Streaming
Recent advances in compression technologies promise to make possible
streaming video at 15 - 20 frames/second, even via 28.8 Kbps analog
modems.
Currently there are two formats that are specifically designed for
streaming video over the Internet over
low bandwidth (modems):
VIVOActive and VDOLive.
Microsoft's streaming video solution, based on
VDOnet Corp's VDOLive.
It exploits two key technologies to enhance users'
networked multimedia experience,
while reducing the impact on the network's throughput.
- Multicasting.
IP multicasting is an open, standards-based way to distribute identical
information to many users simultaneously.
This contrasts with regular TCP/IP (IP unicast).
With IP unicasting, the same information can be sent to many clients,
but the sender must transmit an individual copy to each user.
To take full advantage of multicasting, the routers and other
infrastructure components that make up intranets and the Internet must
be multicast-enabled.
Microsoft, along with its NetShow partners, makes it possible to deploy
this technology in a safe and controlled manner.
- Streaming.
Normally, when accessing networked multimedia content users have to
wait for an entire file to be transferred before they can use the
information.
Streaming lets users see or hear the information as it arrives without
having to wait.
With NetShow, Microsoft has developed an open streaming platform
capable of high performance under demanding network conditions.
A serverless streaming video product which compresses (.AVI) and
QuickTime (.MOV) files into a much smaller (250:1) VIVO formatted
(.VIV) file.
Vivo's software compression technology allows your video program to be
delivered in real time. You do not have to wait for an enormous file to
download just to see a few seconds of video, even over a modem.
VivoActive videos are transmitted using HTTP,
the same protocol used to deliver ordinary Web text and image files.
This means anyone who can view your Web page can view your video
regardless of whether they're behind a fire wall, connected via a SLIP
emulator, or directly connected to the Internet backbone.
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