DoIT Streaming Media Knowledgebase
Frequently Asked Questions Document for DoIT Streaming Media Services explaining the basics of Streaming Media.
What is Streaming Media? Streaming media is a technology that enables you to include audio, video and other multimedia elements that visitors to your website will be able to listen to or view immediately without having to download the file to their own computer. Streaming Media typically consist of audio only, video with audio or any combination of audio, illustrated audio, video, synchronized graphics or animation.
How does it work?
Audio, video and other media files are specially formatted and placed on a streaming server. A web page can then contain a link with a URL that points to that media. When users click a media link on a web page, the contents of the media file begins to flow across the internet in a gradual and continuous stream from the server to the user’s browser.
Files play either in a media specific player that opens in a new window or a viewer that is embedded into the web page. Users can pause, rewind and fast-forward media clips using a VCR type control panel.
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What is needed to use streaming media?
People who want to add streaming media to their web sites will need to:
People who want to hear/view media files will need to:
Why and how would I use it in my course?
If used appropriately, the addition of audio and/or video to your course web site can have a positive affect on student learning. You can use streaming media to illustrate concepts, show examples or provide additional background information to material covered in class. Streaming media content material can be incorporated into your course web site in dozens of ways. A few examples include:
Some of the examples that are presented on our web site’s showcase illustrate how other faculty members have used streaming technology. DoIT consultants can also give you advice on ways to effectively incorporate streaming into your web site.
Is streaming media difficult to produce and use?
It depends on what media you want to stream and how much needs to be produced. If you already have high quality audio and video tape recordings of what you want streamed, converting them to a digital streaming format and placing them on a streaming server is not very difficult.
However, if you have to produce your material from scratch then it will be more complicated and take longer. You may choose to produce the media yourself or hire a production service to produce it for you. Whichever option you choose, the production of the media is the most important piece of a good streaming presentation.
A good place to start is the on-line tutorial of our website. DoIT also has consultants that can help you with the technology so that you will be able to get media on your websites easily.
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What is the quality like?
The quality of streamed audio and video depends on what type of internet connection your users have. If your users access your on-line materials on our LAN or other high speed connection then the quality will be very good. Audio recordings will be nearly as good as FM radio.
Streaming video is a little more challenging. In most cases you will not be able to get full-screen video at 30 frames per second like you see on your television screen at home. If you choose video, you should be aware that you will loose quality if it is streamed over a modem (telephone) line as opposed to a network or direct high speed internet connection.
We have prepared a comparison of the different technologies, formats and how they look over the various connections to give you a good idea of what your users will see or hear when they access your site.
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What are the most common types of content material to
stream?
There are three primary ways that you can stream content material:
Which way you choose will depend on the needs of your course and the capabilities of your users.
Are there different types of streaming technologies that I can use?
There are several different types of streaming technologies that you can choose from. The most popular formats that DoIT supports are:
The reasons for their popularity are their reliability, quality, ease of use and overall availability of the players. DoIT supports all of these formats in the services that they provide. There are many factors that could affect the decision as to which streaming technology will work best for your course. Some of these factors include the required quality, the user base and if there is a platform preference. A DoIT consultant will be happy to help you assess your needs and match those needs with the technology that will work best for your course. back to top
Can I use Streaming Media Services for video conferencing?
Streaming Media Services generally does not handle video conferencing and similar applications that connect people to each other. Our focus is on-demand video and live event coverage.
There is a video conferencing product available to all system campuses called Breeze. More information is available at ExtendLMS@ICS.
The UW Extension also offers video conferencing right from your own desktop with Wisline Web (http://www.uwex.edu/ics/wlw/index.html) conferencing. They have a helpful staff dedicated to your video conferencing needs. back to top
| Keywords: | Streaming Media, FAQ, Frequently Asked Questions, | Doc ID: | 5325 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner: | Bob A. | Group: | Streaming Media |
| Created: | 2007-01-25 | Updated: | 2007-09-11 |
| Sites: | Help Desk, Streaming Media | ||