How does streaming video work and why is it the best choice for web video?
Offering video via the web is no longer optional -- it's an expected part of virtually any media strategy. Generally there are three main methods of delivering video: download, progressive download and streaming.
If you remember the choppy, low-quality streaming video from the late 1990's and early 2000's, you won't believe your eyes. Imediasee has taken the strengths of streaming and web 2.0 ease-of-use, and combined it with Dynamic Delivery to ensure that every viewer automatically gets the highest possible video quality and bit-rate for their connection speed.
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While progressive download is used extensively across many low-end "tube" websites, Imediasee streaming video offers the best combination of video quality, security, user experience and bandwidth management (i.e. affordability).
And for live video, true streaming is required -- progressive downloads and traditional downloads cannot do live feeds.
Comparing the existing models for delivering web video is a helpful way to sort out the issues. Each option has its own capabilities and drawbacks. Here's a (mostly) unbiased view of your web video options.
The download option
How it works: The video file is downloaded as an entire file to the viewer's computer. Does not support live video.
Drawbacks: Incredibly in-efficient. Viewers must wait until the file is completely downloaded before they can start to watch it, resulting in unhappy viewers who go elsewhere -- even while bandwidth charges add up. The video owner has huge potential bandwidth costs, since the entire video file is downloaded, regardless of how much (if any) is actually watched by the viewer. Additionally, the viewer only has as many quality and size options as there are different encoded files, often resulting in a myriad of confusing different choices for the user. There is no copy protection unless a Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution is used on the downloaded files.
Result: Although loved by pirates who use peer-to-peer file download systems like BitTorrent, download is increasingly disappearing as a viewing option offered for online viewing by media sites who want to protect their content.
The progressive download option
How it works: The video file is downloaded, but viewing can begin once a small portion of the file is buffered. Viewing can often start quite quickly if the available bandwidth is larger than the video data-rate. Does not support real-time live video.
Drawbacks: Progressive download has many of the same drawbacks as the straight download option -- except the viewer can usually start viewing sooner. Although viewing can begin sooner, progressive downloads usually cannot permit the user to skip forward within the video beyond what has already been downloaded. As with any downloading option, a full download of the video file is attempted with each and every viewer, regardless if they watch all or any of the video, which leads downloaders to report on what has been downloaded instead of what has been viewed. This massive extra bandwidth cost has no benefit for either the viewer or the website owner -- but these costs add up quickly. Also, the resulting downloaded video is more easily pirated and distributed. Lastly, unlike straight downloaded videos, which often offer the viewer multiple encodes at various bit-rates/sizes, progressive downloads usually have just a single encoded bit-rate, resulting a compromised one-size-fits-all approach to video quality.
Result: Progressive download is widely used because it's easy and the user experience simulates the "instant on" of streaming (when bandwidth allows). Because users have learned to accept small video windows with horrible quality, progressive download is the norm throughout the various low-end "tube" sites. This is changing. However as online advertising matures it is clear that the void between what was downloaded and what was watched is troublesome. Especially when compared to streaming where all the content is delivered to the user.
The streaming video option
How it works: Video is viewed immediately, as it delivered to the computer, without being saved on the computer's hard drive. Fully supports live video.
Drawbacks: In traditional streaming, there are two drawbacks. First, usually just a single encoded file is streamed. This one-size-fits-all approach ensures most users will have a substandard experience, since they are not getting the best possible video for their connection speed. Second, if the viewer's bandwidth is too low, the stream simply is not watchable as the video plays with a choppy start-stop as it waits for the bandwidth to catch up. Combined, these issues killed streaming as a widespread viewing option in the early 2000's.
Results: Times have changed. Most users are on high-speed Internet connections, plus Imediasee now offers Dynamic Delivery on all videos: users automatically view the best video quality and bit-rate for their bandwidth rate. Also, unlike progressive and traditional downloads, which attempt to always deliver the entire video, streaming is far more efficient, to save on bandwidth costs. Combined, this means that streaming is back and ready for its close-up.
Streaming is the new tube.
Here's what Imediasee's streaming video delivers:
- Instant-on video with smooth playback.
- All "trick modes" supported, including fast forward and rewind.
- Reduced bandwidth costs vs. progressive download, which always tries to download the whole file regardless of how much is actually played.
- Best quality video (up through HD) automatically set based on the viewer's bandwidth (aka Dynamic Delivery).
- Live video or pre-recorded video-on-demand.
- Perfect for large media files and/or live content where downloads are unrealistic and/or not technically feasible.
- Increased security: no downloaded files that can be easily pirated and traded.
- Easy set-up: all it takes is three easy steps to get up and running.
Imediasee delivers web video via the Adobe Flash Player browser plugin, which is ubiquitous on over 98% of the worlds computers, and the two most widely-supported video formats, Flash Video and H.264 video, to ensure the widest possible audience for your streaming video across Windows, Mac OS X and Linux viewers.
Browse our affordable prices and place your order today.