Streaming server vs Network sharing(NFS)

[fasiha]

What is the difference between audio/video streaming from shared network node or using a streaming server for live media streaming?
Which one is faster NFS sharing or streaming server?

[Dave]

Do you really mean 'live' media streaming here ?

NFS usually would usually relate to file sharing and thus 'on demand' streaming. Live media streaming doesn't usually involve storing the data as a file.

A streaming server will typically limit the transfer of data to the rate that is required to stream it and by doing so reduces the potential load on the network. Compared with a web server for example, which typically will tend to use as much network bandwidth as available in order to transfer the file to the requesting client as quick as possible.

[fasiha]

yes, I meant live streaming just like youtube. that falls in the category of live(true) streaming where we can get a video on-line and no copy will be stored on a local system. If the network disconnects video streaming will be stopped. On the other hand in progressive way of streaming a copy is stored on the local system and streaming will not be affected by network disconnect.

[Dave]

YouTube is mainly progressive download. If you look at the player, you will see a progress bar as it downloads. If you look in your browser cache you will find a copy of the video file you have just been watching.

Live streaming is (near) real-time transmission where typically you encode directly from a camera and the stream is sent over the network to the browser. Only the data buffer gets stored on the local system before it is rendered and displayed.

On-Demand streaming is where the content has been encoded and stored on a file system and then streamed when requested. Only the data buffer gets stored on the local system.

Progressive download is where the content has been encoded and stored on a file system and then downloaded when requested but allows playback whilst downloading, providing the download speed is equal to or faster than the playback rate. Video data ends up on the local system, usually in your browser cache.

Download is where the content has been encoded and stored on a file system and then downloaded. Playback only takes place after the file has been fully downloaded.

[fasiha]

thanks for all your explanation.
Now please help me deciding one of them. Let me tell you, I want to configure a web server and run some media streaming application on it. Then I want to use external clients to generate load for that streaming server.
In such scenario what should be the best choice to be used, on-demand(sharing) or progressive streaming(like youtube)? since live one is out of the consideration.

[Dave]

Perhaps start by taking a look at:
http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=8456
http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=11290
http://www.streaminglearningcenter.com/a...Page1.html
(the primer is below the 'Attachments' section)

[fasiha]

(10-27-2009 04:30 AM)Dave Wrote:  Perhaps start by taking a look at:
http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=8456
http://www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=11290
http://www.streaminglearningcenter.com/a...Page1.html
(the primer is below the 'Attachments' section)

thanks a lot Dave. It helps me a lot in understanding and configuring streaming server.

[fasiha]

Hi, Dave
I would like to test that "progressive download" (http streaming). But when i tried to access the video file from my browser it started downloading that file instead of playing it. But after I installed some streaming media application like VLC. then i am able to watch it in browser as well. Now i am confused how should i configure a web server for http delivery of my video to experience the difference between both. streaming and http downloading.

[Dave]

Ok, firstly 'progressive download' is not 'http streaming'.
'progressive download' is basically a 'http download' that allows you to start playback before the file is fully download.

'http streaming' is streaming over the http protocol as oppossed to streaming over the rtsp or mms protocols.

If the web browser starts downloading it, then the chances are that your MIME type configurations need to be set.

Basically in the web server configuration there is a mime type entry which maps each file extension to a MIME type. For example a .wmv extension will probably be mapped to the 'video/x-ms-wmv' MIME type.

Before the file transfer takes place, that MIME type declaration is sent to the web browser to declare what type of data it is about to receive. The web browser can then decide on what to do with at data
- display it in a web page
- save it to a file
- launch a helper application (e.g. media player) which is associated with that MIME type

[fasiha]

(10-31-2009 09:44 AM)Dave Wrote:  The web browser can then decide on what to do with at data
- display it in a web page
- save it to a file
- launch a helper application (e.g. media player) which is associated with that MIME type

My streaming server can successfully play the streaming media files in web browser or in a player. But its a kind of http streaming, no data is stored on the local node and it happens directly from the server every time i tried playing it. I want to use progressive download so that playback will be allowed to start with download. And once the file is kept on the client node it should be possible to play it from the local node even off-line. For this purpose which software should I use on a fedora Linux platform?