Barix Launches New Exstreamer M400 IP Audio Decoder
Barix Exstreamer in a rack.
Exstreamer audio over IP codecs from Barix are used for applications ranging from studio-to-transmitter (STL) and studio-to-studio (SSL) links to remote contribution from the field. The Exstreamer M400 IP audio decoder supports AES67.
“Radio broadcasters large and small have long depended on the robust reliability, outstanding audio quality, and rich feature set of our previous Exstreamer products for their critical audio transport requirements,” said Davide Nossa, Product Manager, Barix. “The Exstreamer M400 delivers these benefits on a next-generation hardware platform with more processing power, enhanced security features, and greater extensibility, alongside expanded support for audio formats and technology standards including Opus and AES67.”
The product features stereo, line-level, analog audio output with RCA-type connections and can decode streams in MP3, AAC-HE, FLAC, PCM, Opus, and Ogg Vorbis formats.
AES67 support enables the Exstreamer M400 to instead be configured as a dedicated AES67 receiver and decoder, enabling integration into AES67-based audio-over-IP networks plus interoperability with Dante-compatible devices. The device incorporates the full AES67 interoperability guidelines including RTP audio delivery, multicast addressing, and PTP-based synchronization with a separate master clock device. Supported discovery methods include SAP (Session Announcement Protocol), mDNS (multicast DNS), and RTSP, enabling the decoder to automatically identify and list available streams from Dante, Ravenna, and other audio over IP solutions that use these protocols. SDP (Session Description Protocol) information can also be manually inserted for interoperability with third-party solutions that do not support these standards.
Expanded support for IT security standards includes HTTPS: support for audio streams and the web-based management interface, plus secure, encrypted SIP communication links using TLS and SRTP. Other new features relative to earlier Exstreamer models include IPV6 support and internal audio file storage with externally triggered playback.
The Exstreamer M400’s Linux-based architecture enables extensive upgradability, supporting Barix’s mission of continually enhancing its products while enabling Barix engineers to quickly customize functionality to meet specific customer project requirements. A modern API is planned for future release for developers, replacing previous Exstreamer models’ older CGI control specification as part of Barix’s commitment to support the latest technology standards.
You might also like...
Designing IP Broadcast Systems: Addressing & Packet Delivery
How layer-3 and layer-2 addresses work together to deliver data link layer packets and frames across networks to improve efficiency and reduce congestion.
Next-Gen 5G Contribution: Part 1 - The Technology Of 5G
5G is a collection of standards that encompass a wide array of different use cases, across the entire spectrum of consumer and commercial users. Here we discuss the aspects of it that apply to live video contribution in broadcast production.
Designing IP Broadcast Systems: Integrating Cloud Infrastructure
Connecting on-prem broadcast infrastructures to the public cloud leads to a hybrid system which requires reliable secure high value media exchange and delivery.
Designing IP Broadcast Systems: Where Broadcast Meets IT
Broadcast and IT engineers have historically approached their professions from two different places, but as technology is more reliable, they are moving closer.
Comms In Hybrid SDI - IP - Cloud Systems - Part 2
We continue our examination of the demands placed on hybrid, distributed comms systems and the practical requirements for connectivity, transport and functionality.