Streaming Media

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What Does Streaming Media Mean?

Streaming media is the method used to deliver multimedia elements – usually video or audio – from a data streaming service provider to an end user. It uses basic HTTP, TCP/IP and HTML protocols.

Streaming delivers media as a serial, steady stream. Unlike other download methods, where data order is not important, streaming media is sent/received according to availability. An example is P2P sharing, such as torrent, where streaming media must be delivered in the correct order.

Techopedia Explains Streaming Media

Streaming media is used to stream prerecorded media files, like videos and music, but also may be distributed as part of a live broadcast, like a Web meeting or tutorial session. A client program with an audio/video (A/V) codec is required for media streaming. This program is usually embedded in other applications that connect to the Internet, like a Web browser or media player, and a server used for media delivery.

Using the codec, the client receives and converts the data in real time to video and audio output, while saving additional data in a buffer. If the download is slow and playback speed catches up with download speed, the experience may be choppy.

This type of media consumption took off in the late 1990s, as the world was introduced to innovations that led to increased network speed and bandwidth – two elements absolutely essential for proper streaming media functionality.

The de facto standard for streaming audio is RealAudio by Progressive Networks (now known as RealNetworks), while streaming video uses the Adobe Flash format.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.