We are in the process of beta testing the latest version of centovacast, it has many exciting new features that we know you will love. Also it will allow us to introduce windows media streaming services to our product line, giving you more options to stream to your listeners and grow your reach.

We will follow with an updated post once centova has completed smahing out the bugs and have upgraded our servers to this new and exciting release.

 

v3.0 Changelog

Composing a complete change log for Centova Cast v3.0 was somewhat difficult, as v3.0 represents nearly 2 years of development work and a rewrite of approximately 75% of the Centova Cast code. Accordingly, this list mentions only the most notable changes in the v3.0 release, and we strongly recommend giving it a try for yourself to experience all the new features and functionality.

Major New Features

• Centova Cast is now a stand-alone control panel; it provides its own web and FTP services and no longer depends on an external Apache, PHP, or FTP server
• Implemented a brand new, glossy user interface which should be more attractive and intuitive for newer users
• Added AJAX file manager to allow uploading, managing, and removing files via the web interface
• Added full support for Windows Media Services streams (including autoDJ) via a Windows-based daemon
• Added full support for ShoutCast v2 and sc_trans v2
• Multiple mount points can now be created and individually configured in IceCast and ShoutCast v2
• Dramatically improved cluster support; web interface can be installed on a single server and only a subset of core files need to be deployed to the streaming server machines
• Bundled a new Flash player for web-based listening playback of MP3/Ogg streams
• Added a new DJ account type, which allows station managers to delegate specific privileges (managing playlists, stopping/starting autoDJ, etc.) to their DJs
• Statistics are now recorded internally relative to UTC, and displayed relative to the user's selected time zone
• Statistics can now be retained indefinitely and are no longer limited to 60 days
• Reimplemented statistics system using AJAX for dramatically improved performance; graphs are generated client-side using jQuery/Flot to eliminate server-side image generation delays
• Historical statistics for user-defined time periods can now be downloaded as spreadsheets (CSV format)
• Added support for retrieving album details from the iTunes Store and last.fm, as well as custom web sites provided by each user
• Added support for enabling/disabling/prioritizing album data sources (Amazon, iTunes Store, last.fm, ID3v2, etc.) on a per-account basis
• Added support for per-account language settings
• Added server status page to show status and performance metrics for clustered servers

Minor New Features

• Recent tracks widget now updates automatically in realtime via AJAX, and displays album title if available
• Live statistics page now updates automatically in realtime via AJAX
• Stream status icons in the client area now update automatically in realtime via AJAX
• Recent tracks, current song, and on-demand widgets now fade/slide using jQuery effects
• Media uploaded via FTP is now auto-detected and imported by Centova Cast within a minute or two
• Multiple instances of the same widget can now be used on the same page (i.e., to show statuses for multiple streams)
• Most tables (accounts list, etc.) are now sortable by clicking column headers
• Added syntax-highlighting-style coloring to log viewers
• Added a Google Maps(tm) widget to the code snippets page
• Added configurable server location options for Google Maps widget
• Added configurable poll limit, poll frequency, number of tracks, and hide/show covers options for the Recent Tracks widget
• Added configurable poll limit and poll frequency options for the Stream Details widget
• Added a simple backup script to automatically back up Centova Cast to another server
• Added multiple-account start/stop/suspend/unsuspend/delete functionality to admin area
• Reduced HTML page sizes and consolidated JavaScript/CSS to improve page load times

Notable Improvements

• Ported all widgets and much of the UI to jQuery for a dramatic improvement in aesthetics
• All widgets can now be configured to work with specific mount points
• New multifile web-based uploader supports HTML5, Flash, and HTML4 upload types, ensuring support in all browsers
• Much of Centova Cast, including ID3 tag parsing, image resizing, and other critical components, have been ported from PHP to compiled C code for significantly improved performance
• Added autoDJ status to Stream Details widget
• Simplified (shortened) HTML for JavaScript widget code snippets
• Current/recent tracks will try to convert sc_trans v1 metadata to proper ID3 tag data
• Numerous improvements to artist/album/title extraction and cleanup for track detection
• Various improvements in IceCast XSL page parsing and handling
• Client accounts are now deleted by default when their parent reseller account is deleted
• Implemented framework for future support of customizable menus
• Implemented framework for future support of custom plugins

Notable Fixes

• Fixed various problems with M3U importer
• Upgraded to new Amazon.com API to fix broken Amazon.com support
• Playlists can now be scheduled for 00:00:00
• IPv6 addresses are no longer rejected by the account editor

Again, this list represents only the most significant changes in the v3.0 release.  To experience the full range of new features and functionality, we encourage you to try out the Centova Cast v3.0 Live Demo.  For a limited time, we are also offering an extended 30-day Centova Cast v3.0 trial license to allow clients to test the new beta on their own servers.


v3.0 FAQ

• How can I install Centova Cast v3.0?
  We have released a Quick Reference Guide for Centova Cast v3.0 which provides a complete walkthrough of the installation process.
  
  
• Where do I download v3.0?
  You don't.  The installer takes care of that for you.  Please see the previous question.
  
  
• What are the system requirements for v3.0?
  The system requirements are noted in the Quick Reference guide provided above.  The software prerequisites for v3.0 are minimal compared to prior releases; all you need to provide for Centova Cast v3 is virtually any modern CentOS or Debian server with a working MySQL installation, and Centova Cast's installer will handle the rest for you.
  
  
• Can I install Centova Cast v3.0 and Centova Cast v2.x on the same server simultaneously?
  Yes.  Centova Cast v3.0 will not interfere with any existing Centova Cast installation on your server.
  
  
• How can I upgrade my Centova Cast v2.x installation to v3.x?
  At this time it is not possible to upgrade a v2.x installation to v3.x.  After the initial stage of the beta, we will be releasing an upgrade utility to make this possible, but at present the beta is not deemed well-tested enough to be used for production streams.
  
  
• Can I use my Centova Cast v2.x license with Centova Cast v3.x?
  Yes.  Simply follow the standard v3.0 installation instructions and use current license key with the installer.
  
  
• I see there is WMS support in v3.0.  Does Centova Cast run under Windows now?
  No, the Centova Cast web interface still runs on Linux.  To add WMS support, a utility is provided which you can install on your separate Windows server which allows the Centova Cast web interface to remote-control your Windows server (and Windows Media Services).  More information about this is provided in the Quick Reference guide mentioned above.
  
  
• Where do I obtain the Centova Cast Windows Control Daemon?
  In your client area at centova.com, click "Manage product licenses", click on your Centova Cast v3.0 license, and you'l find it in the downloadable files list.
  
  
• I have another question.  Who/where do I ask?
  Feel free to open a ticket with the helpdesk, of if a community response will suffice, post here on the forums.

 

Monday, March 7, 2011

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