We explain what streaming is, how it works, and what types exist. We also tell you its history and the most important platforms. Please read other MTV articles for more information. If you share it, it will be of little help to us.
What is streaming?
Streaming, also called live streaming, continuous streaming, or continuous downloading, is a method of distributing multimedia (audiovisual) content over computer networks. It transmits the content immediately after consumption, without requiring prior download and storage. The term streaming comes from the English word “stream” (“stream”) and refers to the uninterrupted transmission of audiovisual content.
Streaming commercial content became popular worldwide after 2000, as broadband services made it possible to equalize the data transmission rates needed to stream pre-recorded series, movies, podcasts, and other content, as well as various live television services. Unlike traditional television or radio broadcasts, it had the advantage that users could choose what content to watch and when.
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Accessing this type of service requires an internet connection and one or more devices capable of playing audio and video, such as smart TVs, tablets, smartphones, or computers. The success of this technology, therefore, goes hand in hand with the increase in the consumption of these types of devices and the improvement in wireless data transmission capacity (4G and 5G).
As with other Anglicisms, other borrowings from English into Spanish, the word streaming should always be written in italics.
Background and History of Streaming
The basic principle of streaming is not new. As early as 1920, the Muzak background music system invented by American soldier George Owen Squier (1865-1934) operated based on the continuous transmission of electrical impulses. However, the technology of the time did not allow for its use, at least not in the way it eventually became available in the 1990s.
Streaming became widely known in 1994, thanks to a concert by the British rock band The Rolling Stones. On November 18, they broadcast a 20-minute excerpt of their concert in Dallas, United States, as part of a promotion for paid content services on the Showtime network. This transmission was made possible thanks to Multicast Bone (MBone) technology, invented in 1992 to broadcast academic lectures.
Later, in 1995, RealAudio 1.0 appeared, an audio format that facilitated and streamlined audio streaming over the internet. This had a massive impact on digital telecommunications and demonstrated the virtue of buffering, or the temporary storage of content for almost instant enjoyment.
However, the true capabilities of this technology were successfully tested thanks to the social network YouTube, launched in 2005 and dedicated to transmitting audiovisual content over the internet. In subsequent years, giants of the streaming entertainment industry emerged, both in television and film, as well as in video games, online radio, and podcasts.
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How does streaming work?
Streaming works the same way as any other digital data transmission, but instead of requiring a full download of the content before playback, streaming services rely on a data buffer—a computer memory space dedicated to temporarily storing information—where content is stored for immediate transmission, ensuring no interruptions occur.
Thus, data is transmitted, received, and played back quickly, as long as the internet service’s bandwidth matches or exceeds the data transmission rate. Therefore, the larger the data packets (for example, if the video quality is set to maximum), the more information must be processed, stored, and played back per second.
Types of Streaming
Streaming can be classified according to the type of information consumed as follows:
Audio Streaming
This allows users to listen to radio and recorded programs (podcasts) over the internet. Phone calls can also be made and audio messages transmitted.
Video Streaming
This allows users to receive a continuous stream of moving images, such as a feed from a security camera in a building, or a documentary or scientific recording of some kind.
Audiovisual Content Streaming
This allows users to consume integrated audio and video content, such as series, movies, video conferences, video calls, among others.
Video Game Streaming
This allows users to quickly download the data needed to play online, usually after installing a portion of the software required to play on a computer or video game console. In other cases, it refers to the online installation of a new game directly on devices, without the need for downloading and subsequent processing.
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Most Popular Streaming Platforms
Some of the most popular platforms for selling content through live streaming are:
- YouTube: This is one of the pioneering platforms in the audio and video streaming business and consists of a vast social network that continuously stores and plays its users’ recordings, whether self-produced programs, commercials, etc.
- Netflix: This is one of the most popular streaming platforms, offering its subscribers access to thousands of series, films, and short films for direct consumption. Its success has been such that many smart TVs now have Netflix buttons on their remote controls.
- Disney+: Aimed primarily at children and young adults, this streaming service for Disney’s own content (or its associated brands, such as Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars) was founded in 2019 and offered to the public amid a boom in platforms of this type, linked to the mobility restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020.
- Vimeo: Founded in 2004, Vimeo is a video uploading and streaming platform that operates as a social network. Its high bit rates and high video resolution have made it popular among music artists as a site for hosting and distributing concerts and music videos.
- HBOMax: Owned by the film production and distribution company HBO, this streaming platform launched in 2020 and quickly became one of the most in-demand in a highly competitive commercial sector, as its content is not limited to that produced by the company.
- Google Cloud Streaming: Google’s data streaming service, launched in 2008 as an alternative to storing applications on a computer, allowing them to run directly from the cloud, i.e., over the internet. In this sense, Google Cloud is a virtual environment that sends and receives data using streaming technology.
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References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Streaming on Wikipedia.
- Do you know what streaming is? (video) on the Colombian ICT Ministry.
- What is streaming and how does it work? on AVAST Academy.
- Streaming (data transmission) on The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- Streaming Definition, Concept, history, operation, types, and platforms – concepto.de
