by Streaming is such a common convenience in modern life, it’s hard to imagine someone who isn’t familiar with the concept. It wasn’t that long ago, however, that it was common to ask the question: What is streaming?
Internet Video Streaming: A Brief History
When the internet first reached consumers in the mid-1990s, people had to buy a modem, connect it to their computer and dial the phone line and phone number of their local internet service provider (ISP). Connections were extremely slow.
Audio Streaming
The web wasn’t designed to stream audio or video when it was first created in the 1960s, but enterprising developers found a way to help customers listen to real live audio, and the first live audio streaming event aired on September 5 , 1995. , for a game between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees.
At first, there wasn’t much long-form content. Between slow connections and glitchy software, no one was going to sit down to watch a movie on their home computer.
Video Streaming
In just a few years, technologies have improved to make video and audio streaming more of an everyday occurrence.
Streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu delivered live movies and TV. Content creators like Paramount and Disney started their own video streaming networks, while tech giants like Apple and Amazon joined in. You can now watch old classic TV shows or the latest movies on demand.
Cable and Radio overtake
Streaming audio has also matured. You can listen to live sports from around the world, or turn your computer or smartphone into a custom radio channel with music streaming services such as Tide, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora and Spotify. People commute to work or the grocery store listening to true crime podcasts or the latest audiobooks.
Over the past decade, audio and video streaming has become popular enough to prompt cable and satellite TV providers to “cut the cord” and cancel their cable or satellite TV subscriptions for cheaper streaming options.
In June 2021, media research company Nielsen revealed that video streaming is more popular than over-the-air television in the United States.
Streaming services’ share of the market was 26 percent to 25 percent of over-the-air television. That may not seem like much, especially when cable TV still held 39 percent of the market, but streaming media will likely continue to grow, while cable subscriptions will likely decline.
The Current Streaming Landscape
Currently, video streaming is not limited to TVs and movies. In fact, there is more and more streaming content in short-form videos, such as YouTube and TikTok. With the rise of fast wireless internet connections, a lot of video streaming happens on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.
You may have participated in live streaming yourself. During the COVID-19 pandemic many people have looked to remote meetings or online classes. Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet can handle live audio and video streaming simultaneously in a single broadcast.
It’s a bit like when the phone companies promised us video phones in the mid-20th century, but better.
Finding and Playing Streaming Video and Audio
If you’re new to streaming, you’ll need a high-speed internet connection. You will also need a device to enjoy the video or audio content on; that could be a smartphone, computer, tablet or television.
Access via App vs Web Browser
Computers may be the easiest to set up for streaming. You can access the websites for many audio and video streaming services and enjoy the media right in your browser window. You may find a dedicated desktop application for a streaming service.
While smartphones and tablets have web browsers, you’re more likely to use an app developed specifically for that particular service. If you wanted to watch or listen to a live game, you might open the ESPN app. To hear the news, you might listen to TuneIn Radio, which offers live and recorded broadcasts from all over the world.
Subscription Services
Many services require paid subscriptions, but many others are ad-supported or completely free. To stream audio, most people rely on going to the program’s website or a podcast platform that has many programs, such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. These can be found on your smartphone.
Smart TVs and Streaming Devices
Televisions require separate hardware and software to access streaming services. Often this is a device that you plug into a port on the TV such as a Roku, Amazon FireStick or Google Chromecast – allowing your TV to access the apps for live streaming content. If you have a smart TV, this hardware is already built-in.
If you have a Smart TV, just turn it on, go to the “Apps” section and you’ll see an operating system designed to run streaming apps for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, PlutoTV, YouTube and more .
The most popular apps are usually pre-installed but your device or TV will also allow you to download new apps. (If you’re still signed up to cable service, the newer cable boxes also allow you to stream videos and apps through them.)
Open Stream Program
Once you’ve selected the app you want, you’ll see a range of programs, along with descriptions and ratings. You just need to click on the show you want to start.
If it’s a paid app (like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon) you’ll need to create an account or sign in if you’ve already created an account and paid for the service online. The good news is that once you’re signed in, the streaming app will save that information so you don’t have to do it again.
Most apps have an interface that lets you choose your favorite shows and browse others. With on-demand streaming you can watch one at a time, or “binge-watch” several at a time.
You can pause the show to get something from the kitchen, usually even for live events like sports. The flexibility of streaming media is one of the main reasons why it is so popular.
Streaming Media Encoding
Streaming providers need to determine the best way to get their content to your device in a way that’s easy for you to use.
Taking the Concept
High quality images, audio and video files often start out very large. Although still not streaming images, for example that is easy to imagine, I would say that your smartphone has a 12-megapixel camera. A still photo you take with that camera has a font size of 9.7 by 14.5 inches (17.8 by 36.8 cm).
That’s more than you need for a quick social media snap, but the larger file size means you can use the photo for other things, in this case maybe a poster.
Our phones create larger audio, video and image files because it’s generally a better idea to create a large file and reduce it. It is more difficult to enlarge a smaller media file with a high quality result.
Why Streaming Media Format and Compression
Streaming providers use file formats that maximize quality over normal internet speeds. They are compressed using codecs, instructions for encoding and decoding visual and audio information into a standard file format.
Lossless formats capture more of the fidelity of the original file but have larger file sizes. Many formats, however, have been lost; they remove some of the information in the file but try to keep as much of the original information as possible.
To compress audio and video files, a codec can identify a lossy format for parts of the video that it can copy and apply later in the show. It deletes the redundant information to keep the file size down.
Disadvantages of Compression
Codecs may also reduce the number of colors in the video, lower the resolution of the video or reduce its frame rate. Lossy audio codecs can remove frequencies from the original recording that most people cannot hear, around 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
While that can help save streaming bandwidth, it can also cause problems. You may be experiencing some side effects of file compression when watching a show if the images appear washed out or pickled.
If you’re running with your headphones in, you might not hear a highly compressed music file, but with good headphones, you might.
Video and Audio Streaming Customers
What happens to the video and audio streaming at your end? On smartphones and tablets, we often use a proprietary application designed by the streamer that takes care of business for us. If you stick to the Disney+ stream on your phone, there’s no need to worry if you’ll be able to watch it.
In a web browser, however, streaming works a little differently.
Your computer and internet connection affect how well the media stream works on your computer. With the release of HTML 5 – the language written in web pages – streaming providers can embed audio and video files into their web pages without forcing you to rely on browser plugins.
Smart TVs and devices that plug into TVs, such as Roku or Apple TV, have their own operating systems and apps dedicated to streaming services. It is very similar to the experience on a smartphone or tablet.
Your experience with the deals that streamers and hardware makers work out — or don’t — may vary. In 2021 Roku removed YouTube TV from its channel store due to a contract dispute. The device you own and the internet service you subscribe to can affect the content you can access, for better or for worse.
Original article: What Is Streaming And How Does It Work?
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