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Ideally, ‘on demand’ streaming video begins to play on request after a few moments (letting the
stream get a bit ahead of the client playback device is called ‘buffering’, and helps ensure smooth
playback). (This stands in contrast to other types of online video distribution which requires the
viewer to completely download the video file before he can begin play. Given a sufficiently high
speed connection between host and viewer, they may well be able to enjoy a seamless viewing
experience without stuttering or other issues.
LIVE STREAMING
Live streaming is a growing international market, and one you may well wish to serve. This form
of streaming is a somewhat more demanding implementation. Rather than record a file and deal
with it later, live video is transmitted over the network (effectively in realtime, give or take a little
‘time in the pipe’ as it were.) Delivering a good quality stream requires that you consider both
your network connection capabilities and that of your viewers. As well, to ensure reliable
delivery, you will ideally have some idea of the size of your audience. Nevertheless, for all cases,
TriCaster gives you the tools to do the job.
Naturally, streaming video is highly compressed to reduce bandwidth demands and make it
available to a wider group. TriCaster supports two popular and prolific encoding systems,
Microsoft’s Windows Media™ and Adobe Flash Media ®.
The decision as to which encoding format to use for your live stream is up to you, or – in some
cases – your client. Here are some things to consider:

Some corporate and institutional network administrators opt to support one or another
format exclusively. (Check with your IT department to find out if this affects your
decision).

Flash has a very wide installed user base, and seems poised to increase in proliferation
in the foreseeable future.

Flash works well across multiple platforms (PCs, Macs, Linux, etc.). Windows Media is
well represented, but perhaps not quite to the same degree.