Streaming Rich Media content over the internet is comparable to having a broadcast channel. Today it is possable to deliver audio and video content either live and in real time or in an "on demand" method.
Fact: More than 100 million users consume online digital media per month, in the U.S. alone. This represents almost 60 percent of the U.S online population.
What is "streaming"? Streaming media is the transfer, in real time, of an audio or video file from a server to the users desktop, laptop, PDA or mobile computer. The user perceives the requested file as a continuous stream or in laymen’s term similar to a radio or televison transmission.
There are many ways to stream rich media over the internet, but in most cases a "plugin" is required to play the stream. Names of the most common players are" Real Player, Windows Media Player, Quicktime and Macromedia Flash Player.
The real beauty of streaming a webcast or rich media file, is that in many cases even recipients who are still on "dial up" modems can receive a streaming presentation. And this may or may not matter to you, if you are on "high speed" connection, but if you encounter network congestion or you are trying to demonstrate a product to a possable contact in a non-high speed area, this can be all the difference between in getting a new potential client or losing a sale.
