web streaming

Unless you’re a start up or a small-to-medium-sized company, you probably have offices in different parts of the country, if not around the globe.

And while a conference can get many of these far-flung people together, there are always a few who can’t make it. Web streaming is the perfect way to make sure everyone can contribute to the event. But the benefits of web streaming are more than just including everyone. They include savings on

• Overnight and travel expenses
• Airfares
• C02 emission
• Downtime away from work

The other benefits are that you’re able to have a complete record of the event for further purposes.

At EMS we regard web streaming as a vital tool any conference planner should consider.

Streaming needs to be secure, even more so if you’ll be discussing material of a sensitive nature at your meeting. We use the industry standard: Microsoft registered drm encryption for complete security.
   
There are basically two types of streaming: real-time transmission and progressive downloading (also called "FastStart" or "pseudo-streaming") of media.

This streaming is time-dependent, delivering, for example, live broadcasts, via special streaming server software. A streaming server is the only way to transmit live broadcasts as, if necessary, it allows a reduction in viewing quality to ensure real-time delivery. This means an event that lasts 25 minutes will be transmitted for precisely 25 minutes, independent of server load or user’s bandwidth. And, as streaming media cannot be downloaded there is greater protection of content. 

Weather progressive or real-time, web streaming allows two-way interaction, so participants off site can dialogue with presenters and participants in the main meeting.

Progressive downloading is frequently used for video-on-demand (there’s no download delay, so viewers don't have to wait before they can begin watching). This type of streaming allows media files to be served through a Web (HTTP) server. Once the user’s player has enough data, the video plays. The viewer does not have to wait for an entire file to download. Special server software is not required and progressive downloads can be hosted by most Web servers.

The big advantage to progressive downloading is the quality of the playback is often higher than real-time streaming and, once downloaded, the quality remains high, as the file is stored locally. The disadvantage is that media files can remain stored on a user’s computer, copied and forwarded by the user.

The main disadvantage is for users with a slow connection speed. They could need more time to watch a complete transmission. They may also experience short breaks in viewing while the media player waits for additional data.