TABLE OF CONTENTS Up to this point we have tacitly assumed that content comes in discrete form: a book, a file, a ring tone, a logo. But there is also content consumed in a more continuous way. For example, most of us prefer watching a football game in real time rather than downloading it as a video file after the match is over. This type of content, which is consumed directly as it is transferred, is called streaming content.
There are several characteristics that set streaming content aside from downloaded or browsable content:
There must be a continuous flow of information from server to client. Streaming content does not tolerate intermittent connectivity, and requires a minimum bandwidth to be constantly available.
Streaming content is less sensitive to errors and may have value even if not delivered completely. By contrast, downloaded content that is corrupted or incomplete usually does not render, and has no value whatsoever. Watching only part of a concert can be considered to have certain value, even if it is not the same as seeing the whole concert.
In some cases, the added value of streaming content is in the event's timeliness, rather than the quality of sound or image (e.g., sports matches).
This means that streaming content has different requirements, both in terms of technology and charging.
Less than a decade ago, streaming was almost synonymous with radio or television. Neither dial-up Internet nor mobile networks offered sufficient data rates to deliver...
