Many people use Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, ITV Player, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video to watch movies and TV shows. To watch them all at once, go to “howtowatch.ca” to find out how to get these streaming services in Canada and how to use them.
These services are possible because of new technology. In fact, a number of things have led to the success of video-on-demand platforms.
Data storage facilities, fast internet, and better compression tricks make things better. As the technology behind these services keeps getting better and better, so do the things they can do.
What is Online Video Streaming?
Video streaming is a way to send audio and video content over the internet. This service is also used on the Internet and through cell phones. A lot of people don’t just like to watch TV, movies, and other things.
It’s because of this that users don’t even need to download anything. They don’t have to do anything else. They can stream anything they want as often as they want.
How Does Online Video Streaming Work?
There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make high-quality videos available to people who want to watch them. First, it’s important to know how a video goes. The journey, from the moment it’s recorded on a camera to when it’s shown to the public on their screens.
Streaming video on the internet includes the steps below: The first thing the camera does is record video that isn’t cleaned up or changed. It then gets video from a capture card or some other connection. Second, the encoder converts raw video to a digital file.
In the next step, the video is added to the online video platform. It also sends the video from an online video platform to the player through a network that sends videos. Finally, the media player shows the stream to the viewer on their internet-enabled device.
Technologies Used By Online Video Streaming Services
With streaming technologies, we have a lot of options that keep getting better and better. Technology has made it so we don’t have to wait for videos to load or buffer any more. A look at the most popular technologies and how they are different from each other:
Protocols For Streaming
These protocols make it easier for people to get media over the Internet. They take a lot of different pieces of data and compress them so that they can be sent over many internet connections at the same time.
Let’s look at a few of the most common ways to stream video:
It’s one of the most important protocols to use, and it’s called HTTPS Live Streaming (HLS). It moves media from the content delivery network to the player that the user sees.
This isn’t the only protocol broadcasters use today. The Real-Time Messaging Protocol is also very important (RTMP).
In this case, it sends the video right from the encoder to the CDN or a video platform on the internet. For example, Hulu sends videos through an encrypted protocol called Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP).
MPEG-DASH is an open-source streaming protocol that lets people watch videos. People can watch a broadcast at a good quality for their internet speed. Netflix uses the DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) protocol when it streams movies and TV shows.
Transform Into Digital Format
Before videos can be streamed, they have to be in a digital format. To make digital files from videos, you can remove the same stills and stills that don’t need to be there. They are then compressed so that they can be sent. Hence, codecs.
HTML5 Video Player
HTML5 video players are safe and easy to change, as well as very compatible. Apple came up with this first. Video streams that use the HTML5 video player are now the norm in the industry. It can also be used on any device that can connect to the internet. So, it includes things like phones, iPads, and smart TVs.
CDNs
A Content Delivery Network is a system that gives web apps to people at a high level. There are many things a CDN wants to do for people who use it: serve them content that’s always available and fast.
If there are more users or a bigger file, it doesn’t matter. Make sure all users get the files they ask for. CDNs do this. It also doesn’t matter where you are or what kind of Internet service provider you use.
If you want to watch Netflix, for example, you can use its own CDN, called Open Connect. It is one of the first streaming providers to set up a CDN.
Upcoming Advancement
4K and 8K resolutions mean that video content in the future will be stored in the cloud because they are so big. Also, 4D and 5D technology, synchronisation, and the VR launch all have a big impact. Because of this, viewers want a better experience.
As a result, there has been a rise in cloud video streaming, which gives users high-quality videos to watch. Each year, there are so many new things to learn. But, these are the things that make streaming the best part of the day for us now.
Final Thoughts
We’ve talked about the technology that makes your favourite streaming services work so well. These companies have a lot of hype around them. It’s easy to get caught up in that.
But learning about the technological factors that led to its success is a very interesting thing to do.
