| What exactly is ShockBox? ShockBox is an Internet and desktop "audio" browser that allows you to listen to "streaming" audio located on the Internet and on your hard drive. ShockBox's Internet abilities allow you to connect to custom ShockBox Servers located on the Web or FTP sites. You can build and shuffle your playlists then play them back. "Streaming" audio begins playback while it is still downloading. ShockBox's streaming capabilities provide almost instant playback of high-quality audio, even for users with 28.8 modem connections to the Internet. SB requires less computer memory to function than the average Web browser with audio plug-ins and SB will run satisfactorily when connected to the Internet with a 56 modem connection.
| General Instructions How to Create a ShockBox Server Contact Information Version History License Information Homepage
| What's New - Click here to see previous entries 6/25/99 - ShockBox 1.2 Released for Macintosh PPC! Browse FTP sites for MP3 audio and then play it! Windows 95/98/NT version available soon. Version 1.2 revisions:
FTP Browser area allows you to playback MP3/SWA audio located on FTP sites Any image labeled "cd.jpg" in a FTP audio directory will be displayed during playback Save bookmarks to your favorite sites in the FTP & Web playback area Pulldown menus allow you to select your saved bookmark Build, shuffle, save, and load playlists under FTP playback area Infinite folder in folder search when locating audio files in desktop playback area Cut, copy, paste, and select all now supported in editable fields Hyperlink to website added in beginning credits Cancel button added in connection sequence
Go to the search engine FTP search v3.6 to find FTP sites that have MP3 audio available.
|  | ShockBox 1.2 requires that you download a complete installation archive because of the revised application that drives the new "engine.dcr" file.
5/28/99 - Streaming MP3! ShockBox 1.14 for Macintosh & WIN95/98/NT released! Version 1.14 revisions:
Streaming MP3 Audio Support! Create your own ShockBox Server with MP3 Audio! In-sync with Macromedia Director 7.0.2 update Quicktime 4 needed for version 1.14 to operate
Freeware Notice ShockBox is Freeware. You may use it at no cost. However, ShockBox is still copyright ©1999 by endres design. All rights reserved. ShockBox may not be included in any for-profit software compilation or bundled with any other for-profit package, except with prior written consent from the author, Lance Endres. ShockBox may be distributed freely on on-line services and by users groups, except where noted above, provided it is distributed unmodified. Please do not include any version of ShockBox in any shareware/freeware collection, Web browser or book without getting my expressed permission. If at all possible, I ask that you send me a complimentary copy of the product. I only ask this because I wish to know how ShockBox is being distributed. Also, let me know of any articles or web sites that expressly talk about or feature ShockBox. Thanks! Why use it? Your entire music library is instantly available on your computer! With ShockBox, high fidelity music can be played wherever the user takes his/her laptop. Large stacks of physical CDs stay conveniently and safely at home. Compress your audio, label your audio files with the appropriate suffix and drop them in a folder labeled with the CD title and you're ready to create customized playlists for playback. Plus, drop a JPEG image of the CD cover into the same folder and view the CD image while you listen to the CD audio tracks! ShockBox for Desktop Playback of Audio/Video SB's desktop abilities allow you to locate folders and files of audio/video and then play them back from your desktop. Not only can you locate audio/video files on your hard drive but also on your external drives, network servers, and other accessible media. ShockBox desktop abilities allow you play the following formats off of your hard drive or local hard drive (NOTE: Audio/video file suffixes are needed for ShockBox to recognize your files.):
Audio | Suffix | Video | Suffix
AIFF | .aif / .aiff | AVI | .avi
MIDI | .mid | Digital Video | .dv
MPEG Layer III | .mp3 | MPEG Video | .mpg
MPEG Layer II | .mp2 | QTVR | .qtvr
Shockwave Audio | .swa | Quicktime 4 | .mov, .qt, .qt3, .qt4
Sun Audio | .au |  |
WAVE | .wav |  |
ShockBox for Web Playback of Audio SB links to the Official ShockBox Server through the Internet to gather information on which ShockBox Servers are available. A ShockBox Server is in actuality a Web or FTP address that houses the audio and descriptive data which the ShockBox accesses. Once SB makes contact with the Official ShockBox Server, a list of valid ShockBox Servers is displayed. From the list you may select a server of your choice and listen to the audio files that particular server houses. The amount and content of the audio files that are housed are entirely up to the ShockBox Server owner. Learn how to create your own ShockBox Server. For information on how to process Shockwave/MP3 audio files click here. ShockBox Internet abilities allow you play the following formats off of the Internet via a ShockBox Server (NOTE: Audio/video file suffixes are needed for ShockBox to recognize your files.):
Audio | Suffix
MPEG Layer III | .mp3
MPEG Layer II | .mp2
Shockwave Audio | .swa
ShockBox for FTP Playback of Audio SB's FTP browser allows you to locate MP3/Shockwave audio by browsing FTP sites. ShockBox's FTP abilities allow you play the following formats from FTP sites. (NOTE: Audio/video file suffixes are needed for ShockBox to recognize your files.):
Audio | Suffix
MPEG Layer III | .mp3
MPEG Layer II | .mp2
Shockwave Audio | .swa
For detailed instructions on how everything works, see General Instructions. Why was it built? Currently on the Web there are multiple examples of Internet audio delivery systems. All of these products are either driven by Web browsers with specific plug-ins or with audio software that require they be activated through a Web browser. From a practical standpoint it is rather ridiculous that you should launch a memory-intensive Web browser just to listen to audio. Along with the large memory requirement for your web browser is the incredible degradation in audio quality. Another element that is missing entirely from audio standpoint is the element of choice. Almost every aspect of audio on the Web is predetermined. The end user rarely has the ability to receive options in their audio selection. System Requirements: PowerPC Macintosh (100mhz minimum recommended) with 6MB memory or Windows 95/98/NT (100 mhz minimum recommended) with 6MB memory. You must have Internet access to use SB Internet abilities. It is recommend that you have a 56 modem connection or higher when using SB. System Compatibility Notes ShockBox requires at least System 7.0 and Sound Manager 3.1 or greater (part of System 7.5.3). The suggested system required is PowerPC-based Macintosh computer running System 7.5.1 or later. IBM compatibles require Windows 95/98/NT and a sound card. SB should run acceptably with the minimum memory allocation of 6000K. Large Quicktime movies tend to require massive amounts of memory for playback through ShockBox. If you receive a memory error or unexplained quitting, allocate more memory to the application. Quicktime 4 is required. ©1999 endres design. Comments, questions or bug reports can be directed to lance@endresdesign.com