How does streaming work? Everything you need to know
Today, to watch a new movie or listen to the music of your favorite band, you don’t need to download files from the Internet. With streaming, all you have to do is open a movie on Netflix or a song on Spotify. It is a fast and convenient way to browse your favorite content on the Internet. No wonder streaming is so popular these days. And how does it work? Let’s find out.
What is streaming?
Before we get into how streaming works, let’s look at its definition. Streaming is nothing more than a continuous transmission of data (audio and video files) from the server to the client. This allows you to access content (TV, movies, music, podcasts) at any time on a device connected to the Internet. The multimedia file is stored remotely and transferred online in seconds.
How does it work?
Now let’s briefly discuss how streaming works and how it differs from downloading. A multimedia file (song, movie, podcast) gets divided into smaller parts, so-called data packets. As soon as these packets reach your browser, the audio player interprets the data as audio or video. Once your browser receives enough packets, the song or movie will begin playing.
An important concept in streaming is buffering. The video or audio player has a buffer where data packets are collected. Stream buffering involves loading parts of a stream in advance. This allows the user to watch a movie or listen to music continuously. Sometimes, when the Internet is too slow, you have to wait a few minutes before there are enough data packets in the buffer.
Of course, streaming companies need cloud platforms or servers to deliver streaming content. For that purpose, they use Content Delivery Networks. These networks cache content close to where it will be streamed. Companies use them to speed up the streaming process.
Although streaming and downloading consist of transferring a file from a server to a device, they are not the same. The difference is that if you download a file, you have to save it on your device’s hard drive, and you can play it again, even without an Internet connection. On the other hand, with streaming, you don’t save the files to the drive; it’s stored temporarily. In case of download, you need to download the entire file to open it. Streaming allows you to play a file while other data is still being received.
How to speed up streaming?
Are you wondering how to speed up streaming? Here are some tips:
- Delete the necessary files from the computer
- Use an ethernet cable
- Reduce the number of devices connected to the network
- Implement a content delivery network (CDN)
Conclusion
With streaming technology, multimedia playback is much more convenient today than it was several years ago. Today, there is no need to buy CDs or DVDs to watch a movie or listen to your favorite music. In fact, you don’t even need to download files to your device. All you need is a good Internet connection, and you have access to most multimedia.
At Elpassion’s blog you can find complete article about streaming – “What is Streaming? Definition and How it Works“
