Live streaming is the transmission of video over the internet as it happens. It differs from on-demand streaming, and quality can vary depending on technology and bandwidth. There are two ways to view live streaming, and some sites impose restrictions due to broadcast rights. Illegal streaming is also prevalent.
Live streaming media is the transmission of video of an event as it happens over the Internet. Streaming is a form of online video where the site sends video footage to a user’s computer “on the fly” rather than as a complete file. It’s similar to the difference between watching a TV show as it’s on and watching a DVD.
Live streaming media is different from on-demand streaming. With the latter, the content was previously recorded. The user then accesses it at a time of their choosing, though it’s still streamed to their machine rather than downloaded as a complete file. YouTube is probably the best known on-demand streaming site.
The quality of live streaming media can be extremely variable. One factor that affects it is the technology used by the content producers to produce the streamed file. In some cases it may be deliberately kept to a small window size or low resolution.
Quality is also affected by the amount of bandwidth the website has purchased to stream the content. Typically, paid streams will be of better quality. This is partly because paid customers are less tolerant of stuttering or low-resolution video. However, it’s also because a site that charges for content will know exactly how many people are going to watch and therefore won’t run the risk of not having enough bandwidth.
There are two different ways to view live streaming media. In a system, content is only available directly through the relevant website, often using software integrated into the site itself. In another system, viewers will be able to watch the video through their own standalone media player software. The website will either provide links to open the video in the software or provide a dedicated web address for the video itself which the user types into their player.
Internet live streaming is also used illegally to broadcast television footage, particularly of pay-per-view events. The quality of those streams is even more variable and, of course, it’s much more difficult, or even impossible, to complain or take legal action if you don’t get what you promised. While some illegal streams involve direct connections to a cable TV feed of the program in question, others work simply by pointing a webcam at a TV screen showing the footage.
With legitimate live internet streaming, some sites may impose restrictions on where you can view the content. This is usually due to broadcast rights covering the countries where the site is licensed to broadcast the footage. These restrictions are not popular with users who believe international borders shouldn’t apply to the Internet. Some of these users find ways to disguise their computer location so they can watch the movie.
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