[OpenIndiana-discuss] Audio Broadcasting Suggestions Request

[DormitionSkete@hotmail.com]

I seem to finally be making progress with the last major hurdle before bringing our OI servers online, and now the Archbishop has decided he wants me to take a break from this and lend a hand in another project.

He wants to start broadcasting live audio streams of our services for our parishioners who are scattered all over the world.  He doesn't want video (at this time) because he doesn't want to turn the church into a television studio.  (And the others would certainly do that!)

The others here have pretty decent skills in video and audio work, but they're a bit weak in the other technical areas this is probably going to entail.  

We also have very good audio (and video) equipment here to support this.  

The big requirements are:

1) We need to be able to support as least 30 - 50 concurrent connections (users / listeners).

2) We need to be able to limit who has access to listen to the services.  So, we either need a login system of some sort, or we need to use some kind of video conferencing software, where we can see who is actually there, but not actually broadcast video.  IP Access logs or limitation capability, or something else along these lines, would be very helpful.
     If necessary, I have the programming skills to write our own login system, and perhaps use DNS forwarding and masking to hide the destination address, but I do not really have the expertise or time to write the streaming part.

3) The user access to the streams needs to either be through a web browser, or any client software needs to be Windows *and* Mac compatible.  

4) Any server level type of software needs to be able to run on OpenIndiana.

This is completely out of my realm.  I don't have much of a clue where to even start.

Googling "Audio broadcasting" brought up a bunch of internet radio type stuff.  I was also thinking of something along the lines of Ekiga (http://www.ekiga.org/), or some other kind of internet conferencing software.

So, I thought I'd just ask if any of you have ever done anything like this, and might have any suggestions?  Or even some other mailing lists that might be more suitable for this topic.

Oh, and while a free, open-source solution would be nice, I think the Archbishop would even be willing to spend money on this.  Probably substantial amounts, even.  We have a lot of parishioners who want this, and some of them have money, and would be willing to spend it on this.  So, if you have any paid service or consultants that you could recommend, that would be very welcome, and appreciated, too.

We'd all greatly appreciate any help or suggestions any of you might be able to share.

Thank you very much.

Peter, hieromonk

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Dormition Skete
 Monastery Website:  http://www.DormitionSkete.org
 Convent Website:  http://www.HolyApostlesConvent.org
 Catechetical Website:  http://www.TrueOrthodoxy.Info
 Polemical Website:  http://www.TrueOrthodoxy.org
 Synod Website:  http://www.GocAmerica.org
 Archbishop Gregory's Life Story:  http://www.ArchbishopGregory.Info
 Video Website:  http://www.OrthodoxVideos.org
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