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Streaming technology allows you to transmit
audio, video and other multimedia over the Internet. Streaming media
services such as Video Desk deliver audio
and video without making the viewer wait tediously to download files. As
your computer plays the media file, it continues to download and buffer
additional content from the streaming server. Playing and downloading
happen at the same time. This process is almost invisible to the viewer
except for a short period of initial buffering.
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The Need For Streaming Media |
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| The Internet is basically a
"packet-pusher". When you send an e-mail or open a web page, a server
receives your "packet" (request for information), pushes that information you
asked for out of the door as fast as it can, completes the transaction,
disconnects, and goes on to requests by other users. Your web browser
takes the information it receives, displays it on the screen, and then waits
for your next request (for instance, clicking on a link). |
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| This kind of packet-pushing functionality
works very well for transferring graphics and text but transmitting video and
sound this way is problematic. With the packet-pushing approach, a web
user would need to download the entire video clip before it can be
viewed. With a large file size, the wait can become unbearable. |
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| The goal of streaming media is to work
around the bandwidth limitations of the Internet. Using almost
proprietary technologies, data is fed to the user continuously while the media
is being played. This technology uses a continuous connection, like the
one required for watching TV or listening to the radio. Your computer
receives the video or audio just before you see or hear it. You do not
need to completely download your media before being able to view it.
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| An Edge Over Conventional Media |
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Streaming Media provides six distinct advantages over conventional media files: |
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View In Real Time |
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Faster Views over the Internet |
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Protection against media piracy |
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See who's watching your videos |
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Control over user's viewing experience |
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Easy to monetize your media content |
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View In Real Time::
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Streaming Media allows users to view media
almost in REAL TIME. There is only an initial, negligible waiting period
as the file is buffered. This is much better than viewing audio/visual
content in the conventional manner, where all the media must be downloaded by
the viewer completely before viewing it. Visitors do not need to wait for
files to download before viewing them. This is very important since most
video and multimedia files are large and require a long time to download.
This problem is completely eliminated with Streaming Media as streamed files
are not downloaded to the user's computer.
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Faster Views over the Internet:
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The most obvious advantage that a streamed
video file enjoys over conventional video is speed. Streaming Media takes
the wait out of hearing audio or viewing video and animation over the
Internet. A streaming video does not need to be downloaded before it can
be viewed. The file begins playing on the viewer's computer almost
instantly, as soon as the viewer clicks on a link and requests it.
Non-streaming formats such as WAV, AVI and MPG have to be downloaded completely
to the client computer before they can be played. You can convert most
audio and video files to streaming format by using by using tools such as
Video Caster. |
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| Protection against media piracy :
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Media piracy is a global epidemic!
Conventional media is very vulnerable to unauthorized duplication and editing
because it is easily downloadable. Viewers can easily download an AVI,
MPG or WMA file, and duplicate it, edit it, or redistribute it without your
permission or knowledge. Streaming media provides a much higher level of
security for your content and can help protect content owners' rights.
Streamed files play over the Internet without being downloaded to viewers'
computers. This makes them less susceptible to unauthorized duplication
or tampering. |
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Track your audiences : |
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Video Desk is a video and audio streaming
service. Video Desk's "Media Reports" give you detailed information about who
is viewing your files, the number of times a file is requested, the average
duration for which the viewers are playing the file, the total duration of each
clip and the total amount of data transferred per clip. This helps you
determine whether your media is reaching the intended target audience or
not. It also helps you judge your audience's tastes and create media that
appeals to them. |
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| Control over user's viewing experience
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Streaming media gives you better control over the your viewers'
experience. For example, Video Desk's playlist feature links multiple
video files in sequence. Your viewers click a single link to play all the
files in the order you chose. This lets you showcase multiple videos
without actually combining them into a single, large file.
You also have a choice of various "skins", which you can apply to your viewers'
media players. A skin is an coordinated set of graphics and
buttons that give a specific appearance to the web player. You can use a
colorful "Festive" skin when streaming the video of your child's birthday
party, and opt for a more formal "Corporate" skin to stream a business
presentation. You can also customize the quality of your media depending
upon the Internet connection your viewers have.
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| Monetize your content: |
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Unlike conventional downloaded media, which
is vulnerable to copying and manipulation, streaming media never gets saved as
a file on the viewer's computer. Streaming technology pre-empts much
piracy, misuse, unauthorized access, etc. |
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| Requirements For Playing Streaming Media |
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To play streaming media, your browser must
have a player like Windows Media Player (that comes pre-installed on all
Windows PCs). Newer versions of the Widows Media Player can also be downloaded
for free. If the streaming media contains sound (audio) then your
computer should also have a sound card and speakers. A faster Internet
connection will allow the playing higher-quality audio and video streams. |
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Quality vs. Quickness
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People often criticize the quality of
streaming media. They compare the video quality of a streamed file to
that of a television program. But streaming media is not primarily about
quality, it's about access. Imagine being able to simply click a
link in your email program to see a 30-minute video clip of your grandchild who
lives on the other side of the planet. When you click that link and see
the video instantly, you feel the power of streaming technology. |
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The quality of streaming media is
editable. If your viewers have a high-bandwidth connection to the
Internet, you may encode your video and audio for a higher quality. If
your viewers have a slow connection to the net, then you will need to
encode your media files at a slower speed so that they play smoothly. |
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Cable modems and DSL lines provide a high
speed connection to the net. This makes high-quality streaming media a
very real option. Advances in compression technology, which allow
higher-quality video and audio to be sent using the same bandwidth, have also
contributed to improvements in media quality. |
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Encoding Media Files |
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The process of converting the format of a
normal media file into a streaming format is called
encoding. Encoding gets a media file ready to be streamed by a
streaming server such as Video Desk.
The encoder is a program that
you use to take a file and processes it to streaming media format. Every
clip, or every stream in a clip, is encoded for a specific bit-rate. The
higher the resolution, the more information a stream has, and higher the
bandwidth needed to get all the information through to you at a useable speed.
The bandwidth available from your internet connection (modem / LAN) has a
maximum set limit. Streaming Media content providers need to encode their
media to handle a variety of bandwidths so as to be able to reach a wider
cross-section of viewers. A high-quality encoding application such as
Video Caster allows you to encode the same media file for many
different internet connection speeds. A higher bandwidth allows more
information to be displayed and gives the viewers a better media experience,
just like a large-format negative yields a larger, sharper photograph.
Most streaming media players use buffering to overcome minor slowdowns on the
Internet.
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Uses of Streaming Media |
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| Live
Web-casts : |
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More and more events are being web-cast
live. Everything from the deliberations of the United States Congress
(via cspan.org) to live concerts to beauty pageants. |
| Digital Music
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More and more music companies are promoting
their albums and artistes by streaming secure, non-downloadable and
non-copyable music clips. Streaming technology is also used for secure
and legal distribution of high-quality music through "pay-per-download" and
"pay-per-stream" capabilities. |
| E-Learning
Solutions : |
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Many of the world's training specialists are
using streaming technology in a big way to replace conventional training
methods with highly cost-effective and secure, on-demand, just-in-time distance
learning that incorporates more than static text and images. |
| Multimedia
Product Catalog / Online Sales Brochure :
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Vibrant, colorful and exciting video clips,
pulsating music and eloquent narrations are being used to liven up otherwise
static product catalogs and sales brochures and are being streamed to potential
clients who visit the site. |
| Advertising : |
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Brilliantly designed and executed streaming media advertising has dramatically
increased customer interaction rates and brand recognition by delivering an
enthralling viewing experience to potential clients.
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| Cost-effective
Information Distribution : |
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Organization no longer need to create video tapes and DVDs and ship copies to
each branch office, or send technical trainers half-way around the world.
Now they can communicate with the entire company simply by creating and
streaming digital video. |