Introduction

This website aims to serve as a brief introduction to streaming media, specifically about some of the protocols commonly used in the world wide web. First of all, definitions of the keywords are provided below. There will be a brief explaination for both the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Finally, an example is shown of how RealNetworks functions as it provides streaming media to its clients.

Definitions

Streaming Media is a media that is consumed (read, heard, viewed) while it is being delivered. Although it is generally used in the context of certain content types ("streaming audio", "streaming video", etc), streaming is more a property of the delivery systems employed to distribute that content. The distinction is usually applied to media that are distributed over computer networks; most other delivery systems are either inherently streaming (radio, television) or inherently non-streaming (books, video cassettes, audio CDs).

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Protocols are rules which guide how an activity should be performed.

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Streaming Media Protocols are therefore rules or instructions which guide how streaming audio or video are delivered from server to client through the computer network.