What
is Streaming Media?
Streaming
media refers to multimedia materials prepared for distribution
over the Internet. These materials may be video and/or audio
clips, which are encoded into different formats, and then streamed
to clients who watch or listen via specialized players. While
there are a larger number of possible formats and players,
three media types stand out: Windows Media, QuickTime and RealVideo.
With videorelay.com, you can stream these three formats (and
more) all from the same directory.
Your
encoded files are placed on our streaming media servers, and
links are placed to the streaming files in your website. When
an end user visits your website and selects a link, the stream
is automatically started. A log file is then written documenting
that the media file was accessed.
videorelay.com's streaming media control panel makes the entire
process of streaming your media files quick, easy and affordable.
We've worked out all of the technology for you! To learn more
about using the Streaming Media Control Panel, click
here.
videorelay.com
also offers live streaming services. For complete information
on live broadcasting, click here.
Why
is it called "Streaming" anyway?
The
term streaming media describes the way the data is sent to
the end user. Files that are streamed are delivered and are
playable to the end user faster. Streamed files require fewer
error-checking and other transfer controls found in traditional
file transfers, leading to a reduction in bandwidth overhead.
This reduction in bandwidth overhead means that the streamed
file gets more data to the end user, faster. There is a tremendous
amount of data in a single video frame, and there are 30 frames
in a standard second of video. So you can imagine how much
data there would be in a 10 minute clip. Using streaming technology,
higher resolution video and audio files are able to reach the
end user via the Internet.
What's
the difference between streaming and progressive?
Progressive
media files are download to the end user's computer. The file
may start playing after a certain amount has downloaded. Streaming
media files allow the end user to play the file much sooner.
What
is encoding?
Encoding
is the term used to describe the process of preparing audio
and video files to be streamed. The primary concern when broadcasting
via the Internet is file size. Files that are too large take
to long to transfer, ruining the experience. In order to ensure
that media files play smoothly via the Internet, the media
is encoded and compressed. There are various methods and techniques
for achieving compression, just as there are numerous settings
and configurations per format. However, essentially all files
are encoded at a target data rate. Data rates are measured
in kilobits per second (kbps) and refer to the size of the
data being streamed (think of it a piece of pipe, small pipe
allowing less water (data) and larger pipes having a higher
capacity).
videorelay.com
can encode your media files for you. Our encoding technicians
take care to ensure that your media files look and perform
the best they can. For complete information on our encoding
process and to receive an online encoding quote, please click
here.
If
you would like to encode media yourself, there are a number
of free and commercial encoders available. The following links
are provided as a service to get you on your way.
How
do I link to my media files?
There
are several different methods of linking media files into html
pages, however there are two common methods, "pop-up" player
linking and media file "embedding". Pop-up links
do just that... they pop-up a version of the media player for
that media file. Embedded media files are written into the
html code and appear as part of the html page.
No
matter how you decide to link to your files, videorelay has
created a Dynamic Linking System that allows quick and easy
access to your media. Our Dynamic Linking System knows what
file types are on the server and automatically creates the
correct link, dramatically reducing the complexity of accessing
your media files.
For more information about videorelay.com's services keep reading...
Getting
Started Guide
General
Account FAQ
How
to use the Control Panel
