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A Streaming Media Primer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? The other side of the coin, however, is that the media is always streamed at the constant data transmission rate needed to match the media s data rate i.e., in real time. So, with a faster connection, there may be bandwidth left over. One of the advantages of streaming media is the predictable load per stream, on both the server and on the network. One of the disadvantages of RTP-enabled streaming is that many network firewalls block the transmis sion of UDP information, although this is changing as the corporate world embraces streaming. RTSP controls streaming media While RTP enables a one-way stream, transmitting media from the server to the client, RTSP is a two- way protocol (similar to HTTP) which uses TCP to communicate, and is usually layered on top of RTP. According to its developers, RTSP acts as a network remote control for multimedia servers. 20 Like a VCR remote control, RTSP provides mechanisms that allow individual end-users or designated Web conference participants to specifically request streams from one or more servers, as well as a specific transport type and destination(s) for delivery of the data; request information about the data in a format-specific fashion; start, stop, and pause the delivery of the data; and gain random access to various portions of the data (where applicable not, for example, in the case of a real-time live feed). This very simplified chart shows how protocols are layered one on top of another and, on the protocol level, how the system for viewing a Web page relates to the system for experiencing streaming media. Viewing a Web page Experiencing Streaming Media Browser HTTP TCP IP Physical Connection Viewing/Playback Interactivity Transport Routing Network Media Player RTSP RTP/UDP IP Physical Connection Unicast and Multicast When media is broadcast, a single stream is transmitted to all clients on the network. To understand what broadcast means, one need only think about our traditional use of the term broadcast media, where the network is a cable or satellite system, or the airwaves, and the clients are television or radio receivers. Because only a single stream is transmitted, all the clients that are tuned in experience the same portion of the media program, at the same time, whether the program is live or pre-recorded. When media is streamed over the Internet, it may be either unicast or multicast. Unicast: A unicast is a one-to-one narrowcast, in which each end-user gets a separate stream even if they are experiencing the same media simultaneously. Because they each get their own stream, end-users can be given options for controlling the media, such as the ability to pause the stream, replay portions, or to jump to a different part of the program. This type of control is, however, only possible with pre-recorded content made available on-demand, and this flexibility comes at the expense of both server capacity and bandwidth every end-user must be served and sent a discrete stream. Multicast: Multicasting, or IP multicasting, is also considered a narrowcast strategy, and it is designed to conserve both server processing capacity and bandwidth. The server transmits only one stream, which is replicated by special routers throughout the network, to be distributed to groups of multiple end-users. Multicasting does not allow the same flexibility for the end-user as does unicasting every end-user must experience the same content concurrently. 20 Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) , an Internet-Draft, by H. Schulzrinne, A. Rao, R. Lanphier, Columbia U./Netscape/RealNetworks, Internet Engineering Task Force, 1998, PDF available at http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/rtsp/ Adobe Dynamic Media

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A Streaming Media Primer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? Adobe Dynamic Media ALPHABET SOUP: A PROTOCOL PRIMER FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Uses TCP/IP (one-to-one, reliable) Transfers files across the Internet Typically used to transfer Web pages from the computer on which they were created, to the server from which they will be hosted IP (Internet Protocol) Underlying protocol which transmits data across the Internet Supports real-time transfer of data HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) Uses TCP/IP (one-to-one, reliable) Protocol for transmitting hypertext files, typically used for transmitting Web pages RTP (Real-time Transfer Protocol) Layered on top of IP or UDP which support real-time transfer of data No error handling, no reliability, no real-time guarantee Information is time-stamped for synchronization One-to-one or one-to-many RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) Protocol for handling streaming media, which supports VCR-like operations Uses TCP; layered on top of RTP SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) Protocol for handling e-mail E-mail client software uses the SMTP protocol to send mail to an e-mail server and POP3 or IMAP4 protocols to fetch mail from an e-mail server. TCP (Transfer Control Protocol) Layered on top of IP Establishes a virtual connection between a destination and a source Handles congestion and reliability One-to-one TCP/IP Protocol suite comprised of IP, TCP, and some other protocols The protocol which handles most Internet traffic UDP (User Datagram Protocol) Layered on top of IP Unlike TCP, no virtual connection Provides very little error recovery One-to-many Used primarily for broadcasting information over the Internet TCP (Transfer Control Protocol) focuses on software, assuring that the data actually gets sent, is delivered, and is correctly reassembled at the other end. If any errors occur during transport, such as degradation or loss of some packets, TCP will call for those packets to be resent. TCP also works to optimize network bandwidth by dynamically controlling the flow of information, slowing it down as the network becomes congested. HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the protocol used to transfer hypertext files on the Web. Hypertext, invented by Ted Nelson in the 1960s, is the standard for content on the Web i.e., Web pages are hypertext files. Hypertext is a database system by which related objects (text, pictures, music, video, etc.) can all be linked together, offering a non-linear experience of the information. In general usage, hypertext has come to refer to any text that contains links to other documents. Since hypertext is interactive, it requires a two-way communication protocol that allows the receiver to communicate back through the network, to call up the URLs for the objects to which the hypertext is linked. Take care not to confuse HTTP a protocol with HTML (HyperText Markup Language), which is the computer language typically used to code Web pages, defining how they look and how they behave. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is an efficient protocol used for transferring files between two devices over the Internet, and does not rely on the Web. FTP is used for a wide variety of purposes, as it is handy for the upload or download of most any type of file. FTP is typically used for transferring Web pages from the computer on which they were created to the server that will host the site of which they will be a part. HTTP and FTP cannot be used for true streaming HTTP and FTP are both layered on top of TCP, a protocol that ensures the retransmission of lost or damaged packets. Audio and video content transmitted using these protocols will be received intact eventually. Lost or damaged packets are simply resent. This works just fine for the traditional download it and then play it modality, where the file will not be played back until it is received in its entirety. When HTTP is used for progressive download, the very reliability of the protocol can cause problems, as the retransmission of lost or damaged packets may disrupt pseudo- streaming playback. The media file will still eventually arrive in its entirety, can be saved, and can then be smoothly played back from the destination hard drive, just as it could be with a traditional download. So, as reliable as they are for document transmission, HTTP and FTP cannot be used for true streaming, because their error- correction schemes undermine the temporal relationship between video and audio packets. They provide no facility for accommodating the data transfer rate to the audio or video data rate that is, the rate at which the data comprising the media plays back. Using HTTP or FTP, a one-minute movie might download in one second, one minute, or even take an hour, depending on the size of the file and the speed of the connection. If the connection speed is less than the media s data rate, the media still makes it to the client, progressive download just won t play smoothly. RTP enables streaming RTP (Real-time Transfer Protocol) transmits data in real time. This means that a one- minute movie is transmitted in one minute. Layered on top of UDP (User Datagram Protocol), rather than on top of TCP, RTP provides very little error-correction; lost, late, or damaged packets are simply dropped. Whatever data arrives is what plays. So, when we say that streaming is a forgiving medium, we are referring to the fact that it will keep on playing, even if it skips a beat, and that these losses are tolerable even preferable, to the delays that would be imposed using TCP. In fact, Live-Live streaming would be impossible without this tolerance. Of course, if the connection speed is lower than the data rate, playback will be jerky, or the media might not play at all.

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A Streaming Media Primer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? While the essence of the player is its capability to support media playback, the experience of the player may take a variety of different forms, either as a standalone window, or embedded into a Web page to enhance static content. In either case, the player s UI (user interface) often looks and works much like a familiar physical device either a television set or a radio or a jukebox, of sorts. The player can, in most cases, have a customized look and feel, known as a skin. Skins may be delivered by content providers, in order to brand the streaming media experience. Skins for some players may also be user-selected, allowing customization by end-users. In the corporate world, streaming media players are evolving beyond just organizing and playing media. Players are becoming comprehensive presentation engines, with the ability to present live or recorded multimedia content with slides, video, music and narration. Such presentations can be streamed over a corporate intranet or, via the Internet, to customers and constituencies around the globe. HOW DOES IT GETTHERE FROM HERE? Although the terms Web and Internet are often used synony-Streams are sent from a streaming media server to a client using a protocol known as RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol). RTP is similar to HTTP and to FTP protocols mously, they’re actually two dif-used by Web servers but there are some essential differences ferent things The Internet is Excuse me you don tknow whatHTTP and FTP are? the global association of comput-What s the matter? Have you been living under a rock for the past eight years? (Just ers that carries data and makes kidding!) The first Web browser, called Mosaic, was created by Marc Andreeson in 1993. He went on to cofound Netscape in 1994, and the rest is history. The fact is, we ve the exchange of information pos-only had the ability to surf the Web with GUI-enabled browsers for a few short years, so don t be embarrassed if you need a little education on the way the Internet works its sible. The World Wide Web is a history and technology has hardly made it into school curriculums yet, and most of subset of the Net a collection of us have been too busy using the Internet and the Web to be bothered to learn how interlinked documents that work they work. together using a specific Internet In the computer world, just like in the real world, a protocol is a set of standards that defines how information is to be conveyed and how parties are to interact. Unless protocol called HTTP In other the conventions are strictly adhered to, one party will not recognize the other, and the words, the Net exists indepen-information will not be transferred. The Internet is a virtual Tower of Babel, connecting a great many different types of computing platforms via a vast array of different commudently of the Web, but the Web nications mediums. So many types of protocols are used, on several different levels, all can t exist without the Net. at once. This may seem complicated, but it is not an unfamiliar concept. When you make a telephone call, many protocols are also employed: the country code, area code, CNET19 exchange, and the identifying numbers are all a part of the addressing protocol; there may be an automated protocol in use to locate the individual within the organization you are calling that requires pressing the correct sequence of buttons; and there is even a protocol for your verbal exchanges over the phone that includes critical success factors we now take for granted, such as identifying yourself, communicating without reference to visual aids, and ending the call with some form of Goodbye. TCP/IP is the most dominant protocol suite on the Internet, comprised of two main protocols IP and TCP. TCP/IP might be likened to a global air traffic control network that makes sure data goes to the right destination and gets there intact. IP (Internet Protocol), the basis of most Internet protocols, breaks up large chunks of information into digestible packets. In addition to the data being conveyed, each packet (also known as a datagram) carries a header containing the source and destination IP addresses, as well as a sequence number that allows the destination computer to reconstruct the packets in the correct sequence, when they arrive. This sequencing information is critical, as the packets may not arrive in proper sequence, since they each find their own way to the final destination along whatever path is necessary, depending on continually fluctuating network traffic conditions. If a telephone line breaks down along the way, a packet will find another route by which to travel. IP focuses mostly on the location of hardware, getting the information across the vast network, from one device to another. Adobe Dynamic Media 19 http://coverage.cnet.com/Content/Features/Techno/Networks/ss03.html

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A Streaming Media Primer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? QuickTime Player embedded into Web page Standalone RealMedia Player offers exclusive streaming coverage of Major League Baseball Standalone QuickTime Player displaying Favorites drawer Standalone Windows Media Player displaying portal mode Users can acquire these and other skins to personalize their Windows Media Player: A nostalgic skin resembling an old-fashioned radio A futuristic silver ball with sliding elements and hidden features A cute penguin named Melvin who plays your music and videos RealNetworks, Apple, and Microsoft each offer players that are available via free download from their Web sites (although the Windows Media Player comes pre-installed on PCs shipped with the Windows operating system, while the QuickTime Player is pre- installed on the Mac OS platform). All three of these major competitors sell downloadable player upgrades, offering premium models that can enhance playback controls with such features as video contrast and color adjustment, audio graphics equalizers, the selective recording and saving of streaming content (if authorized by the content provider), and more. While the three major architectures media players will all play back some competitive formats, they do not always support the newest releases of a competing format. This is a complication that makes it difficult for consumers to decide which player to choose as the default in their Web browser. Meanwhile, content providers who want to reach as many eyeballs as possible are forced to support all three players. With competition between the three big players heating up, the contenders have begun The issue for consumers will be the irritation of having to download the player and figuring out which one is going to become the default player Streaming media content almost certainly requires media companies to convert to multiple formats. Adobe Dynamic Media Jeremy Schwartz, consultant18 to incorporate portal-like functionality into their players to add value, offering categorized content choices such as movie trailers, news, and other vertical content, as well as allowing end-users to add conveniently clickable access to their own favorite channels. One of the ways in which the big three streaming media contenders compete is by vying for exclusive rights to broadcast popular content especially sports, entertainment, and news only via their own portal-player. As a primary means to generate revenue, portal-players offer advertisers the opportunity for sponsorships, streaming commercial messages prior to playing user-selected content, and making the experience of streaming video on the Internet more and more like traditional broadcast radio and TV. 18 As quoted in The Impossible Stream, by Ken Kerschbaumer, Broadcasting & Cable Magazine, December 11, 2000

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A Streaming Media Primer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? mediums, that needs to be recut and simplified for best results on the Web. Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects software provide all the tools you need for digital video editing and visual effects. You ll need tools for pre-processing and encoding streaming media Outputting your production as streaming media is likely to include two basic steps: pre-processing and encoding (also referred to as compression, although compression is only part of encoding). Pre-processing filters out non-essential information from your video and audio information that is difficult to encode and is not required for generally accepted Web-quality media. If you are doing a live Webcast, you ll need to set up automatic pre-processing functions between capture and encoding. If, however, you edited your project for VOD (video-on-demand), you may WHY DO WE NEED PLUG-INS? When you click on a Web link for a media file, you depend on your browser to automatically know how to play it. It knows because most files on the Web use a MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) format. Originally developed for transmitting attachments to e-mail messages, MIME is a standard system for identifying the type of data contained in a file, based on its extension. MIME types that are automatically recognized and displayed by most browsers include formatted text files like HTML, graphics files like GIF and JPEG, and interactivity-enhancing files like those created in JavaScript or ActiveX. When a browser encounters an unknown MIME type, it does one of the following: Begins downloading the file and opens it with the application designated in your browser preferences. If it does not find a corresponding application, it may ask you with which application you want to open the file, or it may ask if you want to download an appropriate application. Allows you to save the file to disk. Allows you to cancel the transfer. Browsers can handle practically any file type, even those that they cannot display themselves, by using external, or helper, applications known as plug-ins. These auxiliary programs must be installed for a browser to load and display (or play) certain MIME types. Adobe Acrobat PDF files, Macromedia Flash SWF files, and video and audio files formatted for RealMedia, Windows Media, and QuickTime players are just a few of the more commonly encountered file types requiring a plug-in for display or playback. Browsers usually come with common plug-ins already installed and, when they encounter a file requiring a plug-in that has not been installed, will often prompt you to download and install it, if you choose to do so. Adobe Dynamic Media have already done most, if not all, of the pre-processing in the editing stage. The compression part of encoding reduces the bit rate of the digital media file so that it can be efficiently streamed at the proper bandwidth. Encoding also translates the media file into the architecture s format, and may add other functionality such as digital rights management features. Gotta have a streaming media server or two or three The term server can either be used to refer to server software, or to computer hardware dedicated to serving processes. When we say that you need a specialized server to stream media, we are primarily referring to the server software. You ll recall from our definition of streaming, that true streaming requires a specialized streaming server. Although files formatted for streaming can be served from a Web server, files cannot truly be streamed. In the next section, and later in this Primer, you ll learn more about why this is so. If you choose to deliver your streaming media in only one format, you need only use the server software that supports that format. But if you decide to offer more than one format, remember that each format must be served by its compatible server software. So, if you want to offer your streaming content in all three of the popular streaming formats QuickTime, RealMedia, and Windows Media you will need to run, or have access to, servers for all three architectures. New options for serving and hosting streaming media are emerging on an almost daily basis. The pivotal question for every streamer, large or small, is whether to serve their own streams or to outsource. A hosting provider may prove to be an excellent alternative to setting up your own server(s), if you are an individual or small business expecting to stream just a little. If you intend to serve a lot of streaming media as part of an enterprise initiative, in support of e-commerce, or for most any type of commercial endeavor you will need dedicated hardware, and/or a hosting provider. And a streaming media player or two or three Streaming media requires client software on the receiving end in other words, each of the end-users in your audience needs a player to see and hear your streaming media content. These players stream pre-recorded and live media over the Internet, and can play back media that has been saved to disk in various formats. There are two basic types of streaming media clients: Java clients Java clients quickly download a Java applet to the user s machine before the streaming content begins, so that any Java-enabled browser can play back the stream. Java clients can provide a virtually transparent experience for the end- user, playing content that appears to be seamlessly embedded into a Web page, a banner, or an e-mail, without invoking a pop-up window for a plug-in player that may interrupt the experience. Java clients do not, typically, offer the full range of end-user controls provided by plug-in clients. For the moment, the plug-in client model remains the popular standard. Plug-in clients A plug-in is an application that adds functionality to your Web browser. In the case of a media player, the plug-in provides the client software needed to play back and control media that is either downloaded or streamed to the browser. The three major streaming media architectures use plug-in clients.

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A Streaming Media P rimer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? Shoot The big three streaming architectures and their native file formats Capture Architecture QuickTime Native Formats QuickTime Format Streaming Media File Extensions .mov (sometimes .qt or .qti) RealMedia RealMedia Format .rm Windows Media Advanced Streaming Format or Windows Media Video/Audio .asf, .wmv, .wma MPEG (denoted by .mpg and several other file extensions) is a standard file format for video, and it is also a codec that is used to create formats, but it is not a complete architecture. MPEG-1, originally designed for multimedia formats on CD-ROM, does not support true streaming but only progressive download. MPEG-4 is a brand new, international open standard for Web video, based around the QuickTime format. Windows Media Video v1 is a derivative of the MPEG-4 codec, which has been Edit renamed to avoid confusion. QuickTime 5, just released as of the finalization of this Primer, is the first full implementation of MPEG-4 for streaming media. WHAT ALL DO I NEED TO MAKE MY PRODUCTIONS STREAM? Encode Integrate Serve Play Back Adobe Dynamic Media This section merely outlines the tools and techniques involved in streaming media you ll find more detailed explanations in the section of this primer entitled How Do I Make (Good) Streaming Media. The process from planning and shooting your video, through outputting the appropriate file formats for the selected medium are, essentially, the same steps you would go through for developing any kind of digital video project: pre-production (planning), production (shooting video and recording audio), and post-production (editing, adding effects and titles, mixing and synchronizing audio, and outputting for your medium of choice). But for streaming media, the process doesn t end there you still have to publish your streams. First, you ll need some media you want to share Whether it s a live-live Webcast from a Web-cam trained on your baby s first steps or a scheduled Webcast of your CEO giving a keynote speech that s pushed to the extended enterprise or an effects- heavy movie trailer that audiences can stream on-demand to build anticipation for the next big summer blockbuster if you can capture it, you can stream it. The term video capture may be used to refer to the digitization of analog video, from a connected camcorder (video camera) or from a connected tape deck, as it is saved onto a computer hard drive via a video capture card installed in the computer. The captured video clips, once digitized, can then be manipulated (edited and/or encoded) with computer software. The very same term capture is also used to refer to the simple transfer of DV (a video format typically shot with a digital camcorder and, therefore, already in digital form), from a camcorder or tape deck, onto a computer via an IEEE 1394 connection (also known as FireWire or iLink). For Webcasting, analog video and DV can both be captured live while filming, to be streamed live i.e., in real time (although a specialized video capture card designed to handle streaming is necessary for the live capture and streaming of analog video). Similarly, audio, whether recorded live or transferred from a CD or other sound storage medium is also said to be captured, when it is saved onto a computer. You ll probably want some video editing and visual effects software If you are not doing a live feed, you have the opportunity to edit and develop your video story with titles, motion graphics, transitions, and visual effects, as well as with music, voice-overs, sound effects, and other audio enhancements. Or, you may be repurposing content that was produced for other

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A Streaming Media Primer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? Year 2000: unique monthly audience by player, in millions of viewers per month16 30 RealMedia Windows QuickTime 25 20 15 10 5 0 Jan.-Dec. Jan.-Dec. Jan.-Dec. 2000 2000 2000 Media 20-28 million 7-13 million 7 million most content providers support all the players Microsoft s Media Player, Real Network s Real Player and Apple s QuickTime in an effort to reach as many eyeballs as possible. There are some solutions available that make it easier to handle multiple bit rates from one source, but encoding for the different formats continues to be a challenge. In addition to requiring more employees to handle the encoding, it also requires more space on servers . Ken Kerschbaumer Broadcasting & Cable Magazine17 It s all interrelated in a streaming architecture, everything must be compatible From the content provider s perspective, the situation is even more difficult: the RealMedia server cannot stream Windows Media and QuickTime files; the Windows Media server cannot stream QuickTime and RealMedia files; and the QuickTime server cannot stream RealMedia and Windows Media files. Meanwhile, because end-users are choosing their default players for different reasons, COMPATIBLE CODECS COMPATIBLE FORMATS COMPATIBLEPROTOCOLSServers Encoders Players Adobe Dynamic Media and no content provider wants their media to be overlooked simply because the end-user has selected one player over another, content providers usually choose to encode, serve, and stream their content in at least two, if not all three of the major formats. And, making it even more complex and costly, depending on whether they are delivering over narrowband or broadband or both, content providers may offer streaming files at multiple bit rates, within each format. So there may be as many as nine different versions to be encoded, stored, and streamed. Each architecture has pro and cons, as well as champions and critics. Decisions you make about which architectures to use, when, and how, will depend upon the parameters of your project, your audience, your objectives, and other factors. Don t be surprised if you find it quite difficult to decide this is the subject of great debate, even among the experts. But one thing upon which the experts agree, is the need for an open, extensible standard that will satisfy the needs of technology providers, content providers, and audiences alike. Streaming media formats Architectures are often mistakenly called formats. An architecture is much more than just a format. A format, also known as a file format, is simply the file structure an architecture creates with its codecs (short for compressor-decompressor you ll learn more about codecs later in this Primer). The file format and, therefore, the architecture, can usually be recognized by the filename extension (a dot plus three characters) tagged onto the name of the file. 11 16 Source: Streaming Media Market Report 2001 by Dale Sorenson, Macintouch Special Reports, April 2001, http://macintouch.com/stream2001.html#2000use 17 The Impossible Stream, by Ken Kerschbaumer, Broadcasting & Cable Magazine, December 11, 2000

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A Streaming Media Primer: HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? SERVERS WITH A SMILE? HOW DOES STREAMING WORK? Adobe Dynamic Media If you are a do-it-yourselfer who is not going to be streaming very much media to very many people, your Web server and media server might just be different processes (handled by different server software applications) running on the same machine. If you are already going into techno- phobic shock at the very mention of clients and servers, don t despair, read on The techies who invent these things love to confuse the rest of us with tricky terminology, just to make sure we keep them around. While the term server sometimes refers to hardware, as in That old server is collecting dust, it may also mean software, as in We installed a new Web server on that computer today. Both uses actually refer to the same principle a server is a solution designed to receive requests from a third party and respond by delivering, or serving up, a particular type of data. This process is also known as a transaction. Requests are sent to a server by a client. Again, the term client may be used to refer to a PC (hardware) or to a software application. A good example of a client is a Web browser, which is software installed on a PC that functions as a client to Web servers. When the client receives the data it has requested from the server, it may further process and/or display the data. Media players are software clients that process and play back video and/or audio. Any computer on which the appropriate server software has been installed can function as a server. But typically, when a piece of hardware is dedicated to that role, it is made up of high-grade components that will deliver reliable 24/7/365 availability. If you reach the point where you are serving so many streams to so many users that, in order to handle the traffic, you need a dedicated media server (and you decide to handle your media hosting inhouse rather than outsourcing), you will probably want what is known as an appliance server or network appliance. A network appliance is server hardware with factory-installed server software, designed specifically for a specific type of server function such as handling media. Although streaming technology can start to seem mighty complex mighty fast, it s all really based on this simple model: Web Server Media Server 1The end-user selects a media file, causing a request to be sent to the Web server. 2The Web server relays the request to the media server. 3The Media server streams the media file back to the end-user s computer. Client The client, or player, decodes and plays back the media file. WHERE DO STREAMS COME FROM? Streaming media architectures An architecture is an interdependent system comprised of a variety of components that all work together to perform certain functions. Streaming media architectures are comprised of encoding and transmission methods, server software, and players (client software). Currently, the three most popular streaming media architectures are RealMedia, Windows Media, and QuickTime. There are also a few interesting alternatives available, including architectures based on Java applets that do not require the end-user to have a proprietary player (or plug-in) installed. Instead, an ultra-light Java applet delivers an ephemeral player to the end-user s browser, enabling playback for the duration of the streaming session, after which the player is discarded. While such java-based players are usually less intrusive than proprietary players some even virtually transparent they typically do not offer the full range of end-user controls made available by the proprietary players. Currently, however, and for a variety of technology and business reasons which are beyond the scope of this document, the streaming market is dominated by three architectures: RealMedia, Windows Media, and QuickTime. The unfortunate result is that there are now three parallel standards that do not work together. Imagine what it might have been like if, when television first hit the airwaves, each of the three major networks required a different device to translate their signal into video and audio each home would have needed an ABC television set, a CBS television set, and an NBC television set, if the household wanted to watch programs on every channel. That s essentially what the situation is, in today s streaming media marketplace. While there is some limited cross-over in the players ability to play back other architectures formats, the technology is so competitive, that end-users cannot count on cross-over capabilities working, as the formats rapidly evolve. This can be confusing and irritating for end- users, who must continually download the latest plug-ins and then figure out which to choose as the default player in their browser, based on which is being supported by the majority of their favorite content providers.

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A Streaming Media Primer: WHAT IS STREAMING MEDIA? The popularity of rich media grew steadily last year to the point that a majority of Internet users are viewing some type of streaming media at least once a month. In January 2000, about 34 million Internet users viewed web video Over the course of the year, that number grew steadily to November s high of nearly 49 million (spurred in part by the American presidential election, which drove Internet traffic to an all time high). Dale Sorenson Streaming Media Market Report 200114 Consumers are not the only ones who will benefit from the streaming media revolution, the report states, as e-tailers will find that streaming media allows them to target ads more effectively than previous methods In addition, streaming media will benefit from an increase in business-to-business (B2B) broadcasting of events such as earnings reports, meetings and conventions, seminars, product and service announcements, and distance learning. 12 Everybody s streaming now Spending on streaming media technology and services is expected to grow from $9.7 billion in 1999 to $15.2 billion in 2002.13 So who s doing all this streaming? Television and radio stations E-tailers Movie studios Educators and trainers News organizations Facilities managers and security providers Music labels and musicians Architects, engineers, construction managers Corporations (intranet and extranet) Individuals Come along,we ll show you how! There s a lot to know about streaming, and new technology is emerging every day. This Primer won t make you an expert. But we hope it will encourage you to get started. If you are a business professional, you may want to use streaming media to achieve a wide variety of objectives, from facilitating internal and external corporate communications to implementing more cost-effective training to bolstering your e-business effectiveness. If you are a video professional, your customers are probably already asking you to create original content and to repurpose existing content for streaming applications. It is quickly becoming apparent that you need to add streaming media to your capabilities. And, when you use streaming to deliver original media to Web audiences, you maintain control of your content with copyright protection. If you are a Web designer or developer, your clients will be looking to you to integrate streaming media into their Web sites to make them more compelling. Yep! It s one more capability you need to add to your continually expanding repertoire sooner is better than later. Streaming media is scary But streaming media is easy These days, it is simple to create and to implement in your Web site. The only challenge is in understanding the range of choices and directions the streaming media industry offers. Tim Kennedy Streaming Media World15 Adobe Dynamic Media 12 Report: Net Set for Streaming Media, by Lori Enos, E-Commerce Times, October 2000, http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/4492.html 13 Streaming Media: The Next Wave for Digital Content Distribution, by C. Eugene Munster and Robert S. Drobinski, U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray 14 Streaming Media Market Report 2001 by Dale Sorenson, Macintouch Special Reports, April 2001, http://macintouch.com/stream2001.html#2000use 15 What is Streaming Media by Tim Kennedy, Streaming Media World, June 1999, http://www.streamingmediaworld.com/gen/tutor/whatis/

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A Streaming Media P rimer: WHAT IS STREAMING MEDIA? congestion, etc.) are equivalent. But however long the download takes, when all is said and done, the quality of the playback experience will be the same, assuming all other relevant factors (e.g., processing capability, video support, quality of monitor and speakers, popcorn, etc.) are equal. For streaming media to play back smoothly, a continuous, steady stream of data must be delivered a stream that won t choke the pipes. In other words, you need to produce a file that streams at a low enough bit rate (data transfer rate) for the connection to handle. Reducing the bit rate of a media fi le enough to flow smoothly through a narrowband connection means sending much less data than a broadband connection is able to handle much less data than we are used to seeing when we watch broadcast television; much, much less than when we play a DVD. There are several ways in which the bit rate can be reduced: the physical dimensions (area) of the video frame can be made smaller the number of frames per second (fps) of the video can be lowered, and/or the amount of information in each frame can be reduced through compression. When any or all of these strategies are employed, the quality of the playback experience suffers. If a media file is encoded to optimize playback for the least common denominator a typical narrowband connection at 28.8 Kbps, for example the quality will be relatively low. A user with a higher bandwidth connection, such as cable modem, DSL, or a corporate T-1 line (which, with current technology might support near-broadcast quality) can play any streaming media clip that has been encoded for transmission at their connection speed or lower but they will suffer poor quality unnecessarily. However, a user with a low bandwidth connection, who attempts to play a stream that has been encoded for higher bandwidths, will experience choppy playback and delays. The best solution the emerging streaming media industry has come up with to date, is to publish streaming media content as multiple streams, encoded for an assortment of bandwidths, in order to accommodate a wide variety of end-users. This is called multi-bit rate encoding, or MBR. WHO S STREAMING IN THE REAL WORLD? There s a whole lot of streaming going on According to Nielson/NetRatings, streaming media consumption skyrocketed to an all-time high in November 2000, with 35 million Web users at home accessing streaming content, a 65% increase from 21 million in November 1999. Nielson/NetRatings indicates that fi gure accounts for 36% of all Internet users, as compared to 28% during the same period in the prior year. Nielson/ NetRatings also reports that people with high-speed Web connections 11.2 million home users in November 2000 are more likely to consume streaming media content. Active users with a broadband connection in the home (over 56 Kbps) were 50% more likely to access streaming media than their dial-up counterparts (56 Kbps and below).11 Trends show streaming usage by Web users at home is skyrocketing Adobe Dynamic Media Audience Demographic November 1999 November 2000 Percent Increase Females 9 million 16 million 77% Males 12 million 19 million 56% Kids/Teens 4 million 7 million 65% Seniors 700,000 1.4 million 95% And lots more streaming to come A Q42000 report by U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffrey indicates that the implementation of streaming media to meet consumer demand will drive the next wave of Internet growth. The report predicts that total spending on Web streaming media will grow from $9.7 million in 1999 to $21.6 million by 2004. 11 Streaming Media Usage Spikes 65 Percent, InternetNews.com, December 2000, http://www.internetnews.com/streaming-news/article/0,,8161_532781,00.html

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