How Streaming Works

In streaming video and audio, the travelling information is a stream of data from a server.

16:46 04 July 2017

 A server is more than just a massive hard drive; it is also the software that delivers data to your computer. An example is Apple QuickTime Streaming Server, which delivers video and audio on request to users over a computer network.

 

Streaming services typically deliver files with a little help from a web server. In order to stream an audio or video file, a user must first go to a web page, which is stored on the web server. The user will then have to click the file they want to use and the web server will send a message to the streaming server, which sends the file to the user.

 

This process is made possible by rules known as protocols, which govern the way data travels from one device to another. An example of protocol that we are all familiar with is hypertext transfer protocol or HTTP, which deals with hypertext documents or web pages. Each time you surf the web, you are using HTTP.

 

Steaming video and audio use protocols that allow the transfer of data in real time. These include real-time transfer protocol (RTP), real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) and real-time transport control protocol (RTCP).