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 any substantial amount of audio or video data may require increased bandwidth, which often results in extra cost.

The poor end user enjoys no advantage, as web server streaming never operates as well or as smoothly as dedicated media server audio and video streaming.

Windows Media Servers

As demonstrated by the example of Windows Media servers, the use of a dedicated streaming media servers provides many benefits:

Higher Bandwidth
Because Windows Streaming media servers can utilize UDP technology, they maximize whatever speed connection is available, without wasting time and bandwidth trying to re-send lost data, or calculate the speed of transmission. So not only does the user get a better experience, but network bottlenecks are reduced overall.

Better User Experience
As the Streaming Server is in constant contact with the user’s browser, it is able to adjust the quality of the outgoing audio and video to ensure uninterrupted play for the user, with at worst only minimal reductions in quality.

Additional Features
Detailed reporting, user control of the media (seek, fast-forward, rewind, etc.), live video webcasting, and multiple streaming delivery are just some of the capabilities of a dedicated media server. (While some of the options may be possible with a standard web server, they are, in a word, “clunky.”)

Scalability
Streaming media servers have two size advantages: they can more easily deliver much larger audio and video files, and they can deliver those files simultaneously to a much larger group of viewers than standard web servers (this is also known as Multicast).

Content Protection
Standard web servers download their content into a user’s computer, making those files available to users for capture and distribution. On the other hand, streaming media servers deliver data directly to the player — data which is never written to the user’s computer.

Options for Delivery
Windows Media servers use optimal technologies, like UDP and Multicast, whenever possible. But they can use TCP and HTTP/TCP protocols should the need arise, such as delivering media through a firewall. And it is all handled automatically by the media server.

Final Notes

While there may be a few short-term advantages to streaming media via a standard web server, the benefits of dedicated audio and video streaming servers are numerous. Luckily, the extra cost of such servers can be absorbed by a specialized streaming hosting company. At a nominal cost, these services offer the benefits of dedicated media streaming to all content producers with none of the headaches.

Web Server / Streaming Server Comparison, Part 1

Video Streaming Overview