Learn About Audio Video

With Internet usage at an all-time high, users are enjoying the many features available through their broadband Internet service, and streaming video and audio are two of the most popular applications available.

What is Streaming Video?

Streaming video is used for both educational purposes - it can be used in classrooms to view lectures and learn languages - and for entertainment in viewing movie and TV clips, news broadcasts, music videos, YouTube video clips, and more.

Streaming video allows you to receive a series of moving images on your computer. These images are sent over the Internet in a compressed form and can be viewed when they reach a computer. (Streaming media works in the same way but does not include sound.) While the majority of streaming videos available on the Internet are accessed from pre-recorded video files, live broadcast "feeds" may also be viewed by many different viewers simultaneously. These are called multicasts.

Streaming Video with High-Speed Internet

Since streaming video is viewed nearly instantly as the stream reaches your computer, you don't have to take time to download large files before viewing the video. All you need is a high-speed broadband Internet connection and a special player to decompress the media which makes it possible for you to view and hear the video. If your Internet browser did not come with one of these players, it's simple to download one from a manufacturer such as RealNetwork's RealSystem G2 player, Microsoft's Windows Media Player, or Apple's Quick Time.

How Does Streaming Music Work with a High-Speed Internet Connection?

Similarly, streaming music involves streaming music files to your computer over a high-speed Internet connection. Again, rather than having to download a music file before you can listen to it, you can hear the music as it is reaches your computer. Like streaming video, most of the music files online are pre-recorded, but it is possible to listen to live streaming music such as rock shows and concerts.

In order to have the best audio quality available for your streaming music, you need a high-speed Internet connection and a good streaming music player on your computer. Check to see if your computer came with a player and, if not, look online to compare the top-rated music players (such as Rhapsody, Winamp, and RealPlayer). Downloading the players is easy and usually free.