Stream a Little Stream

So, you've cut together a pretty entertaining video and now you want everyone to see it.

You don't have to start searching for distributors. Just put it on the Web and let the world see what you can do. To do this, you must first know the difference between streaming and downloading and then the basics of encoding and delivery.

Streaming vs. Downloading

Streaming is a sometimes catch-all word to describe video distribution across the Internet. However, there are actually two methods for viewing media: streaming and downloading.

Streaming means the media is hosted from an external site, some place other than your hard drive. With streaming you can begin watching your video almost the second it shows up on your computer. Because there's no waiting involved, streaming is useful for broadcasting live events over the Web. Streaming is the most consistent delivery option for end-users.

Downloading video actually works by doing just what it says, downloading an entire file onto your hard drive for viewing. This method has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that, once downloaded, you can open the video at any time, even when you don't have the Internet connected, and you also have quicker access to any area of the file at any point. The disadvantage is that you have to wait for the entire file to download before you can view any part of it. This can be a huge inconvenience to someone wanting to view a large file.