setting up live stream

I'd like to set up a live video stream, preferably in a format that can be embedded in a web page or at least be watched without installing arcane software. I'm totally new to this, so I'd appreciate any advice.

I currently have a dedicated linux box with 2GB RAM and an 100 Mbit uplink most of which is not really used. I want to send a single stream to probably a few hundred people every once in a while. Would that box suffice or should I in any case use a separate server for streaming?

As to server software, the main options for Linux seem to be Helix and the Darwin Streaming Server. Can Windows Media Player play streams from Helix and Darwin? I certainly don't want to force RealPlayer upon my users. Are there any alternatives I'm missing? Any experiences with the Flash Com Server? (I've looked at VLC, which claims to be a streaming server, but in the instructions for setting up live streaming it tells me to install the Darwin server...)

Last question: if the stream is part of a pay site, would I have to pay fees for using MPEG-4? If so, does anyone know how expensive those are?

 

 

 

 

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