Streaming Video VS Progressive Downloading
With the inclusion of video on websites steadily rising, the question about streaming video VS downloading video is constantly being brought up. What is the difference and why is one so much more expensive?
With recent research proving that video has three times the conversion rate to that of standard advertising and online content (DoubleClick 2009), video is not only steadily rising – it is drastically improving user experiences and engagement online.
Due to this increased demand, numerous website owners want to engage in the production and implementation of video content on their website – a secondary thought however is how the video will be delivered on the page.
Below is a quick overview of the different methods for delivering a video online:
Streaming Video
A streaming video server accepts requests for video files and already has pre-determined information about format, bandwidth and the best way to serve that video without taking up to much user bandwidth. Streaming servers deliver only a small amount of data, a few bytes ahead of where the videos timeline is currently playing – meaning it is only serving the required video content for a few seconds in advance at precisely the right time. This means that the user’s bandwidth only uses data that is currently being played – as opposed to making the user wait for the video to completely download behind the scenes before playing and downloading the whole video (sometimes videos can be as large as 200MB for a few minutes).
Downloading Video (HTTP Download or Progressive Download)
This option does exactly that – download the whole video onto the user’s temporary internet folder on their computer. Regardless of the visitor’s internet speeds, the video will begin downloading straight away and will consume large amounts of bandwidth on not only the user’s computer – but your server also. It is largely noticeable by the fact that the user starts to watch the video, only to be stopped because the video is playing faster than the user can download the actual video itself.
Why use streaming video?
- Enhances user experience
- Only downloads what the user watches
- Faster speeds
- No interruptions
The infrastructure to serve streaming video is different to that of HTTP downloads – it requires faster servers and the ability to handle large amounts of traffic. Due to these reasons, the above benefits come at a cost that usually stuns people – people who already have a web host and cannot understand why they need to pay an extra fee for the privilege.
Some quick points for using video online:
- Always use streaming
- Do not embed Youtube branded videos on your website, it looks terrible.
- Try and use streaming providers that are located in your target audiences home destination.
- The player design is crucial. Do not use the old Windows Media player style – if possible integrate the video with a bespoke player that breaks the mold.
