Video streaming is a technology that allows a user to view online video content via an internet connection without needing to download the media files first. Video streaming refers to online video content specifically, such as movies, TV shows, live event broadcasts, and online videos produced by general content creators. But streaming can also involve audio content such as music, podcasts, and more.
Since the user does not have to download the media files to consume the content, streaming helps save storage resources on Smart TVs and mobile devices, time spent loading or buffering the video, and, most importantly, ensures a good viewing experience for users.
So, How Does Video Streaming Work?
Streaming works by breaking down the data packets that constitute the video or audio data and interpreting each to play as a video or audio in the player on the user’s device.
This is different from what used to happen before streaming when an audio or video file had to be downloaded completely onto the user’s device before it could be played. While this was acceptable in the early days of the internet when web content only constituted simple pages of text and static images, today the situation is much different.
The emergence of high internet speeds has allowed anyone on the internet to create large volumes of high-quality video and audio content simultaneously. Similarly, the demand for viewing such type of content has also gone up.
Users are also consuming content on the go on their devices and can be turned away to the creator’s competitor if they don’t get to access the video or audio they are interested in or are forced to wait for the video or audio to buffer.
Streaming allows users to view such content continuously and enjoy a seamless viewing experience. Instead of the entire media file being downloaded first, the content is transmitted in data packets a few seconds at a time and stored on the user’s device to be played there remotely.
Why Has Streaming Become So Popular?
Streaming as a technology has been around since it started as a proof of concept in the 90s. From 2000 to 2010, it grew through the use of Flash, YouTube, and the iPhone.
However, it wasn’t until the development of HTML5 and the widespread adoption of adaptive bitrate streaming that the industry truly took off. The growing number of platforms and providers, as well as the rise of live streaming and gaming, have also contributed to the exponential growth of the video streaming market in recent years.
Streaming Platforms & Providers
The number of streaming platforms and providers has increased rapidly. Just in the last decade, video streaming and media services like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Tencent Video, and Disney Plus have gained significant market share as their subscriber base has increased. With the coronavirus pandemic forcing people to stay home, the demand for such streaming content has increased even more.
Live Streaming
Live streaming is the video or audio broadcast of an event as and when it is happening (think of live sports games that are often shown on services such as ESPN). Video streaming does not necessarily have to be live, as the content can be produced ahead of time with the viewer streaming it at their convenience, via their favorite streaming app.
But live streaming allows viewers to experience an ongoing event in real-time as the action happens. Think of sports events, award shows, global conferences and product launches, video game experiences, and real-time news coverage – these all involve live streaming, often facilitated by video hosting and social media platforms.
Gaming
Another significant trend that contributed to the rise of live video streaming is that of live video game streaming. Through platforms like Twitch and subsequently YouTube, video game enthusiasts and hobbyists began broadcasting themselves playing games to a live audience.
Not only did this allow professional gamers to showcase their gaming skills along with live commentary and interaction with their audience, but it also opened up ways to monetize their passion through ad revenue, sponsorships, subscriptions, and donations.
The increasing demand from this passionate community has given a huge boost to the growth of live video streaming technology. The games market insights company Newzoo reports that the global esports live-streaming audience will grow +8.7% year on year to reach 532 million in 2022, generating nearly $1.38 billion in revenue.
Streaming FAQs
If you are looking to take advantage of the numerous options you have to consume entertainment via streaming or want to create content to stream to your own audience, this is the right time. Here are a few commonly asked questions about streaming that you might find helpful.
What is Buffering?
Buffering is the process of loading part of a stream ahead of time so that the user can watch the video or listen to the audio continuously, even if there is a brief interruption in the connection. You can see this when you open a YouTube video, and the loading bar in the player shows a light grey area until a few seconds after the playback point at which you are in the video. Buffering is helpful in situations where the network speed is low or has a chance of getting disconnected.
What is Bandwidth?
Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over your network connection every second. It indicates how much information can pass through a network, calculated in Megabits per second (Mbps). This will vary depending on your internet service provider and the package that you have. Generally, video streaming requires your network to have a bandwidth of at least 4 Mbps, and much more if the video is high-definition.
Bandwidth is not to be confused with the speed of the streaming, which is a measure of how fast the content can be downloaded.
Related to bandwidth is the concept of latency or delay. Latency is the time taken for the information to reach the end user. It is also known as ping rate and can be experienced as the lag when you wait for a video to load.
What Can Cause Streaming to Slow Down?
The time it takes to stream something varies considerably depending on several factors. Things that are almost certain to slow down streaming include:
- Congestion of the network
- Network latency
- Lack of bandwidth
- Wi-Fi issues
- Slow performing devices
What Can Help Speed Up Streaming?
Unfortunately, as streamed content is stored elsewhere, it is subject to the same kind of delays and performance issues as other web content. But there are still ways you can help improve streaming speeds. These include:
- CDN implementation – A Content Delivery Network (CDN) can be used to speed up the transfer of data. Users access a CDN’s edge server that’s closest to the viewer, which speeds up delivery and creates high-quality output. Regardless of the type of video on-demand (VoD) being delivered you use, a CDN can make it more efficient.
- Clearing cache – Clear your cache and remove any unnecessary files from your computer
- Consider using an ethernet cable – Use an ethernet cable to provide a more stable connection
- Protect your network from rogue devices – Improve bandwidth by reducing the number of devices connected to your network
What Is the Role of a Content Delivery Network in Video Streaming?
When a user requests a video stream, the CDN selects the server that is closest to the user geographically and then delivers the data from that server. The CDN helps in reducing the latency and buffering time for the video stream as the data is delivered from the nearest server.
Moreover, CDNs also help in scaling up the streaming system to cater to larger audiences. By distributing the traffic among different servers in the CDN network, the load on each server is reduced, and the overall system can handle more users.
In summary, CDNs play a crucial role in video streaming by providing a reliable and quick delivery mechanism for video content, which improves the user experience.
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Downloading vs Streaming – What is the Difference?
While these two terms are often used interchangeably, on-demand streaming and downloading are not the same.
Streaming is by its very nature different from downloading. When a video is streamed to be played on a user’s device, the actual file is not downloaded onto the device or hard drive. Instead, the video data packets are transmitted a few at a time so the video loads in parts instead of in one go. When a video is downloaded onto a user’s device, the entire file is copied. Only once the entire file has been downloaded can the video start playing.
What are Examples of Streaming?
From a relatively new concept in the early 2000s, streaming has become almost a household name today. So many of our activities on the internet involve content consumption in the form of streaming. Here are just a few examples of streaming.
- Movie and TV show streaming: Perhaps the most common example of streaming, this is essentially “video on demand” functionality, with streaming media platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Apple TV, and others leading the way.
- Live TV or audio streaming: Streaming of video or audio content in real-time , as and when an event happens, through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, and others.
- OTT Streaming: This refers to “over the top” streaming, where users access content using specific devices like desktops, mobile devices, smart TVs, or gaming consoles.
- Video game live streaming: Live broadcasts of people playing games streamed to a live audience on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
- Music: Audio files streamed by people when they want to listen to music – through platforms such as Spotify, SoundCloud, and Tidal.
- Podcasts: Another form of audio format which is gaining popularity and which can be streamed for people to listen to, over Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and other apps.
There are numerous other examples too which use streaming technology. Any form of media consumption where the content is transmitted to the end user in small pieces of data packets instead of being fully downloaded first can be considered to constitute streaming.
Do You Have to Pay for Streaming?
Accessing streamed content does require payment in some form. For example, if you are trying to stream movies or TV shows, you will need a fast enough internet connection and a streaming device (smart TV, gaming console, laptop, or even a mobile phone).
Besides these, you will generally have to pay for a monthly subscription to access one of the common streaming platforms. Each of the platforms will have it’s own rates and accessibility, so check their individual plans before subscribing.
How to Stream Your Favourite Movies & Games Faster
Although streaming technology has definitely made the viewing or listening experience much better for the user, it is still subject to the same kind of delays and performance issues as other types of content.
If you are experiencing issues with your streaming, start by troubleshooting your internet connection. This means double-checking if you are connected to the right network, ensuring that there are no loose connections, and rebooting your Wi-Fi router and modem if necessary.
See if the streaming picks up speed when you lower the resolution or video quality. Live streaming can drain the bandwidth in a network and cause buffering, especially if the video is high-definition and your internet connection is not great. In fact, a report from IBM on The State of Streaming showed that 63 percent of live stream viewers found buffering to be a most serious issue in their experience.
A key factor that influences performance is the location of the content hosting since video streaming relies on remotely storing data packets closer to the user so it can be played faster on the user’s device. If for example, a user in Singapore is trying to stream a movie on Netflix and the content is stored on a server in Los Angeles, the data packets will still have to travel halfway across the world to reach the user’s device. This could lead to a long buffer time for the video, or it may not play at all.
One way to overcome this and make the video stream faster is to use content delivery networks (CDN). These are systems of geographically distributed servers, which store content at various locations around the world. These make sure that for any given user accessing the content, there is a server that is close by, from which the video files can be retrieved and played. The CDN selects the server closest to the user to deliver the content, and once cached on this local server, it can be ready for another user in the same area to stream to.
