RealNetworks Streaming Server Comparison Table

Real_Datasheet-Digital-Media-Platform-Comparison
This post contains new content not in my original thesis.  It offers a comparison of the capabilities of the Streaming Servers that I have discussed here on the blog so far.  Keeping in mind that the attached datasheet is intended to present the Helix Universal Media Server as the clear choice, it nonetheless offers a nice summary of the features and capabilities looked for in today’s streaming servers.  It may be that the capabilities of a different server is all that is required or desired for your WebRadio station, so the real analysis will have to take into account the cost of say the Helix Server and its capabilities versus the other choices and their capabilities.
This is probably a good time acknowledge that streaming servers today are designed for much more content than just the audio files that would stream on Internet Radio transmissions.  While my focus has been on that application, it is not to say that the streaming servers are in any way limited to that type of application.
Because there are good  sources of information available on the capabilities of the servers to stream video content in the latest high definition H.264 formats, I will refer you to one of those sources for you to review their information, and also see another comparison table that includes some platforms that I have not addressed here.
Here is a sample of the content from an article for Streaming Media Magazine at streamingmedia.com  by By James Careless  posted on February 28, 2012 at the Streaming Media Online site at :
http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/Buyers-Guide-Media-Servers-80944.aspx
“So what should you be looking for when buying a media server? The experts recommend a system that can ingest a variety of H.264 content, ideally, both live streams and previously recorded files in a variety of container formats. Most media servers will have the ability to transcode and output those files in almost every streaming format conceivable.”
Be sure to view the comparison table included in this article for a concise overview of the available platforms.