are accessible to enybody with a mimum of effort on the part of the end user 3)RealAudio algorithms are coninually improving and the average user's connection rate is coninually increasing. My vote is for RealAudio, but I'm not doing this for me. Tell me what you want/need, by filling out the survey.
