The difference between progressive download and streaming delivery
When a business or organization publishes a video on the web or operates a video service, it is important to select a video distribution method.
On this occasion, we will explain the characteristics and differences between the two distribution methods, “progressive download” and “streaming distribution”.
What is progressive download?
Progressive download is a delivery technology that downloads data such as video and audio and plays them at the same time.
Sometimes referred to as “pseudo-streaming,” the video data is played back as it is saved as a temporary file on a terminal such as a PC or smartphone.
Thus, once the video data is downloaded, it can be freely viewed offline without having to go through the internet.
What is streaming distribution?
Streaming is a technology that transfers audio and video data, plays it back in sequence, and distributes the data to terminals such as PCs and smartphones without saving it.
Streaming distribution uses a dedicated streaming server for video and audio distribution and transfers only the data required for playback, making it suitable for distribution of long duration video such as movies.
Due to the technology to play while data is transferred, if the communication environment is poor, the data reception cannot be maintained and the video may stop in the middle.
Advantages and disadvantages
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of “progressive download” and “streaming”.
Progressive discharge
merit
Even if the communication environment is bad, smooth playback is possible after the data download is complete.
Since the video data is saved as a temporary file in the terminal, the saved video data can be played repeatedly as long as the cache remains.
Operation is possible without preparing a dedicated streaming server
* Recently, streaming servers are becoming more common.
Demerit
Since the entire video file is downloaded to the terminal and distributed, it is easily copied and no copyright action can be taken.
* Recent video data security
Large video files put a strain on your bandwidth, so they take time to play.
As the number of concurrent viewers increases, the server will become overloaded and viewing will become difficult.
Transmission delivery
merit
Only the video being played is transferred to the user, so if the communication environment is stable, you can comfortably watch long and large-capacity videos.
Since there is no data left on the device, copyright-related measures such as data redistribution and falsification are higher than progressive downloads.
* Recent video data security
By using a CDN, a stable distribution is possible even if the number of concurrent viewers increases.
Reference: What is a CDN that is often used for video distribution?
Demerit
Stable playback is not possible unless the communication environment is protected.
A dedicated streaming server needs to be set up, which requires upfront and running costs.
