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Copyright 2008 DigiMeld, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.digimeld.com 2/13
This paper describes the requirements for video streaming on the Internetin light of the rapid evolution of the industry and how DigiMeld’s Grid-streaming technology and solutions address some of the imminentchallenges that will arise to the growth and success of Internet videostreaming.
Challenges to Large Scale Internet Video Streaming
Despite the tremendous growth of video consumption via the Internet,streaming video over the Internet still faces significant challenges goingforward. The exploding volume of streaming video is being generated bysites such as YouTube, Hulu, ABC.com and others that stream primetimetelevision shows. In large part, this growth was enabled by dramatic growthin Internet bandwidth capacity. However, bandwidth is still expensive andcurrent capacity for rapid and significant scale is limited. Because videostreaming requires significant bandwidth, as video streaming volume rises,bandwidth capacity and management issues will challenge all who wish todistribute or consume video via the Internet.
Streaming is more demanding on network conditions thandownloading
The Internet was designed as a ‘best effort’ delivery system withoutconsideration for highly reliable time-sensitive delivery. Video streaming ishowever, not only time sensitive, but quality requirements are increasinglyhigher in line with consumer expectations. Unlike video file downloading,users need a real-time, continuous stream delivered with consistentresolution quality and without interruptions or buffering.
High definition and long-form streams pose more challenges onquality, cost, and scalability
With increasing demand for higher resolution and long-form videos byconsumers, the limitations of traditional streaming are compounding. Theinherent bottlenecks in the Internet infrastructure and technologies havebecome more pronounced closer to the end users - at the access networks.These networks are capital intensive. According to estimates, capitalexpenditure in the access networks is not keeping up with expecteddemand from consumers
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. With video being the most bandwidth intensiveapplication, and according to Cisco accounting for 30% of Internetconsumer traffic today (excluding P2P video), and reaching 50% of Internetconsumer traffic by 2012
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, it is not difficult to identify the causal factor thatwill lead to the projected bottlenecks.This is an impending challenge for programmers and broadcasters who arelooking to monetize their video assets over the Internet. A sub-par videoexperience due to bandwidth limitations will not deliver the qualityexperience that users are used to on broadcast, cable and satellitetelevision. This in turn will curb demand for such services. Lack of useradoption will limit the attractiveness for advertisers to repurpose their
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