Media streaming entails connecting the television or home theater to the Internet to stream music and video from any online services. It is done through a primary device with a few connections like a video (HDMI and/or composite), Ethernet networking jacks, and audio (RCA and/or digital). In the initial days of the Internet, streaming media was a challenge. It was more like driving through stop-and-go traffic during peak office hours. The Internet connections were much slower, and even the computers were slow so one would spend a lot of time buffering the data than watching the video or listening to the audio.

However, over time, media streaming has come a long way. Today, Internet radio is the most popular form of listening to music as is watching shows and movies through the popular “Netflix.” The success of media streaming is seen now, but the concept has been prevalent for a long time.

How does it work?

Media streaming is transmitted by a server application and displayed in real-time by a client application called a media player. A media player could be a part of the browser, a plug-in, or an entirely different program. It could also be a dedicated device, like an iPod. Very often, video files have embedded players. YouTube videos, for example, run in embedded Flash players.

Media streaming is used to view prerecorded media files such as music and videos but can also be distributed like a live broadcast such as web meeting. You need a client program with an audio/video (A/V) codec, which is usually embedded in other applications that are connected to the Internet such as a web browser, media player or a server used for media delivery.

Through the codec, you can receive and convert the data in real time into video and audio output and at the same time save additional data in a buffer. In case, the download is slow, and the playback speed catches up with it, buffering takes place. This was the way media streaming started in the 1990s.

Today, with a high-speed Internet connection and super fast laptops, smartphones, and iPads, the face of media streaming has changed. It is quick, easy and more convenient.

Benefits of media streaming
Among the recent trends in the home entertainment world, streaming media from the Internet is one of the most popular. Its benefits have increased its demand. Let’s see how:

• It works out to be cost effective as there are no monthly rental fees for digital boxes.
• Flexibility – You can watch the show or movie that you want at your time and leisure.
• Multipurpose – With one device and a good Internet connection you can do multiple things including viewing videos, listening to music, playing games.
• It saves space on the hard drive as streaming media, or video content can be sent in a compressed form over the Internet and play immediately. It does not have to be saved on the hard drive.
• Sound and visual quality of the media is much better, provided the Internet speed is good.
• It is also easier to share content with anyone.