Streaming Audio began back in 1995 when 28.8k and 14.4k dial up speeds were the norm. The reason it was invented by a company called Real Networks was because if you wanted to download an audio file off the net it could take hours. Streaming got around that by compressing the file more and then as it was being downloaded it would play. The trick to this was called buffering, which was the process of always having 5 or 10 seconds of data downloaded into a buffer that would be filled up as soon as the content was played. This also allowed for live streaming or webcasting. Streaming Video began around 1998. Stew Art Media also started streaming around the same time. Streaming is great for live events and keeping control of your media.
Podcasting, Vodcasting and Vlogging
Podcasting is a relatively recent phenomenom. As you may have guessed it was spawned by the advent of Apple's iPod. Unlike streaming, podcasting allows for the full download and storage of audio on your hard drive or portable device. It's real power and the reason it has taken off so dramatically is that an US DJ Adam Curry came up with a concept for a piece of software called iPodder. To date iPodder has had over 970,000 downloads and it now has many copy cat competitors.
Basically the software allows you to freely subscribe to a podcast website. When a new podcast is avalable you can configure it so ipodder automatically downloads the podcast and uploads it to your iPod. So when you grab your ipod as you are leaving home, it already has all your favourite podcasts loaded on it without you having to lift a finger.
A vodcast (Video On Demand Cast) is the video version of this and the software equivalent is FireAnt. Not only does the iPod play video, there are many other portable devices out there that do as well, from Sony's PSP to Creative's iRiver and a whole bunch of different phones.
A Vlog or VideoBlog is the video version of a blog or online journal. A vlog is a type of Vodcast. Both Business Week and Forbes in the US have predicted that Vlogs are the 'next big thing' . Some business are already using the technology to communicate with their customers and for internal business reporting. A manager can watch a video from a field rep on the way home in the train or have a look at a new product.
The key with both podcasting and vodcasting is having your website setup properly with a feed. Both technologies use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and for a website to get subscribers it must have its RSS feeds setup properly.
Jim Stewart has been in the video streaming industry since 1997. He runs his own rich media consulting firm in Melbourne Australia. http://stewartmedia.biz