Streaming Server vs. Web Server

By hosting media content on a Web server, the client starts playing the audio or video while it is downloading, after waiting only a few seconds for buffering. This small buffer allows the media to continue playing uninterrupted even during periods of high network congestion. With this delivery method, the client retrieves data as fast as the Web server, network, and client will allow without regard to the bit rate setting of the compressed stream. It is possible, if network conditions permit, for most of the media file to be transmitted to the client in the first few moments of playback, so that the file plays back from the local buffer. This form of delivery, called bursting, is characterized by a spike in network utilization as a client requests a media file.

Using a streaming media server, rather than a Web server, data is delivered at the exact bit rate associated with the compressed audio and video streams. The server and the client stay in communication during the delivery process, and the streaming media server can respond to any feedback from the client. Aside from the buffer, data is never stored on the client; rather, it is played and then “thrown away.” Streaming, unlike bursting, is a steady method of delivery.

Using a streaming media server offers many advantages over Web server delivery, such as more efficient network throughput, support for VCR-like controls including fast forward and rewind, dynamic quality adjustment based on network conditions, multicast delivery, and improved scalability. Nevertheless, Web servers may be an acceptable solution in environments where there is a strong Web server infrastructure and there is a need for infrequent on-demand clips.