Streaming
Media :: Frequently Asked Questions
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| What
is streaming media?
Streaming video is audio and/or video that plays over the
Internet without downloading to the end user's computer. Think
of it like television and radio for your computer. Steaming
is different from downloading in that playback starts immediately
with just a mouse click for the viewer, and the large media
file is not saved to the viewer's computer. Streaming is a
"pull" technology that lets your customers view
the content when they request it, as opposed to television
where the content is "pushed" to the end user at
a certain day and time. The possibilities for business are
endless and statistics show that every Web page on the Internet
will have some form of streaming audio or video by the year
2004. |
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| I
have got audio & video. What's next?
- Each
audio and/or video program is converted to a digital file
(digitization).
- This
digital information is converted to a format designed for
streaming - a process called encoding.
Files
that begin as digital videos, for example, can easily be downloaded
to your computer and encoded by you. Other data (such as non-digital
video and audio tapes) might require additional equipment
for digitization. Xtream Studio can digitize and encode your
media for you.
I only want to stream audio or Flash animation. Will you still
able to help me out?
Absolutely. Whether you're streaming stock quotes, Flash animation,
original music or corporate meetings, Xtream Studio has service
packages in all sizes and price ranges, designed to accommodate
everyone from consumers to large corporations.
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| I
only want to stream audio or Flash animation. Will you still
able to help me out?
Absolutely. Whether you're streaming stock quotes,
Flash animation, original music or corporate meetings, Xtream
Studio has service packages in all sizes and price ranges,
designed to accommodate everyone from consumers to large corporations. |
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Can
I just send you the material I want to stream and let you
take care of the rest?
Yes,
we can capture and convert your media for you at no additional
cost! |
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What
formats can I use?
Xtream Studio enables you to use all the major
streaming formats from a single account. It is not necessary
to purchase a separate account for each format.
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What
happens if I exceed my data transfer limit?
For standard accounts, Xtream Studio will offer you the option
to pay $0.01 (ONE CENT) per megabyte, or bump up to the next
package size.
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Can
I stream across a firewall?
Yes. For Windows Media there is no special configuration necessary.
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Why
should I stream my media files on a streaming server rather
than my existing Web server?
The easiest way to explain this is to compare it
to a car with an automatic transmission versus a manual transmission.
Streaming servers are able to change data-transfer rates to
the end user automatically during playback. Streaming servers
provide streaming in UDP Protocol and HTTP Protocol when the
end user is unable to accept UDP Protocol streaming. UDP is
all about "keeping the show going." If a packet
of data is lost on the Internet, UDP says "So what? Let's
keep the movie playing!" Thus, a pixel of blue sky or
a pixel of brown dirt may be missing in one of the frames,
but the movie will play regardless.
With
Web servers, the end user must select a "bit-rate"
best suited for that end user and remain at that setting
throughout playback. Furthermore Web servers can only playback
using HTTP Protocol. HTTP Protocol will re-request the media
and wait for it if bits of it were missing.
When an ISP hosts your digital media, it is likely that
they use a single computer. Your media will be delivered
to your viewers, but a lot of data may be lost because the
data will travel through many unmanaged private and public
peering points across the Internet before the viewer sees
it. It is also likely that the start times of your clips
will linger longer than you desire, this is because the
traditional networks were designed by ISPs to only serve
simple Web pages.
However
Xtream Studio has the top Internet backbone carriers connecting
directly into our network. Using a dynamic symmetric routing
service, your media bypasses much of the congested areas
of the Internet, resulting in quicker start-times and higher
image quality.
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