Streaming is huge, not even talking about the massive servers it requires to run the websites but the the cultural impact of streaming.

When some says streaming it also could mean using the internet to watch a show or live event. Streaming can also be someone who deliver content that was not possible before. The word “streaming” is different per person but the overall idea is using the internet to broadcast your idea of what you want to make.

Examples like those would be Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, Caffeine are platforms and websites that allow people with an internet connection to broadcast what and where they want. The idea of any person and place is nuance to how video is presented.

Of course people who want to stream anything depends on the platform too. There are specific areas these websites tend to focus but also developing new ways to define what their service is about. Streaming is new but also has hurdles of what can or can not be streamed.

Licensing is the huge hurdle as some platforms are rebroadcasting existing tv shows, films and other videos as a channel people can visit. How the platform gain attention which can lead to them gain revenue with viewer retention. Amazon has rights to present NFL games on their streaming service Twitch which allows streamers to show the game and commentate over the game every week.

Streaming is a new way people can interact with other people in real time.

Mixer is where you can find people streaming video games and other areas as they create shows with a huge audience to find a following. The people who stream or watch streams know what they are entering into as they can discover the specific type of stream.

This has been around for awhile since the early 2000’s and video has become easier to access thanks to platforms like YouTube. The ability to stream take a lot of computer processing power to keep a steady connection while other functions like text chat, video and new functions being added all the time. The barrier to entry is low as streaming websites are getting better at what is needed to stream audio and video. Anyone can stream on their phones which is possible now versus two years ago.

Streaming technology is entirely focused on the internet structure as it allows people connect to theses type of tech from browsers or devices that need consistent connection. Most of the world have the bare minimal internet to function to work with as large bandwidths are mostly coming from large companies. Not everyone can stream because the availability on ISP and tiers they provide which could only have connections on the low end.

The technology around streaming has been getting better as ISP have been improving their service. Not the entire world has great internet service and that is taking that perspective of making the internet better and more accessible. Most places have speeds around 20mps down and 10-mps up and that is the bare minimum to run websites and other internet services.

Streaming websites understand the audience and create a system to allow anyone with low internet speeds to start as they cap bandwidth, lower mps, frame rate for video and resolution. Starting from there the channel can improve once the connection is better that is how video and audio depends on the internet connection as the nature of these mediums take up large amounts of data.

Netflix has streaming video as a viable option without downloading the movie or show when the entire service can start and stop video at any moment along with remembering where it was paused. Netflix does allow downloading in case the person is going somewhere with no internet service, at least the option is there.

Video is the future of how information is made and streaming is a part of that. Creating a place to broadcast news or live events to people talking about mental health is where we are heading. Most of the time we are not able to see where is can lead but it is surprising when something new comes along the way.

People are able to interact with streams through text or voice based communication and that could lead to new forms of entertainment. Other forms such as developer API to access and make the streaming platform function another way through click, text or other pieces that could lead into a new way to interaction.

One example was a phenomenon known as Twitch plays Pokemon, a single Twitch stream was able to connect a game of Pokemon to the chat channel. People were able to type things like up, down, yes, no or other options and that would activate the action in-game and it lead to a lot of weird,funny and other things that would not normally happen in the game. It was all due to the community was able to interact in a way they were not able to before and it exist.

For the final word on this because this is a growing movement where it can lead to other forms of media that can be explored like video was for YouTube and blogs on the internet. Streaming can be whatever it wants, the people who made the platforms and the people who stream can make it possible with new ideas to new technology, tools and fun ways.

Thank you for reading, Peace!

Blog

Breaking Ideas 5 - The Streaming Movement