CE00164-3
Multimedia Streaming
Module Information
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Module code CE00264-3
Module Title MULTIMEDIA STREAMING
Level 3 (Semester 2)
Credit Value 15
Lecture/Teaching Areas E6
Module Tutor
 Mohamed Abdel Maguid
 Room C207, Tel 01785 353324
 m.m.abd-el-maguid@staffs.ac.uk
 Module Moderator
 Tim Dunning
 Room C206, Tel – 01785 353433
 t.s.dunning@staffs.ac.uk
Accessing documents
Resources
Mainly using blackboard but for a week or
two the documents will be available at
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/personal/engineeri
ng_and_technology/tsd1/streaming.htm
Module Outline
 Media authoring and showcasing for streaming
 Media Encoding
 Streaming servers (technology, tradeoffs, setup
and management)
 Planning and managing live broadcasts
 Streaming non audio/Video content (text, images
and animations)
 SMIL (Synchronized Media Integration
Language)
 Management of media rights, authentication and
conditional access
Assessment Outline
Create a live and on demand streaming
media station with an accompanying
website to house the links
Present the website
Written document
A Reminder…Standard Multimedia and
The Web
Files must be downloaded first
Will not display until all downloaded
Usually launched in a separate application
Will not be linked to the information on the
web page
May not be compatible
May need converting
May need plugins
Format specific to operating system
Streaming Media
How does it work?
 File encoded and compressed to a smaller
file
 Break it into small packets
 Send them one after the other
 When the packets reach their destination,
they are decompressed and resembled into a
form that can be played
 Playing a music or video file as it is
downloaded from the internet.
 Copy is never stored on the user’s computer.
How does it work? (Cont)
 To maintain the seamless play the packets
are buffered
Process by which the media player downloads a few
seconds of the media file prior to actual playback.
Allows for uninterrupted playback as when buffer
plays more packets are downloaded and queued for
playback
 Streaming can be opened before a download
is complete
Organised to be rendered ASAP
Play as data is received
Open Connection
 Streaming media files maintain an open
connection
 Media server and media client negotiate
connection
 Sent over the connection until the entire file has
been received
 Media clients play data over the open
connection
 Is buffered to overcome congestion
How do you stream?
Media Server
Encoder
Internet
How Does Streaming Work?
1
User clicks on stream link
2
Web Server returns
location of media file
1
2
Web
Server
3
Media
Server
4
5
3
Media player is launched
4
Media player requests
media file from media server
5
Media server sends stream
to media player
6
Media player decompresses
and plays stream
Playback Rates
 Streams can be encoded and downloaded at
different bit rates.
 Measured in kbps (kilobits per second).
128 kbps is considered to be CD quality when
using special codecs.
1-2Mbps is considered to be DVD / Broadcast
quality.
 User’s bandwidth determines that maximum
bit rate that can be played.
 Can select the usual connection speed or
give various options
Encoding
 The process of digitizing and compressing a
piece of traditional media into a format capable
of being broadcast over the internet and played
by a computer
 Raw data is typically uncompressed
Big files - Contains all data essential to proper play
 Raw data is then encoded (compressed) to
stream
Encoders use audio and video codecs to compress
data
 Compression is different for audio and video
Codecs
Stands for Compression and
Decompression
Compresses multimedia content prior to
transmission, and decompresses upon
playback.
This uses less bandwidth and increases
playback speed.
Users must have the proper media
player to stream each format.
Sound/Music Codecs
MPEG-1 layer 3 (MP3)
8 to 256kbs
Qdesign (Quicktime)
Basic – 8 to 48kbs
Pro – 4 to 128kbs
MPEG4 (v1,v2,v3,v7)
2kbs to 2mbs
Video Codecs
Real Video G2
Low motion, low bit rate
MPEG4
High quality images, low and high bit rates
Moving towards MPEG4 based standards
Apple Video
Low quality but fast
MPEG
 MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group),
develops standards for digital video and digital
audio compression.
 MPEG-1 was designed for coding progressive
video at a transmission rate of about 1.5 million
bits per second. It was designed specifically for
Video-CD and CD-i media.
 MPEG-1 audio layer-3 (MP3) has also evolved
from early MPEG work.
MPEG (Cont)
 MPEG-2 was designed for coding interlaced
images at transmission rates above 4 million
bits per second.
 MPEG-2 is used for digital TV broadcast and
DVD. An MPEG-2 player can handle MPEG-1
data as well.
 A proposed MPEG-3 standard, intended for
High Definition TV (HDTV), was merged with
the MPEG-2 standard
MPEG4 and beyond….
The standard for multimedia for the web
and mobility.
MPEG-4 is able to throw away a lot more
information and to save files 8 to 12 times
smaller than those of MPEG-2.
MPEG-4
 Real power of MPEG-4 is the interactivity that
can built into the video file or stream.
 Multimedia producers and software and game
developers can isolate parts of the video for
particular special effects.
 Pocket PC devices, and Windows CE already
play back MPEG-4 and related codecs.
 PacketVideo has a whole Web site full of short
videos you can download wirelessly to your
Pocket PC.
Packet Video
Encoding Streaming Video
Choice of formats
Real Video (Helix 10)
QuickTime
Windows Media (Version 10)
Flash Video Streaming (New up and coming)
Choice of delivery speeds
What connection are you streaming to?
Dial up modem (56Kbps)
ISDN/Dual ISDN (64/128Kbps)
Cable 128 up to 20 Mb per sec
ADSL (copper twisted pair up to 2Mbs at least)
T-1 (1.5Mb’s) T-3 45Mbps’s
E-1 (more commonly called 2Mbps pipe)
Considerations for streaming
 Movie size – size affects bandwidth
 Frame rates – broadcast TV is 25fps most
webcasts are lower
 Is it audio, video or both
 Encoding the media – which format
 Making a website which is suitable to play a
streaming file.
 Serving the media
What computer hardware do you need?
A standard web server with the correct
software installed
OR
A specialised media server
Both have streaming capabilities but why is one better than the
other?
• Live Streaming requires a dedicated media server
• A web server is fine for low usage streaming files but
if volume of people wishing to stream from your site is
above 10 at a time you need a media server.
• Media Servers give you much more control for your
streams and offers many more services for your clients.
• Media Servers enable 2 way communication the
client can say rewind your media file (only for unicast).
Web Server V Media Server
Media Servers
Servers needed to serve streams.
In order to stream, a web site must
install media servers into it’s network.
Capacity is typically measured by the
maximum number of concurrent
streams that the server can serve.
Multiple Stream
 From a normal web server
Content has been encoded for one bit rate only
Not really streaming, just being downloaded
TCP will resend lost packets and could cause playback
pauses
 Dedicated media server
Content can be encoded at multiple bit rates and the
server will choose the right one
Server uses proprietary protocol to control content – can
choose best transport
Server is tuned to provide optimum performance under
heavy use – big beefy machine, multiple CPU’s, high
memory and disk drive space.
Media Servers
 Helix Server
Real Networks
 Microsoft Media Server
 Quicktime Streaming Server / Darwin Streaming
server
 Hyperlinks use a linking file
Signals the browser to launch the streaming application
URL is passed indicating the server protocol, media
server, and media file
 RAM / RA – Realnetworks, ASX / WMX for Microsoft
Transmission Models
 Unicast
Streaming between sender and a single recipient
 Multicast
Streaming between sender and multiple specific
recipients
 Broadcast
Streaming between a sender and any receiver
Live and prescheduled content
Some radio and television stations over WWW
Server Delivery Protocols
 TCP/IP = Transmission control
protocol/internet protocol.
 Dedicated media servers use proprietary
delivery protocols
 Server attempts to provide content over UDP
(User Datagram Protocol)
 If unreliable or firewall then TCP is used
 Allows server to control content
 Content is streamed directly to the viewer and
not saved or cached
Good Use Of Streaming
Streaming radio
Promotional videos
Short News Articles
Longer video broken up into chapters
Education and entertainment
Problems With Streaming
Poor quality
Screen size is small
Not ‘compelling content’
The internet may not be fast enough
Not TV Quality
Problems With Streaming (Cont)
 Compression
Discard raw data until delivery requirements are met
Audio is poor quality
Video becomes jumpy and poor quality
Low speed series of still images
Display size for video is often reduced
 User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
Bad packets are removed
Audio will drop and pop
Video will drop or loose frames
Blank frames may be displayed
Problems With Streaming (Cont)
Streaming Connection
Can loose its connection
If connection is lost playback will end and
must be restarted
If network is congested network will pause or
delay
Popular sites can become unavailable if the
network and servers cannot cope the with
demand
Streaming Formats
Real
RA, RAM, RM
Microsoft
ASF, WMA, WMV
Apple
MOV, QT
Real…
RealNetworks
 Real Audio / Real Video
 The first and still most popular of the streaming
solutions
Provides a complete creation, server and player solution
Helix announced in July 2002
Streams all formats
Real One….
www.real.com
Helix
 The Helix Platform
the first open, comprehensive platform of digital media
products and applications for any format, operating
system or device.
 The Helix Community
enables companies, institutions and individual
developers to access and license the Helix platform
source code in order to build Helix-powered encoder,
server and client products and other media applications
for both commercial and non-commercial use.
 Helix Universal Server
is a breakthrough product from RealNetworks that for
the first time streams all major media types.
Real Networks Solutions
Helix Producer
Content Creator
Real Slideshow
Assembles still photos and graphics with
music and sounds
Helix Producer
 RealNetworks Streaming Media creation tool
Encodes existing and live content
Wizard plus point-and-click design tools
 Next generation digital media production tool
for broadcast streaming and download.
 It provides robust, reliable, and fault-tolerant
encoding to convert audio and video into
RealMedia format.
 Using RealMedia Events, Helix Producer can
also be used to create synchronized
multimedia presentations for playback within
the RealOne Player.
Helix Producer
Live and/or simulated live video and/or
audio webcasts
On-demand audio and/or video
Synchronized multimedia using a
combination of datatypes
Produces high quality broadband content
Helix Server
 No longer it is necessary to maintain three
different delivery infrastructures to reach the
largest audience.
 You can deliver all three major media formats
over one delivery infrastructure. When you
have a Helix Server, you have the capability
to deliver media to any individual with a
media player.
 The RealNetworks system architecture based
on the Helix platform has achieved
unmatched performance.
 Supports SMIL
Helix Server
Combine several different streams
into a single file
The appropriate bit rate stream is
automatically selected
Real Video 9
 30% improvement over RealVideo 8
 Same quality at half the bit rate of MPEG-4
 Same quality at quarter the bit rate of MPEG-2
 ½ screen video at dial up rates
 VHS quality at everyday broadband rates
(starting at 160 Kbps)
 Near DVD at 500 Kbps for download or
streaming on high speed networks
 http://www.realnetworks.com/products/codecs/
realvideo.html
Real Networks Strategy
Leverage player penetration to drive
demand for Real format, software sales,
content distribution and real.com
entertainment portal.
Provide end-to-end streaming solutions
(encoding, hosting, distribution, security,
ad insertion, playback)
Microsoft Media
Microsoft Solutions
 Windows Media Services
Second place in the market
Provides complete solution
Scales up to 9,000 concurrent streams using a
single server
 Windows 2000 Server and 2003 server
Media services are built in (different versions)
 Windows NT Server
Can install Media Services
 http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsm
edia/9series/server.aspx
Microsoft Solutions
Windows Media Player
Plays audio / video content
Windows Media Encoder
Produces streaming content from a number
of formats
Windows Media Rights Manager
Supports encryption and licensing of digital
media
Windows Media Player
 Offers consumers the first fully integrated
digital media experience
playback of CD-quality audio
streaming and downloaded audio and video –
 Designed to be the first digital media player
for everyday consumers, breaking new
ground in four key areas
All-in-One Integration
Easy to Use
The Best Audio and Video Experience
More Personality
Microsoft Windows Media Encoder
Encodes existing and live content
Wizard plus point and click design tools
Special screen capture codec
Supports file sizes up to 30 Gb
Supports up to 50 simultaneous streams
from the encoder
Microsoft Windows Media Encoder
Produces high quality broadband content
Near VHS at 400 kbs
Near DVD at 750 kbs
Same filters at Real Producer
Production Tools and Views
Sessions can be saved as profiles
Real time creation statistics
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/
encoder/default.aspx
Windows Media Services
 Integrated with Windows 2000
Scales up for Internet and intranet use
Utilises features of Windows 2000
Supports media bit rates from 28kbps to 6mbps
 Built in administration wizards and interfaces
 “Intelligent Streaming” encoding
Multiple bit rates streams saved and served from
one file
 Other advantages
Digital Rights Manager
Server Side APIs – Multicast capabilities
Microsoft Strategy
Trying to dominate the media player
market as it did the browser market.
Provides players and server software for
free.
Server: Bundled with 2000 and 2003.
Player: Bundled with Windows and IE.
Real Networks vs. Microsoft
 No clear winner will emerge soon.
Both Real and Microsoft each have very strong player
and server penetration.
 Content providers wishing to reach the largest
audience will continue to encode their content in
both formats and implement multiple streaming
servers.
 In the near-term, Real should be able to
maintain its strong position and pricing power
despite Microsoft’s challenge.
Windows Media 9
Says best quality
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsme
dia/9Series/GettingStarted//
Must not forget Apple….
Apple Solutions
Quicktime
Originally extension of the Mac OS
Encorporates text, graphics, audio and
video into a single format
Can be viewed with a time element
QT or MOV format available on Windows
PC’s
Apple Solutions
 Quicktime Player
Displays video, sound, animation, text and music.
Also 360 degree panaromas
 Quicktime Pro
Create, open, edit and save movies and audio
Resize movies and create streaming media
 Quicktime Streaming Server
Serves Quicktime files stored on the server
Supports 2000 streams to Quicktime users
Requires Mac OS server
Quicktime
 http://www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qt/
Quicktime Streaming Server
 Instant-on provides enhanced overbuffering of
data, dramatically reducing buffer time for
broadband users.
 Serves to any standard MP3 player such as
iTunes, WinAmp, or QuickTime Player
 Web-based interface for local and remote
administration
 Supports QuickTime (.mov), MP3 audio (.mp3),
or MPEG-4 (.mp4) files
Quicktime (Cont)
Allows you to create simulated live
broadcasts with Playlist Broadcaster,
perfect for creating your own Internet radio
station
Supports up to 4,000 simultaneous
streams
Supports both unicast or multicast streams
Competitive Landscape
RealNetworks and Microsoft continue to
battle for market leadership.
RealNetworks RealPlayer/Real One:
150 million registered downloads
85% market share
Microsoft Windows Media Player:
100 million registered users
Catalysts For Streaming Adoption
 Broadband Penetration
 Availability of streaming content
The proliferation of streaming creation and playback
tools lowers streaming costs.
Content providers are beginning view the Internet as
a new distribution channel.
 Formats are becoming transparent to the
user.
 New technologies that support payments.
Ad insertion.
Billing, payment and tracking systems.
Digital Rights Management.
Broadband Penetration
The estimated 12 million
users through college
broadband networks are not
included in these figures.
Internet Radio
Internet Radio
 The technique is “similar to radio broadcasting except the
Internet is used to send and receive audio instead of
using the airwaves.” (Luini & Whitman. 2002)
 Over 5000 (and counting) stations
 1 MUSICMATCH Artist Match (non-commercial)
www.musicmatch.com
 2 K-LOVE (non-commercial) www.klove.com
 3 AOL Top Country (commercial)
http://music.netscape.com/radio/
 4 AOL Top Pop (commercial)
http://music.netscape.com/radio/
 5 AOL Smooth Jazz (commercial)
http://music.netscape.com/radio/
 6 Virgin Radio/1215 AM & 105.8 FM (commercial)
www.virginradio.co.uk
Facts - according to Arbitron Internet
Broadcast Ratings
 LAUNCH, the music destination on Yahoo!,
approached 2.5 million listeners during the month of
October 2003.
 LAUNCH had 2,498,962 Cume Persons
 (an estimate of the total number of unique users who
listened for five minutes or longer during the reported
time period).
 Radio@AOL Network and LAUNCH were the topranked commercial with 27,379,327 and 18,311,876
hours of Total Time Spent Listening.
 (the sum total of hours tuned by listeners to a given
station or network.)
 MUSICMATCH was the top-ranked non-commercial
with 9,378,479 hours of TTSL.
More Facts…
 Streaming radio is big: Over 22% of the US
have listened to it.
 Two categories of streaming radio stations
 The Professional Station- Large amount of money,
hardware and human resources, use professional
encoders and servers
 The Amateur Station - People broadcasting from home,
shoutcast, winamp, simple to set-up software requiring no
money or large pieces of hardware, stream using a single
machine, use free software as an encoder and server
The Future….
 If the user has a fast connection,
streaming media is a practical way for
broadcasting multimedia
 The future for streaming is bright
 Entire movies can be streamed
 The technology will be improved
 Distance courses by streaming media
 Programs downloaded / used by streaming
References
 http://www.measurecast.com/
 http://www.streamingmediaworld.com/
 http://www.streamingmedia.com/
 www.shoutcast.com
 http://www.penguinradio.com/penguin/
 http://streamingmedialand.com/
 http://www.streamingmag.com/
 http://www.internetradioindex.com/i-probe/ip_radio.html
 http://www.crosscut.net/streaming.html
 http://www.doit.wisc.edu/streaming/
 http://www.manifest-tech.com/media_web/index.html