How to Stream Online Video

To understand how to stream online video, you must first understand what streaming media means and the different methods that are often used for viewing video online. Each method has benefits and disadvantages, so you must decide which one is best for your business or personal use. Aspects to consider are price, usability and the preferences of your website users.

One method for online video viewing is not technically streaming but rather downloading. The user, or viewer, must download the video before they are able to watch it. This can be time consuming for larger video files, but ensures that the user will have quick access to all parts of the file once downloaded. The file is usually downloaded to a temporary folder on the user's computer.

Progressive downloading is a way of simulating an online video stream. The user can begin watching the video almost immediately, but the video is really downloading as the user is watching it. These two methods are easy and cheap and are preferred by a large number of online video streamers. They are commonly referred to as HTTP streaming.

The true streaming of online video means that a video files is sent in a constant stream to the user. This allows users the ability to view live events. Special servers are necessary for true online video streaming. You could either have your own streaming server or sign up for a hosting plan from a streaming server provider. Having your own server can be very expensive and time consuming to maintain. You will need to purchase streaming media software to install on your server if you are running your own server.

HTTP streaming is a much more popular method for streaming online video due to it being easy and inexpensive. To stream online video using this method, all you need is access to a web server. You can use the same server that hosts your website if you have a website. Simply create a video file using a common video file format, such as Windows Media, Quicktime, Macromedia Flash, MPEG and RealMedia.

After you have created a video file, you need to upload the file to your web server. Once the file is uploaded, you have two options for viewing the file. You can create a hyperlink to the file or use special HTML tags to embed the file onto a web page. If you embed the file, the video will begin to play when you load the web page on which it is embedded. If you use a hyperlink, the video will begin to play when the user clicks on the hyperlink.

Which video file format you decide you use will depend on personal preference of you and your users. Each file format has different advantages and disadvantages. Some software used to create and play video files are free while others are not. For optimum results, it is best to find out the pros and cons of each video file format before beginning your adventure in streaming online video.