Streaming Media

Streaming MediaKyra Walton

What is Streaming Media?Streaming Media is video/audio content that is sent over the Internet in a compressed form and is played instantly instead of being saved to an external hard drive. Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received and presented to an end user, while being delivered by a provider.For example, in the 1930s,elevator music was considered one of the earliest forms of streaming media. Now Internet Videos and Television is considered the most popular form of streaming media.With streaming media, a user does not have to wait to download a file to play it. Because the media is sent in a continuous stream of data it can play as it arrives. Users can pause, rewind or fast-forward, just as they could with a downloaded file, unless the content is being streamed live.

HistoryIn the early 1920s, Major General George Owen Squier was given permission for patents to create a system for transmission and distribution of signals over electrical lines that would stream continuous music to commercial customers without the usage of radio. This system would later be known as Muzak, which was inspired by the naming of the presently well known camera company Kodak.Streaming media through computer began in the early mid-20th century, but there was little progress made for many decades, mostly due to the cost and very limited capabilities of computers in that time. A huge change in streaming media through computer software came about during the late 1980 through the early 90s. During this time we made many advancements in computer technology and personal computers actually were strong enough to handle the signals needed to stream media. The main technical issues related to streaming media during that time was:Having enough CPU (Central Processing Unit) power and bus bandwidth (amount of data transferred in a certain amount of time) to support the required data rates needed to stream media.Creating low latency interrupt paths in the actual operating system of the computers which would help prevent buffering.

George O Squier

Interesting Advancements with Streaming MediaDuring the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet users saw better network bandwidth, an increased access overall to all networks, especially the Internet, use of standard formats such as TCP/IP,HTTP,HTML, and commercialization of the Internet as a whole.Severe Tire Damage was the first band to perform live on the internet was on June 24,1993. The band was playing a gig at Xerox PARC during that time. Scientists were experimenting with new technology for broadcasting on the Internet. Proof of their technology was the bands performance being played live in Australia and other locations.Microsoft Research developed a Microsoft TV application which was compiled under MS Windows Studio Suite and tested in conjunction with Connectix QuickCam which is still in usage todayA company called Real Networks, which is also a pioneer in streaming media, broadcasted a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners over Internet in 1995.First Symphony concert took place at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington on November 10,1995. It was a collaboration of The Seattle Symphony and musicians such as Slash, Matt Cameron, and Barrett Martin.A London based magazine, Word Magazine (1995-2013), launched in 1995 and decided to feature the first ever streaming soundtrack on the Internet.

AdvantagesHere are some advantages of streaming media:Makes it possible for users to take advantage of interactive applications like video search and personalized playlists.Allows content deliverers to monitor what visitors are watching and how long they are watching it.Provides an efficient use of bandwidth because only the part of the file that's being transferred is the part thats being watched.Provides the content creator with more control over his intellectual property because the video file is not stored on the viewer's computer. Once the video data is played, it is discarded by the media player.

Different ways of streaming media

We stream media through: Smart Phones, Tablets, PCs and of course Television.Downloading: Downloaded files tend to be in standard formats (such as MP3) that play easily on any computer or operating system.Streaming: There are three main streaming systems:RealPlayer, Apple QuickTime, and Microsoft Windows Media Player. These systems have become much more compatible than they used to be, but its not always possible to play files designed for one player on the others.

Streaming Media Example

Works Cited

"Chiefs of Signal." Signal Corps "Regimental" History Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015."How To Stream Media From Your Pc To Samsung Smart TV Using Serviio." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.http://www.explainthatstuff.com/streamingmedia.htmlOnline Video: Driving Brand Awareness and ROI." Online Video: Driving Brand Awareness and ROI. Coull, n.d. Tues. 25 Oct. 2"What Is Streaming Media? - Definition from WhatIs.com." WhatIs.com. N.p., n.d. Tues. 25 Oct. 2015.