Streaming Media

Streaming media are multimedia that are constantly received by, and normally presented to, an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider (the term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback). The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather than to the medium itself. The distinction is usually applied to media that are distributed over telecommunications networks, as most other delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g., radio, television) or inherently non-streaming (e.g., books, video cassettes, audio CDs). The verb 'to stream' is also derived from this term, meaning to deliver media in this manner. Internet television is a commonly streamed media.

History

Attempts to display media on computers date back to the earliest days of computing… Continue reading 5 Comments

Web Server / Streaming Server Comparison, Part 4

Windows Media Servers

Why Use Web Servers? Basically, the only reason to use standard web servers to deliver streaming media is the fact that existing infrastructure can be used. For the ISP, that means no new hardware or software (although it can be argued that the extra load on the existing web servers would necessitate additional hardware anyway, at least partially negating this advantage). And, no new software or hardware installation is required, thus saving time. For the audio or video producer, it means less work preparing the files, as well as a possible cost savings: no need to pay additional fees for a specialized streaming media service. Again, this advantage may be outweighed by the fact that delivering… Continue reading 3 Comments

Web Server / Streaming Server Comparison, Part 3

Using A Streaming Server

Uploading and Storing

Similar to the processes used to prepare and upload files for web server streaming, media produced for dedicated streaming servers is also compressed and then transferred to a specialized servers. Links to that media are then placed on web pages which exist on a standard web server. NOTE: It is possible to run a standard web server and specialized media server on the same computer. However, as will be pointed out later on, this negates one of the advantages of having a dedicated streaming media server, which is to deliver media without bogging down web page delivery.

Delivering the Files

It is at this point that the two technologies (web server streaming, and media server… Continue reading No Comments

Web Server / Streaming Server Comparison, Part 2

Using A Web Server

Uploading and Storing While it may appear vastly different to the user, the use of a Web server to stream audio and video media is actually only slightly different from the outdated model where an entire file is downloaded before it can be played. First, the deliverer compresses the audio and/or video into a combined media file, slated for delivery over a specific bandwidth. (For instance, the producer may create one file for low bandwidth like 28.8K phone lines, one for medium speed connections such as low lever DSL, and a third for high-speed access points like cable or FIOS.) Next, the producer uploads those files onto the same server that hosts his/her web pages. From this… Continue reading 2 Comments

Web Server / Streaming Server Comparison, Part I

Video Streaming Overview

Currently, video and audio content is delivered over the Web in two primary ways. The first, and older, method, involves using a normal web server to provide video or audio files to a media player. The second, and more recently developed, format, employs a dedicated streaming server, which has been specifically designed for the task of delivering audio and video media. While there are some advantages to using a standard Web server (the two chief ones being cost and ease-of-use), there is no doubt that a specialized streaming media server is a far more powerful way of delivering media. In the end, the most important factor -- the user's experience -- is vastly improved via the use… Continue reading No Comments

Streaming Video Tips

You've seen the results of streaming video that is poorly prepared for the Web: starting and stopping, jerky motion, bad resolution, etc. Though your video may look great when you watch it on your own computer, that won't necessarily translate well when you deliver it to other over the Internet. So no matter what you plan to use your video for, if you expect people to watch it online, you need to follow certain guidelines. Below are a number of hints to help.

1) Make Your Video Short

Seems simple, doesn't it? But this may well be the most vital tip of all, for a number of reasons. First, most people won't stick around for a long video. And it doesn't matter how great it is if your… Continue reading No Comments

Choosing a Video Hosting Provider

Every video host tends to come up with their own names for the [often times similar] services they provide. Sometimes it makes you feel like you're comparing apples to lava lamps! As a good starting point, you should consider the points below.

What Delivery Options Are Provided?

Many web hosting companies, cognizant of the growing importance of video and audio media delivery, will promote their service as "streaming," even though what they are actually offering is progressive downloading from a web server. While this mimics some of the qualities of true streaming, it really is less effective. In order to offer true streaming, the host must deliver from a specialized media server. So, how can you tell? One way is to ask to watch a… Continue reading No Comments

Streaming Video SEO

These days, SEO has become such a key word (no pun intended!) that everyone knows about Search Engine Optimization. In short, it is the process via which people can find the pages of your site when typing in your key words (or, more accurately, key phrases). But with the explosion of videos on the Web, and their inherent effectiveness in presenting your product or service, search engines have now begun to deliver video clips in response to user searches. This article gives you a list of ways to make your videos found more easily. 1) Get Inbound Links The more good, on-topic links going to your videos from other sites, the more value search engines will place on these. A good place to start is social media (facebook, twitter, blogs… Continue reading 5 Comments

Streaming Video Formats -- Flash

The evolution of streaming video formats has been going on for years, and will continue for the foreseeable future. Currently there are four formats in popular use: Flash, Windows Media (WMV), Quicktime, and Real. Of the four, Real is arguably the weakest, and will most probably continue to decline. On the the, hand, the Flash video format appears to be in the lead, and continues to gain market share. The reasons for this are various, and are detailed below.

A Matter of Numbers

More computers and browsers have the Flash player installed than any other format. Though not every user will have the latest version, the fact is that Flash is quickly becoming ubiquitous. Since most computer users tend to use whatever is easiest, this… Continue reading No Comments

Audio and Video Streaming: Deciding on a Host

If you are planning on streaming video, audio, or both, from your website, then you should take a number of factors into consideration before choosing your web hosting company. Some offer advanced streaming capabilities, while some don't permit it at all. In between are a number of companies that will allow you to stream, but with some pretty hefty limitations. Here's a checklist you should use when making your hosting decision.

Streaming vs Downloading

Though downloading is, over time, becoming the less popular option, many ISP's work this way because it's easier on their end. Basically, they treat your audio or video file as just that -- a file. When the user clicks on it, the file downloads to their computer, at which time… Continue reading 9 Comments