Technology can be confusing. Each new gadget introduces a jargon of its own. In this article we will discuss streaming media, which is a term that has been around since the advent of the internet.
What is it? The term is now applied retroactively to any media that is distributed over telecommunications networks. This includes radio and television. By comparison, newspapers, books, CDs and DVDs are non-streaming media, since they are prerecorded.
The actual term came into vogue when people started watching videos on the internet. Today, large video sharing sites receive hundreds of millions of visitors who watch billions of videos each day. The video player is also an extremely popular feature for television networks.
Video players are used by users who prefer or find it more convenient to watch streaming video on their computers. More often than not, they watch episodes of their favourite shows online. Sports fans can also take a look at the plays of the day on popular sports sites.
For the consumer, the obvious appeal of streaming video is that it is free. Users can access whichever videos they want whenever they want. Members can also post their own streaming videos and receive comments and reviews from other users. For the company, streaming video often includes commercials from sponsors, which most users don't mind watching because they are getting the service for free.
