Isn’t it interesting how hitting the Play button of a video hits you differently by transporting you into an all-new world? Thanks to video streaming, you can now enjoy instant playback, optimal video quality, and flawless streaming across any device.
According to Forbes, Americans dedicate nearly three hours of their daily routine to streaming videos online. This trend is set to continue its upward trajectory, with an estimated 21% of the global population projected to be streaming videos by 2027, promising an exciting future for this technology.
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in video streaming? How does a live or on-demand video make its journey from creation to your screen in a way that caters to videophiles? The intricacies of this process are truly fascinating.
At this point, you might be wondering what is streaming and how does it work. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.
In this blog, we will explore the intricacies of video streaming, including what it is, why it is important, how it works, and key technologies essential for streaming videos smoothly and securely.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started with video streaming.
What is Video Streaming?
Video streaming is the process of viewing a video over the Internet without having to download it entirely through a web browser or a dedicated application. This allows you to immerse yourself in the video experience without worrying about the video taking up space.
Video Streaming vs. Downloading: What’s Better
The main difference between video streaming and downloading lies in the way the content is bought from the server to the viewer. Let’s keep it simple and straight—streaming is like borrowing a book and reading it without having the book in your possession.
Now, imagine watching a video online. You can watch it right away, but the movie itself isn’t saved on your device. On the other hand, downloading is like buying a movie DVD (good ol’ Blockbuster days). It takes up space on your device, just like the movie would do on a DVD.
So, what’s the right option for you?
Well, it depends on your unique requirements and preferences. When you download a video, you can access it from anywhere without having to worry about Internet connectivity. However, there’s a dark side to it as well.
For instance, a corporate communications professional should consider information security challenges when making an executive committee meeting video available for download.
Similarly, training and learning professionals would want to secure their internal proprietary knowledge, which would otherwise be impossible when videos are downloadable.
This is where video streaming wins since it allows you to secure your video content and disable video downloads for sharing with the masses. The only dependency here is an Internet connection. No Internet, no streaming.
Did we tell you that with VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube, you can choose whether to allow video downloading or not?
Why Does Your Organization Need Video Streaming?
Video grabs attention, boosts retention, and breaks down complex topics into easily digestible content. With 65% of the global Internet traffic comprising videos, there is no point in holding back on using the power of video to drive business results.
Video streaming is essential whether you want to conduct an online business event with customers or partners, launch a product, host an informative webinar, or communicate internally with stakeholders.
How Does Video Streaming Work?
Video streaming works by breaking down the video file into smaller chunks called data packets. These segments are then continuously delivered, one after another, from a server to your device using a browser or an application.
This continuous delivery allows you to stream videos on different platforms across any device or participate in live events and virtual meetings on the go.
However, that’s not all. When streaming videos online, there are two primary modes to consider:
1. Live streaming
2. On demand streaming.
Live Streaming
With live video streaming, video content captured from a source like a camera or a webcam is instantly transmitted to users over the Internet, enabling real-time viewing of events, broadcasts, or online meetings.
The process of live streaming a video online comprises the following steps:
1. Capture
2. Encoding and transcoding
3. Transmission
4. Decoding
5. Displaying
Capture
The first and foremost step in live video streaming is capturing the video from a source. The source can be a camcorder, a webcam, or any recording device.
Encoding and Transcoding
Raw video files are large and, hence, not suitable for online streaming. This is why such video files need to be encoded and transcoded.
Encoding refers to the process of converting raw video into a compressed digital format suitable for Internet transmission. But what about video quality? There is nothing to worry about since the compression is lossless – i.e., there is no reduction in quality.
Encoding not only reduces the video file size but also makes it universally playable across different devices, including computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices.
On the other hand, transcoding refers to the process of converting a video into multiple qualities or renditions, such as 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p, etc. This allows you to stream videos even in low Internet bandwidth conditions.
Transmission
The transcoded video is then delivered from the point of capture to your device. A video streaming server breaks the video down into smaller chunks and transmits them one after another to your device using a specialized streaming protocol.
Decoding
When the device receives these chunks (data packets), the decoder then converts them back into a playable format. In cases when the format is already compatible with the device, decoding might not be necessary.
Displaying
Finally, you can stream video content using a web browser or application through a video streaming platform on an HTML5 player.
On Demand Streaming
Unlike live video streaming, wherein content is delivered and consumed in real time, on demand services offer pre-recorded videos you can stream whenever you want.
The following is a visual breakdown of the on demand video streaming process:
Exploring Key Video Streaming Technologies
The seamless video streaming experience is made possible through several key underlying technologies, some of which are discussed below:
- Adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming
- HTTP live streaming (HLS)
- Content delivery network (CDN)
Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) Streaming
Ever hit the Play button on a video only to be greeted by a buffering wheel? Adaptive bitrate streaming solves this problem. When the video quality is set to Auto, this technology automatically detects your Internet connection speed and adjusts the video quality accordingly.
This way, you can stream videos even when the Internet is acting up.
HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)
HTTP live streaming (HLS) is one of the most popular video streaming protocols that supports adaptive bitrate streaming. It utilizes HTTP servers—the same technology that delivers webpages—for live and on-demand streaming.
Paired with HTML5 video players, video streams using HLS offer the highest quality streaming experience available.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A content delivery network (CDN) is a network of servers distributed across different geographic locations to deliver web content more efficiently to users. In CDN, servers are located closer to users to minimize the distance data travels between the origin server and the user.
The following is an illustration of how CDN works:
Make Video Streaming Effortless with VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube
.webp?width=800&height=480&name=Detailed%20Guide%20on%20Online%20Video%20Platforms%20%20Vendor%20Comparison%202022%20Blog%20Feature%20Image%201%20(3).webp)
VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube offers secure and scalable video streaming solutions for organizations like yours. The following capabilities make VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube your go-to choice for video streaming:
- Centralized video library compliant with accessibility standards, such as Section 508, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), etc.
- Low-latency live and on demand streaming with adaptive bitrate streaming, HLS, and robust eCDN.
- Interactive live streaming with live chat, Q&A, FAQs, and Twitter feed.
- Granular media analytics showing engagement trends, audience analytics, and user-level insights in real-time.
- Flexible deployment options, including cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and SaaS.
Explore more features of the EnterpriseTube video streaming platform.
Looking for a reliable solution to stream video content?
Experience EnterpriseTube in action today by signing up for a 7-day free trial, or contact us to learn more. Smooth video streaming starts here.
People Also Ask
1. What is streaming software?
Video streaming software allows you to stream video content, both live and on demand, using different technologies, such as adaptive bitrate streaming, HTTP live streaming, and enterprise content delivery network (eCDN), to deliver smooth streaming and high-quality viewing experiences.
2. Why is video streaming needed?
Video streaming is essential for organizations looking to communicate internally with their employees and other stakeholders, healthcare providers looking for a solution to live stream their medical procedures while staying compliant, companies looking to reach out to a wider audience dispersed across geographies, etc.
3. What is the advantage of live video?
The advantage of live video is that it allows you to gain feedback from the audience in real time. With interactivity features included in live streaming, such as live chat, FAQs, etc., live video offers an engaging experience for both the organizer and the viewers.
4. Why is VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube good for video streaming?
VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube allows you to stream live and on demand videos at scale while emphasizing the security of your video data with a range of data protection capabilities, including role-based access control, multifactor authentication, comprehensive encryption, single sign-on (SSO) support, etc. Not only this, but you can also monitor video streaming analytics that shows engagement trends, user-level analytics, audience insights, etc., in real time.
5. Is video streaming still popular?
Yes, video streaming is growing in popularity as both businesses and consumers are increasing their video content consumption to stream internal meetings, events and webinars, exclusive content, movies and shows, etc.