On Ramp: What Separates One Streaming Package from Another?

There are more than a score of software companies selling video-streaming software. They all promise that their technology is far superior to their competitor's technology, but what really separates them? The biggest difference is how they route the video through the different channels of the Internet. There are different ways computers communicate through the Internet, and they call the different types of communication protocols. Click here to learn more about protocols.

The video-streamers fall into four major categories. The first category is the streamers that work only in the HTTP protocol. These usually work right off of your existing web server. They also stream video through firewalls with ease. Some of the HTTP-only streamers require a plug-in to view, while others work with the browser alone. The main disadvantage of the HTTP-only streamers is that HTTP is an inherently slower protocol than other protocols.

The second category is the streamers that use multiple protocols. These always require a plug-in to view, even if they cram the plug-in into your machine without you knowing using Java. These streamers are usually faster and more capable than the HTTP-only streamers, but they do have trouble with fi…