How does adaptive streaming work

This can be seen as a gradual improvement in web development. Each video file has an index attached to specify predefined segments of the video. The duration of these segments is generally 10 seconds, in accordance with the HLS protocol. There is also a master playlist used to indicate the fragments as well as the information concerning them to the reader.

What's pretty cool is that this technology has just echoes the specifications of the M3U8 file format. Originally, M3U8 was designed for audio files, such as MP3s, but it is now it is used to indicate audio and video sources to media players.

An adaptive streaming video player uses the playlist's information to decide which of the available video variants best matches the user's criteria: network status, processor load, or resolution.

It can change the source for each new second segment if the network status changes during playback. Furthermore, adaptive streaming technology shares several key aspects. First, they generate multiple files from the same source file and then distribute them to viewers watching on different powered devices at different connection speeds.

Second, they can adaptively distribute files, thereby changing the delivered stream to accommodate changes in effective throughput and changes in CPU cycles available on the playback workstation. Third, they are not totally transparent to the user, so the viewer clicks only the play button instead of multiple buttons. When the user pre-selects the bit rate and video, the streams are also selected appropriately, and all these usually behind the scenes.

Thus, when the stream is switched, the viewer may notice a slight change in quality, but he does not need to take any measures. With the above explanation in mind, it should be immediately apparent that this method is superior to progressive streaming in every way. But does it trump ABR streaming? Although multi-bitrate streaming allows users to select their desired video quality manually, it is still susceptible to buffering issues. As you have probably realized by now, ABR streaming is undoubtedly the best stream delivery choice.

These factors are nothing to look down upon. Providing the best user experience to your viewers is one of the best ways brands can stand out in the vast sea of competition. Anyone can utilize ABR streaming nowadays as it is slowly but surely turning into an industry standard. Streaming protocols enable the delivery of audio and video content over the internet.

That is why choosing the best one for your needs is an essential first step , especially since not all live streaming protocols are made equal. Using various bitrates in your streaming profile will ensure you deliver the best user experience to the widest variety of devices. That is why having a wide range of different stream qualities available is an excellent idea.

The last thing left to do is find the appropriate video player that supports ABR streaming. TV since these support adaptive bitrate streaming from the get-go. Another advantage of adaptive bitrate streaming players is that they are already accessible from any browser or device. If power and connectivity change mid-stream, the video will automatically switch to another step on the ladder. By limiting the bandwidth required to deliver streams across a content delivery network CDN , distributors optimize connectivity expenses.

Sending linear streams via RTMP enabled lightning-fast video delivery. That said, the protocol encountered issues getting through firewalls. RTMP streams were encoded at a bitrate that was comfortably less than the bandwidth of target viewers. These were then delivered via a dedicated streaming server as a continuous stream of data.

This delivery method works by downloading the video as you watch it. The content could be cached on local servers and encountered less trouble getting through firewalls. Then came adaptive bitrate streaming. Content distributors encoded streams into many different bitrates and broke them into fragments.

These multi-bitrate chunks would then be indexed in a manifest file and delivered to the player. Very little buffering, fast start time, and a good experience for both high- and low-end connections.

Unlike progressive download, where the user would have to wait for the video to buffer if encoded at too high of a bitrate, adaptive bitrate streaming switches dynamically behind the scenes, without any user interaction. Video will make up 82 percent of all IP traffic by , a growing share of which will take the form of live streaming. Ever-increasing connectivity and more sophisticated technology have heightened customer expectations.

Luckily, adaptive bitrate streaming is easy. A fast internet connection has a higher bitrate than a slow internet connection. These settings and decisions about which video is best for each specific user can be changed from second to second. How does this magic happen? This is achieved with the use of segments. Segments are really at the heart of adaptive streaming.

When a video file is encoded to adaptive format, it is broken up into segments. These are short snippets of video, often set to 4 seconds long although they can be longer or shorter. At the end of each 4-second segment, the Player can switch to a different video file if necessary. The video is streaming at x pixels with no problems. But then, the road goes down into a valley, and the quality of the mobile network connection drops.

The data starts flowing more slowly. Remember that we need to download 24 frames per second. If the video was a progressive video, there would be no hope.