Streaming Media
Tom Ramage - Illinois Online Network
(Content created by Jolee West, Associated Director of the Sloan Center for Asynchronous Learning Environments)
What is Streaming Media?
Streaming audio and video technologies allow large sound and video files to be delivered via the World Wide Web. The term "streaming" means the file can be played in real time as it's received, as opposed to waiting for the entire file to be downloaded before playing.
How Does It Work?
HTML documents that include a link to play streaming audio (or video) don't
link directly to the audio file. Instead, they link to a text file
called a meta file. The meta file gives the location of the streaming audio
file. The sequence of events when a student clicks on a link in an
HTML document to play streaming audio is like this.
| Clicking on the link "Play audio" sends
a request for the meta file to the Web Server.
The Web Server sends the meta file back to the student's browser. |
|
HTML 1
Metafile? 2 Metafile 3 |
 |
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The meta file tells the browser that the RealPlayer will be needed to play the audio file. |
|
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The RealPlayer requests the audio file from the location specified in the meta file. |
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Media File? 5 Media File 6
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Metafile 4
Hardware & Software Requirements
Best Practices: You be the judge...
Other Examples of RealNetworks Media
Audio & Video Editing Tools...a sample