subject: Different Types of Webcasting [print this page] Based on the technology that webcast support services use to deliver the content or information to the audience, there are three major types of webcasting:
1. Push
2. On-demand
3. Live
Push Technology
In this instance, the content is brought to the computer screens of audiences without specific requests for them on each occasion. The content may appear as pop-ups, wallpapers or screen savers on a receiving computer. The transmission of the data is usually based on some level of knowledge about the viewers interests in particular subjects.
Some advantages of push technology are that useful programmes can be downloaded by customers without actively searching for them. Similarly, they can get updates of news, and interact with the webcaster without having to make any effort to locate them. In this way,
webcasters get more control over the information they provide to users and when. Since effortless reception of information is available, customers are saved the time of searching for the material.
On-demand
This is
webcastingdone depending on the requirement of the consumer, at the time of usage. The user can control both the scheduling and the appearance of the webcast. The audience chooses what they want to see and when to view it. Instant zooming in and out of pictures, multiple camera angles, instant replay of events and provision of interactive devices like chat rooms, question and answer tools are some of the additional on-demand webcast features provided.
On-demand webcasting can show the event in real time, or make it downloadable. Viewing of virtual events and virtual conferences are possible using this technology.
Live Streaming
In streaming, there is no need to wait till a complete file is downloaded to a computer to view the playback of the contents such as online events or online seminars. The content may either be live or on-demand. When streaming is live, the schedule of the broadcast is fixed, so that viewers can access time sensitive broadcasts instantaneously. Users who wish to receive the broadcasts have to adhere to the schedule. In live streaming, some level of interaction is possible, such as clicking on a picture to view it in more detail.
The basis of streaming technologies is the ability to compress both audio and video into a stream. This is essential for video webcasts. Webcast solutions providers uses various software to compress the signals before transmission and then decompress the signals continuously in the correct order so that it can be viewed on the receivers computer screen in the proper sequence and without gaps.
Real-time streaming does not allow for webcast recording. Nor is it copied or retransmitted. Streaming does not involve any file cache or storage.
