33Streaming video is a sequence of "moving images" that are sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive. Streaming media is streaming video with sound. With streaming video or streaming media, a Web user does not have to wait to download a large file before seeing the video or hearing the sound. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. The user needs a player, which is a special program that uncompresses and sends video data to the display and audio data to speakers. A player can be either an integral part of a browser or downloaded from the software maker's Web site either to a PC or a Cell Phone.
Major streaming video and streaming media technologies include Real System’s G2 from RealNetwork, Apple's QuickTime, Microsoft Windows Media Technologies, and VDO. Almost all have migrated to MPEG 4 (CODEC) compression algorithm for video. Some other approaches use proprietary algorithms. The program that does the compression and decompression is sometimes called the codec, it maybe software or hardware or a combination of both.
Progressive download video is the correct name, typically delivering the entire video file to a temporary file area of the viewer's computer. After a few seconds of downloading, the video starts playing. Most viewers can't tell whether they're seeing progressive or streaming video. Most of the time, the download will be faster than playback, so the media player and computer processor (Codec) will easily be able to keep up. If the internet connection is slow or suffers traffic congestion, then the player pauses until it once again has a few seconds of video (called buffering) then it will resume playback.
* Streaming video - Video is fed to a media player as it's needed, with the quality of the picture adjusting to the speed and reliability of the connection.CALL 800-859 -5924 or 972-267-3279. Contact OPC.
MPEG-4 is an ISO/IEC standard developed by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), the committee that also developed the Emmy Award winning standards known as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. These standards made interactive video on CD-ROM, DVD and Digital Television possible. MPEG-4 is the result of another international effort involving hundreds of researchers and engineers from all over the world. MPEG-4, with formal as its ISO/IEC designation 'ISO/IEC 14496', was finalized in October 1998 and became an International Standard in the first months of 1999.
For most Web users, the streaming video picture quality will be limited to the data rates of the connection or bandwidth and the expertise of the person or company who prepares the streaming video files (encoding) and the speed of the hardware broadcasting the file.
Other factors are the original quality of the video and other utilities used to make the final delivery signal "cleaner".
Streaming video is usually sent from prerecorded video files, but can be distributed as part of a live broadcast "feed." In a live broadcast, the video signal is converted into a compressed digital signal and transmitted from a special Web server that is able to do multicast, sending the same file to multiple users at the same time. Basic hardware limits the number of streams to about 50 at a time per average server.
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The term codec is an acronym that means "compression/decompression" CO/DEC. A codec is a software algorithm, or specialized computer program, that reduces the number of bytes and color pallet consumed by large video files and programs.
In order to minimize the amount of storage space required for a complicated file, such as a video, compression is used. Compression works by eliminating redundancies in data.
Compression can be done for any kind of file, including text, programs, images, audio, video, and virtual reality (VR). Compression can reduce the size of a file by a factor of 100 or more in some cases. For example, a 10-megabyte video might be reduced to 100 kilobytes. The uncompressed file would be far too large to download from the Web in a reasonable length of time, but the compressed file could usually be downloaded in a few seconds. For viewing, a decompression algorithm, which "undoes" the compression, would have to be used.
The current technology used on YouTube is Adobe's streaming flash, this seasoned standard for animation on the web in recent years has been transformed to the technology of choice for streaming flash video.
Flash has become the dominant form of media for entertainment web video delivery and is the backbone of YouTube and Google Video.
Windows Media and Real continue to dominate the market for enterprise streaming, QuickTime had a good hold on the progressive download market with its host of movie trailers and broad penetration in education—until Flash’s own video codec’s improved. The numerous interactive options QuickTime Pro offered never caught on with the majority of pro-tool developers ahead of Flash taking off, Flash reinvented itself and gobbled up that market as well.
There are numerous standard codec schemes. Some are used mainly to minimize file transfer time, and are employed on the Internet. Others are intended to maximize the data that can be stored in a given amount of disk space, or on a CD-ROM or DVD (MPEG 2). Most encoding software today allows a single video file to be encoded into several file types in one batch.
Codec’s are used in many popular Internet products, including QuickTime, Windows Netmeeting, Cu-Seeme now Radvision, and DeskShare..CALL 800-859 -5924 or 972-267-3279. Contact OPC.
The next Gen of AutoDialers will broadcast video as one component within its toolkit, using the following network technology. Contact OPC Marketing to see the next generation of AutoDialers.
• 3G
3G is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) specification for the third-generation mobile communications technology that was created for high-speed transfer of data and multimedia content, such as video, download music and interactive games. 3G aims to increase bandwidth up to 384 Kbps when a device is stationary or moving at pedestrian speed, 128 Kbps in a car, and 2 Mbps in fixed applications. 3G will work over wireless air interfaces, such as GSM, TDMA, and CDMA. The new EDGE service was developed specifically to meet the bandwidth needs of 3G.
• 802.20
Currently in development, 802.20 promises all the benefits of WiMAX 802.16, but it will be optimized for broadband wireless access while traveling at high speeds.
• Bluetooth
Simply known as a “cable replacement” technology, Bluetooth is a radio-frequency standard that functions as a personal-area network (PAN). It replaces cable-based connections, like USB’s, with short-range wireless connections. The technology can be applied between desktops and notebook computers, handhelds, PDAs, mobile phones, camera phones, headphones, printers, digital cameras, headsets, keyboards and computer mice.
• CDMA
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a digital wireless service that transfers data at rates from 40 to 144 Kbps. Unlike GSM, which assigns a specific frequency to each user, CDMA allows every channel to use the full available spectrum, allowing greater capacity and higher audio quality for more users.
• EDGE
Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE) is a faster GSM wireless service that can deliver data at rates up to 384 Kbps on a broadband. The standard is based on the GSM standard and uses TDMA.
• EV-DO
Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) is a high-speed wireless data connection on a CDMA network. The technology allows users to access high-speed Internet through portable devices, such as cell phones, laptops and PDAs.
• GIS
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) gather, combine and analyze different layers of information about an area on Earth.
• GPS
Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system funded and controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense that is available to the general public. GPS Processes satellite signals in a special GPS receiver to very accurately compute time, velocity and position. GPS works in all weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. GPS Advantages are it has no subscription fees or setup charges to use your devices.
• GSM
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a digital cellular system that uses TDMA, which allows a single frequency to support multiple, simultaneous data channels.
• iDEN
Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN) uses TMDA technology to provide cell phone voice communication, messaging, digital two-way radio and data transfers.
• PCS
Personal communication service (PCS) is a second-generation mobile communications technology also referred to as digital cellular. The digital service, which works over CDMA, GSM and TDMA interfaces, operates at the 1900 MHz frequency range and can be used internationally.
• TDMA
Division Multiple Access (TDMA) is a digital wireless service that divides a radio frequency into time slots and then allocates the slots to multiple calls, allowing a single digital frequency to support multiple, simultaneous data channels.
• Wi-Fi
Also known as 802.11, AirPort and wireless LAN, Wi-Fi is a wireless network connection that uses a high-bandwidth radio transceiver to tap into networks at speeds of 11 mbps to more than 100 mbps, up to 350 feet from a base station.
Wi-Fi cards most commonly found in laptops have the specifications 802.11a, b, and g. These three standards tap into different frequencies and allow for varying bandwidths. Most new wireless cards, cell phones and laptops can work with multiple standards.
• WiMAX
WiMAX technology, also known as 802.16, hit the market in 2005 and will function as a wireless alternative to cable modems and DSL. WiMAX plans to offer wireless connectivity up to 30 miles from an antenna at speeds of up to 75 mbps, cable modems bring in data at just over 1 mbps. WiMax, which carriers can use to wirelessly deliver broadband, include the 802.16 standard, plus revisions and additions.
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