Company establishes NCCU Sports Network using Barix Audio over IP Technology to distribute college football and basketball games to eight radio stations

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, November 30, 2010 — Barix AG announces that syndicated content provider Bell Media Group of Raleigh, North Carolina, has successfully deployed the Barix Reflector Service to distribute live North Carolina Central University football and basketball games to eight regional AM radio stations comprising the NCCU Sports Network.

Bell Media Group is among the earliest Reflector Service customers, establishing a reliable and cost-efficient Audio over IP distribution network for its syndicated college sports programming service.  Barix introduced the Reflector Service last spring to help broadcasters with limited IT resources to establish IP links for single stations and broadcast networks with minimal effort and hassle.

“Satellite communications was very expensive, and ISDN was also out of my range,” said Jay Bell, president and chief engineer for Bell Media Group.  “IP has saved me between $3,000-4,000 on distribution alone.  I became familiar with Barix and beta-tested the Reflector Service for the 2010 college football season.  All the tests went well and we will continue using the Barix Relector service for sports, music and other remote broadcasts, with the goal of adding more radio affiliates.”

The universal Barix hardware used for the service can be installed in minutes and most deployments for STL, remote contribution and studio-to-studio links are established with just a few clicks in a web browser.  Once installed with internet access, the devices configure themselves automatically, and the encoder and decoders are automatically partnered after entering basic device settings into the service platform.

Barix has partnered with streaming media and content delivery provider StreamGuys for the NCCU Sports Network project.  The StreamGuys-hosted service receives the single feed from BMG Studios in Raleigh and simultaneously “reflects” the signal to each affiliate.  This minimizes network bandwidth and technical support requirements for Bell Media Group.

“Barix partners with StreamGuys as they are streaming infrastructure specialists and offer worldwide technical support 24/7,” said David Gostick, product manager for the Reflector Service at Barix.  “Their streaming service complements our technical skills, allowing us to jointly deliver a professionally hosted and operated service to our customers, with confidence it is being monitored around the clock.”

Jay Bell operates the network from BMG Studios.  The live stadium feed comes in over a POTS line, where a Barix Exstreamer 1000 Audio over IP device receives and encodes the signal.   The StreamGuys streaming platform picks up the Reflector Service stream for distribution to the affiliates, where Barix Exstreamer 100 IP audio devices receive and decode the signal for immediate broadcast.

The Reflector Service is a hosted application that acts as the bridge between the studio and the network affiliates, providing a straightforward relay of the audio feed.   The application simplifies Barix installations for broadcasters by eliminating firewall poking, router forwarding configuration and costly static IP addresses.  The significant reduction in complexity means that users have only a few simple decisions to make related to audio quality and general device settings.

“The hardware was plug-and-play and the streaming service was simple to set up,” said Jay Bell.  “I was skeptical early, as were some of the network affiliates, who were most concerned with the audio quality.  We tested the Barix Reflector Service with several radio affiliates; many program directors and general managers were floored upon hearing the audio quality.  It is a very versatile system, and I’ve taken advantage of the network capacity for side projects, particularly remote broadcasts.”

It’s this time of the year again … our long term content partner DMD2 has launched christmasradio.fm, an internet only radio station, streaming great music with a Christmas touch. Listen to it with your favorite Barix IP Audio player, the Exstreamer, or just use your browser.
Wishing you a peaceful and good pre-christmas time.

Johannes

Here is the URL for direct listening with the Exstreamer: http://www.christmasradio.fm/christmasradio.fm.m3u

Thursday, Barix held a training session for regional distributors, system integrators and partners in Singapore, showcasing the new Exstreamer P5 (IP Speaker device), the Annuncicom 155 (EN50155 test IP Intercom device) and the full range of current Audio over IP devices from Barix.

A large demo, set up by Robert of Avanca, impressed the partners about what all can be done with IP Paging, IP based background music, IP Intercom and combinations of all of that !

We welcome Mitra Elektro from Jakarta, Indonesia, joining the ever growing group of Barix partners in the world.

On the picture: Staff from Avanca our Singaporean Master Distributor, Staff from Mitra Elektro and Johannes Rietschel, CEO Barix.

Barix training in Singapore

Exstreamer P5 connects traditional speakers to IP Audio and SIP phone systems; design enables operation in high-temperature environments

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, November 11, 2010 — Barix AG is preparing to unveil its latest Audio over IP innovation at the InfoComm Asia show this month (November 17-19, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Booth 4B09).  The show marks the world debut of the Exstreamer P5, the company’s solution for IP Speaker applications.   It extends the popular Barix Exstreamer product range into new environments for end users and systems integrators.

The Exstreamer P5 is an all-in-one solution for SIP and hi-fidelity Audio over IP distribution, supporting universal IP standards including TCP/IP, RTP, SIP, Multicast and Ethersound.  The amplified device directly connects any 8-ohm speaker to an IP or Ethersound network.  It enables zoning applications for multi-speaker systems, and allows individual local/remote channel selection and volume control.  The Exstreamer P5 also operates reliably in high-temperature environments.

These features, along with exceptional, hi-fidelity audio quality and Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) support, make the Exstreamer P5 the perfect choice for overhead/ceiling speaker systems.  Applications include:
Hospitality, including general and in-room systems for hotels, venues and cruise ships
In-store audio systems for retail stores, restaurants and other businesses
Background music and paging systems for office buildings and corporate facilities
Security applications, including PA playback points and SIP-based notification

The Exstreamer P5 connects to any 8-ohm speaker, in contrast to “IP Speaker” solutions where the system integrator is limited to certain speakers.  This gives integrators and end users the freedom and versatility to permanently install the Exstreamer P5 in diverse situations, including legacy upgrades.

“The first OEM project will incorporate Exstreamer P5 electronics into hundreds of ‘listening boxes’ throughout a performing arts center in northern Europe, giving the cast, crew and personnel the ability to monitor performances, adjust local volume levels and mute the audio by zone,” said Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and Founder of Barix AG.  “This is an ideal example of using the Exstreamer P5 for low-latency, high-audio-quality streaming to IP speakers.  The built-in 5W RMS amplifier exceeds the typical 1-to-3W requirements of IP speakers, providing plenty of signal power.  And the local interface for an infrared (IR) receiver or volume/source control provides more benefits for the user.

“For general applications, the biggest benefits are low-cost and flexibility, as the Exstreamer P5 does not lock integrators and users into a limited range of speaker choices,” continued Rietschel.  “You can IP-enable almost any speaker with this device, and take advantage of its PoE capability to simplify deployments.”

The Exstreamer P5 borrows design innovations, including PoE support and high-efficiency class D audio amplification from the Barix Annuncicom range of two-way IP audio devices.  Its reliable operation in warm installation points, ruggedized case and simplified mounting options draw inspiration from the recently-introduced Annuncicom 155 for the transportation industry.  The device can operate in temperature ranges of 32 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit (0 to 55 Celsius) and withstand storage conditions to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 Celsius).

The Exstreamer P5 begins shipping worldwide at the end of January 2011. A limited amount of samples are available now.

All Barix products are inexpensive, low-power devices that are scalable to the growth of the operation offer high reliability through a PC-FREE design with no moving parts; and serve as a flexible platform for integration into virtually and operation requiring audio transport and delivery over IP networks.  Barix also offers its programmable BCL standard open to all customers to easily customize applications for specific needs.  Local control, audio relay and low-latency streaming are a few examples of custom programs using Barix’ BCL software environment.

Lighting Sioux Radio Network distributes live UND football and hockey games to 12 broadcast affiliates in two states

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, November 8, 2010 — Barix AG, a pioneer in IP-based audio, intercom, control, and monitoring, has partnered with streaming media provider StreamGuys to establish a low-latency IP distribution network for University of North Dakota football and hockey broadcasts.

Twelve radio stations across North Dakota and Minnesota comprise the Fighting Sioux Radio Network.  The network, seeking to expand its broadcast footprint, selected IP distribution after comparing costs and automation capabilities with competitive distribution systems.  The choice enabled a lower startup cost while ensuring uptime and smooth operation at unmanned facilities.

The network deployed Barix Exstreamer 1000 professional IP audio codecs across the distribution chain.  The Exstreamer 1000 encodes and decodes program audio and relay signals, all delivered over the StreamGuys streaming platform.

“The Barix Exstreamer 1000 has balanced audio inputs and outputs, and that made it perfect for the broadcast environment where cleanliness of audio is a must,” said Jeremy Eisenzimmer, IT Director and Network Engineer.  “The devices also have built-in closures that enable automated functions for our unmanned facilities, delivering relay signals to trigger stop-sets, legal IDs, liners and other elements from studio automation systems.   StreamGuys provides the bandwidth, low-latency delivery and turnkey network development and support we need to keep the network running smoothly.”

Flagship station KQHT-FM in Grand Forks, North Dakota encodes the audio using the Exstreamer 1000, which passes the encoded signal and relay closures to the StreamGuys platform.   StreamGuys deploys Barix Real-Time Protocol (BRTP) to deliver the signal across the network with very minimal delay, and provides plenty of bandwidth to eliminate network congestion.  The Exstreamer 1000 devices at the affiliate stations decode the signal, separating the audio and the relays.  KQHT monitors the entire network with a backup Exstreamer 1000, configured in “Streaming Client” mode to verify that the audio and relays are reaching the affiliates.

Eisenzimmer added that the Barix/StreamGuys solution costs one-quarter the price of satellite distribution, and hopes to add more affiliates in the future.  This is achieved simply by adding a Barix device at each new affiliate and notifying StreamGuys of the new destination points.

“IP distribution was without question the best option for cost, and the availability of high-speed connections made deployment quick and easy,” said Eisenzimmer.  “The automation functions have been nothing short of a dream for the network.  This allows smaller stations that are low on resources and manpower to carry the games for their hometown fans.  It’s entirely a win-win.”

Eisenzimmer also noted that setup is simple, only requiring that he load the firmware and enter the stream information, and that affiliates wire and plug in the devices to be up and running.  “The simplicity of it will allow our network to grow,” he said.