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18.6.1 ON DEMAND OR LIVE STREAMING?
Not all ‘streaming’ is ‘live streaming.’ The difference is similar to i) watching a
television program you previously recorded at a time convenient for you, or ii)
watching a live event.
On demand streams are stored on a server (often supplied by an external service
provider), ready to be transmitted whenever a viewer wishes. Live streams are
available at the time they are broadcast, such as during a live concert or event.
ON DEMAND HOSTING
TriCaster permits you to record live productions to a local hard drive. The resulting
files can be hosted on a network later, so viewers can connect whenever they like. If
you have the resources available, you can host the video yourself – but if many people
will likely want to view your production, you will likely avail yourself of a service to
stream it on your behalf.
Ideally, ‘on demand’ streaming video begins to play on request after a few moments.
(Letting the stream get a bit ahead of the client playback device is called ‘buffering’,
and helps ensure smooth playback). This stands in contrast to other types of online
video distribution which requires the viewer to completely download the video file
before he can begin play. Given a sufficiently high speed connection between host
and viewer, they may well be able to enjoy a seamless viewing experience without
stuttering or other issues.
LIVE STREAMING
Live streaming is a growing international market, and one you may well wish to serve.
This form of streaming is a somewhat more demanding implementation. Rather than
record a file and deal with it later, live video is transmitted over the network
(effectively in realtime, give or take a little ‘time in the pipe’ as it were.)
Delivering a good quality stream requires that you consider both your network
connection capabilities and that of your viewers. As well, to ensure reliable delivery,
you will ideally have some idea of the size of your audience. Nevertheless, for all
cases, TriCaster gives you the tools to do the job.
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