A low-power FM station in North Carolina has transitioned to an IP transport architecture for studio-to-transmitter link connectivity using GatesAir equipment.
The GatesAir Intraplex IP Link IP interface enabled WRLY(LP) in Raleigh to efficiently move program audio and data over a studio-to-transmitter path that offered no line of sight for traditional fixed RF STL connections.
The station made the switch following its studio relocation, which created a greater distance to the transmitter.
WRLY selected the IP Link based on its feature-to-price ratio, including support for the Ogg Opus audio codec, according to a release. The company says Opus’ strengths are quality audio and low delay.
“IP was readily available, more cost-efficient than an enterprise T1 solution, and eliminated the challenges of erecting rooftop structures in a commercial zone,” said Steven White, owner of WRLY. “I was an early adopter of voice-over-IP technology, and had been monitoring the capabilities of Opus from an audio quality perspective. Much of our music library has been encoded in high-end formats, so I needed a codec that wouldn’t overcompress the audio and develop artifacts in the stream.”
WRLY also benefits from the built-in redundancy of Dynamic Stream Splicing technology. This feature allows the primary stream to borrow data from the secondary in the event of dropped packets en route to the transmitter.
