What is Video Streaming?
Streaming content has earned its worth by entertaining users with no need to store the content over storage devices. Video streaming refers to video content being streamed over the internet. Streams include movies, live broadcasting, visual podcasts, etc., and include mainstream content that is delivered via a content delivery network. This saves time dissipation by loading content in parts to serve real-time viewing and provide a superior user experience.
A video comprises data that is broken down into sequential packets delivered one after the other, then delivered via a Content Delivery Network or CDN over a streaming platform and is displayed to users all over the world. High-speed internet today has lured users to either view or create high-quality video streams on the go as viewers prefer a seamless experience with lesser lags and buffering.
The prerequisite of streaming services is to have variable hosting channels to maintain supported services. Software as a Service or SaaS serves as a platform that aids in minimizing the maintenance cost and is responsible for tier-1 hosting, streaming, transmission, delivery of content, syndication, and secure availability.
Video streaming is dependent on the data that is being processed at the delivery network and the server, impacting directly the playback quality. To ensure smooth content delivery, the providers offer multi-flavor transcoding along with multi-bitrate delivery. Moreover, the delivery network servers are distributed globally to stream the content at any location globally enabling users to access the video stream from wherever they are, with no need to long for the videos to get downloaded but instead providing easy-to-view video content on any streaming compatible device.
Video streaming over the cloud is preferred today due to the convenience it provides including instant viewing of content, instant playback, and a variety of streaming options. But there are some drawbacks of video streaming as content to be streamed can only be accessed through stable internet connectivity. Also, internet-based streaming content may lag, as buffering, bitrate, and latency complications are all factors that may affect the streaming process. Adding to this, privacy and security are also a concern for content as subscriptions are required to view content and that requires adding payment methods which can prove to be a security hazard.
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