Internet Radio And Video Conference

How do I listen to internet radio?

If you want to listen to internet radio, all you'll need is 'streaming' software and the address of the internet radio site you want to listen to.

Internet radio is great because you can listen to radio stations from all over the world.

So, for instance, if you move from London to Wales but your favourite station is BBC London you'll still be able to listen to them in your new home!

What is Internet radio

Internet radio is when audio files are broadcast over the internet rather than air waves. It's often the same as you hear from your radio, only you get it via the web.

Some radio sites, such as the BBC's Radio site, also offer a selection of pre-recorded radio programmes for you to choose from.

That means you can play a repeat of a show you missed or choose to listen to a radio programme when you, not the radio station, choose.

Listening to Internet radio

Internet radio can be picked up by any PC which has 'streaming' software such as RealNetwork's Real Player or Microsoft's Windows MediaPlayer.

As long as you have the software on your machine, all you need to do is go to the radio site and click the link to play the radio broadcast.

Normal radios can tune in to any stations broadcasting near by. However, audio software on the web may well have 'proprietary' formats.

This means that you may need the right software for the particular radio station you are listening to.

So, for example, Microsoft's Window's Media Player cannot open .rm files which the BBC uses for its radio stations online. You need Real Player for those.

Getting the software

You can install all of the most popular media players on your machine but perhaps the easiest thing to do first is find a station you like and find out which software it uses.

Look for a link on the radio station's page to the site of the software manufacturer where you can download the latest player.

Be careful to look for the free version of the software. All the major companies have free versions but often don't make them very easy to find so you may have to surf around their site looking for a really small link to it!

After you download it, just install the software and you are ready to go. Look for a 'Listen live' or 'Listen' link.

Finding internet radio sites on the web

If you want to find a radio station, try using radio-locator which searches for radio stations all around the world. It's a bit UScentric though.

If you are using a PC then you'll already have Windows Media Player on your computer. Have a look at WindowsMedia.com's radio pages for a comprehensive list of stations available.

Finding stations in your player

To make things easy, you can find an updated list of radio stations inside your media player program.

For example, on Windows Media Player there is a media guide that opens inside the main program and Real Player has a similar page that you set up to appear in the main player window.

How do I videoconference?

To videoconference, you need a webcam, some video conferencing software, and someone to talk to.

Videoconferencing is becoming more popular in the workplace all the time, and it can be a great way to stay in touch with friends and family who live far away too.

For instance, you could have a 'family reunion' at Christmas on the internet, with your whole family logging on to the conference from all different locations.

What is videoconferencing?

Internet videoconferencing is the linking up of two or more computers so you can see and listen to each other live.

You set up a camera and microphone on your computer and send pictures of yourself over the internet to friends.

You can also do things like write and draw in a window and everyone else will see exactly the same thing without delay (well almost!).

What do I need to videoconference?

Depending on the hardware people can usually talk to each other via their computers if they have access to webcams and can transmit live video.

All participants should at least be able to receive video, regardless of whether they have a webcam.

You'll often find that newer webcams have built-in microphones.

What to do

First, you make sure both you and the person you want to conference with are connected to the internet at the time of the conference.

You might arrange this by e-mail beforehand or instant messenger.

It doesn't matter where the other person is located physically - you can conference with anywhere in the world for the same price - the cost of the call to dial in to your ISP.

Make sure that both you and the person you are conferencing with have working webcams and the ability to transmit live video.

You'll both need the same video conferencing software installed on each of your machines, such as Microsoft NetMeeting (which comes with Internet Explorer) or Quicknet Technology's CU-SeeMe software.

Follow the directions that come with your videoconferencing software to start a conferencing session.

These instant messengers now support videoconferencing as well:
Yahoo! Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger
ICQ
Net Messenger

Good connections

It is possible you will occasionally hit a 'bottleneck' on the internet while you are conferencing.

That means that the picture or the voice could cut out momentarily or become briefly garbled.

If you plan to do a lot of videoconferencing, it is worthwhile thinking about getting broadband. That way the quality will be better and you won't worry about the length of the conference.

Videoconferencing over the net has improved a lot and you will find that the quality of the picture and sound, although not of television standard, is surprisingly good.

How can I make a phone call on the internet?

There are two ways to make a phone call over the internet - computer to computer and computer to phone.

Making calls over the internet is great because it's so much cheaper than calling using your regular phone and often free.

Now you can call that cousin in Germany and talk all day!

Phone calls over the internet use a system called 'VOIP' or Voice Over Internet Protocol.

To find out more about VOIP, check the VOIP website.

What you'll need to make a call

To make a phone call over the internet you'll need a microphone, speakers, a sound card and an internet connection, (preferably a fast one).

You'll also need the right software - but more on that later.

Most new computers will have a sound card already installed. Look at the back of your computer for small plugs labelled 'Mic' and 'Speakers' or 'Line out'. That's your sound card!

You may have to buy the speakers and microphone to plug in here.

Computer to computer calls

This is probably the easiest way to make a call over the net, and it's definitely the cheapest. Systems like Skype allow you to talk to anyone, anywhere for free.

Computer to computer calls are usually free, no matter where you are calling. The only thing you'll need will be the software.

There are several companies offering free software that you can use - try:
Skype
PhoneFree
NetMeeting
ICQ Phone
Yahoo! Messenger

Computer to telephone calls

You can also make calls from your computer to a regular telephone.

Like with computer to computer calling, you'll need some software. Often you can use the same software you use for computer to computer calls.

You'll need to sign up for the service and while the software is usually free you will be charged for the calls themselves.

This means you'll need to give your credit card details. Typically computer to telephone is much cheaper than a regular phone call, and charged on a per-minute basis.

To find out more about computer to phone software, and the various call rates that apply, here are some of the well known ones:
ICQ Phone
Dialpad
Net2Phone

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