Is Streaming Video Practical?
Streaming video allows you to watch a video file as it downloads. Streaming is not limited to video files - it can also be used for audio files.
Streaming technology is the greatest thing since sliced bread, because without it we would have to download the entire file before watching or listening to it.
Video files are usually quite large so they can take a long time to download. A feature-length movie (about 90 minutes of video) can be compressed to about 700 MB so that it will fit on a standard CD. Compression discards part of the original video, so a movie compressed down to 700 MB will not look as good as its DVD counterpart.
Even so, 700 MB can take days to download, depending on your connection speed. Streaming has an advantage over downloading because it allows you to watch a video within a few seconds of pushing the play button.
Uses for Streaming Video
Besides its entertainment value, streaming video has many practical uses. It can be used in video conferencing for business meetings, virtual classrooms, or medical consultations. This allows individuals and groups to interact even if they are physically separated by thousands of miles.
This is especially important in the medical field. Remote communities which do not have full medical facilities can be served by video conferencing. This can save the time and expense of transporting a patient to a larger medical facility by allowing a doctor to remotely consult with the patient and advise on treatments.
Live video streaming can also be used to allow remote students to participate in classroom activities. The educational uses of video streaming, however, usually take advantage of the more convenient Video On Demand (VOD) method of streaming video.
VOD requires less overhead in terms of bandwidth and hardware and is perhaps more useful for students because they can view the video at their convenience. The video can also be viewed as many times as necessary.
VOD provides an archive of video material. This feature of streaming video can be useful for any organization to store video records of business meetings, speeches, virtual tours, or any other type of video material.
Live streaming video can also be used in place of closed-circuit cameras to monitor remote locations. These video streams can be viewed anywhere in the world via Internet.
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