Streaming Video is video that has been so heavily compressed that its data rates are low enough to allow for "real-time" playback over the internet. These clips may be accessed from a standard HTTP Web server, or a specialized Streaming Server optimized for streaming video (the Streaming Servers offer higher quality playback). The producer of the streaming content designates a target bandwidth (28.8 Kbps, 56 Kbps, T1, etc.) and compresses the video to playback as smoothly as possible at that bandwidth. The obvious advantage is the almost nonexistent download time - streaming video begins playback immediately. The drawbacks are also as expected - fewer frames (especially in clips accessed from a Web Server as opposed to a compatible Streaming Server; Windows Media or RealVideo, and reletively poor image quality. However, as users are continually upgrading their connection speeds and as streaming technology advances, streaming video will eventually become a standard for internet video playback. The most popular of the current streaming formats are as follows :


RealNetworks continues to develope the RealVideo format and the current version is quite popular due in part to it's cross platform abilities which Microsfots Media Player still lacks. (Although at the time of this writing, a beta MAC version of Media Player was being announced). Real is the most widely used streaming video format on the web. The RealVideo codec, co-produced by Intel, offers fairly high picture quality at low data rates, and its integration of SMIL - an HTML-like scripting language allowing for synchronization of multiple clips, multilingual audio playback, and other features - boasts great versatility. The recently released G2 format has even greater picture quality than its predecessor, and its SureStream technology also allows web producers to combine several versions of their video content (each targeting a different bandwidth) into one file. The appropriate version will play according to the viewer's connection speed.

Window's Media Player replaces the shortlived NetShow format. Media Player is rapidly gaining ground as the defacto standard for streaming media. Compression quality at low bandwidths can be very, very good and Like G2, it also allows for multiple bandwidth versions stored in the same file. Microsoft calls their version of this technology "Intelligent Streaming". Media Player tends to have better frame rates on playback then Realvideo. And is often preferred for live Webcasts for this reason. Microsoft offers a complete authoring package at no charge allowing users to create very interactive and rich presentations easily. Real charges for the fully functional version of their authoring software. For example in Windows Media Author you can create multiple bandwidth clips and resize the final image, for free. With Reals' tools these features are only available if you purchase the Plus or Pro versions of their software.You also have the ability to incorporate a variety of interactive elements and links into or in sync with the video, such as adjacent Html pages that change with the video or a Powerpoint presentation that runs alongside the content. Media Player utilizes the Microsoft MPEG-4 codec, among others and also offers ACELP audio compression for very good audio quality.

For information on the latest Streaming Video technology, visit the following :
RealNetworks • Microsoft Windows Media Technologies •