Barix Strengthens Audio Over IP Transport Options for Broadcasters

Now shipping, Barix will display its Exstreamer 500 IP audio decoder to international audiences for the first time at IBC. The Exstreamer 500 is a professional Audio over IP hardware device designed specifically for radio broadcasters, offering a one-half, 19-inch rack mount solution with encoding and decoding capability. It is essentially a lower-cost version of its high-end device, the Exstreamer 1000, while retaining important features like balanced inputs and outputs and contact closure interfaces. Broadcasters can purchase the Exstreamer 500 through the Barix global network of established broadcast distributors, accessible at www.barix.com.

Barix will also introduce new easy-to-configure device firmware that provides more technical options and functionality for program audio transport. The new “STL software package,” pre-loaded onto new 500 and 1000 devices, is also available as a free update at the Barix website and can be loaded onto all existing Barix Instreamer encoders and Exstreamer decoders. This enables new features including full-duplex audio transport (48kHz sample rate PCM, full-duplex devices only) and trap-based alarming, while reducing external hardware requirements previous necessary for such enhancements.

“The new universal, feature-filled Barix software is a fully configurable application that fits well into many different scenarios a broadcaster may have for program audio transport, such as directed or unidirectional microwave-carried IP, remote contribution, and internet-based low-bandwidth applications,” said Johannes G. Rietschel, CEO and Founder of Barix AG. “Through manual fine-tuning of the software, we offer many of the professional features that broadcasters rely on for high-quality audio transport between locations. This, along with quick set-up, is especially ideal for Exstreamer 1000 users that want more freedom to configure various options onto their devices.”

Barix has included the Reflector Service client on the same software load. This previously announced service simplifies connections for broadcasters via a plug-and-play scenario. The Reflector Service completely removes any need for user configuration: The hosted application serves as an online center to configure and monitor the audio transport bridge while also providing a straightforward relay of the audio feed, enabling almost immediate audio streaming between two devices. Users of the STL software package can switch between the new STL software (the default on Exstreamer 1000) and the Reflector client (default on Exstreamer 500) via web browser.

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 any 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.