The Field Of On the net Streaming Media Formats

By Jeff Marshall


One of the most popular files formats that are available for media files today can be read online without needing to wait to download a large file. There are numerous online streaming media formats to choose from on various different websites. These include online movies online formats for audio files and videos that could be viewed online. All of these formats will be better for certain types of computers and connections though.

The very first type of online streaming media formats is the Windows Media format. Established by Microsoft, this format is mostly capable of being read by Microsoft Media Player programs. Windows Media Audio is the top format that is used for audio programs, while Windows Media Video can be used as streaming video formats.

Apple's QuickTime format is another of the top online streaming media formats. Files that can be please read on QuickTime can be easily streamed online. This includes both video and audio files. An ActiveX control is going to be needed for a website or other online plan to be able to play the file for streaming. It does take a bit to load a normal file under this format though, but finito, no more interruptions in stream under the QuickTime format, and the data won't be saved onto the hard drive like a standalone file unless the person requests it to be saved.

The MPEG data format, or Moving Picture Experts Group format, is amongst the most notable online streaming media formats for video files. There are three different formats inside the MPEG system. MPEG-1 is a standard compression format for video files, while MPEG-2 can be used for ATSC, ISDB and digital satellite and cable transmission. MPEG-4 is the better quality format and it is employed to support three dimensional content and low bitrate levels.

It should be noted that when downloading videos online in one of the online streaming media formats inside MPEG system it will take longer to load data based on the level of quality. MPEG-4 formats be more difficult to download. In addition, with respect to the kilobyte bandwidth the size of the file vary. 64Kb files will be smaller and thus of less quality than 256Kb files.

Real Media files are also popular among online streaming media formats. This can be easily read through a Real Media Player. 64Kb and 256Kb files can be found in this format with the 256Kb format being better in quality.

Of course, MP3 files can be streamed online. This is especially popular among websites that use higher amounts of information. The bitrate of the file can make a difference in the quality of the sounds as well as the speed of the download. The quantity of kilobits per second is commonly found in streaming MP3 formats. For example, a 56kbps file will be great for a 56K modem. A 128kbps file will improve for DSL connections nevertheless it will be a larger file to download for streaming.

The speed of the online connection could make an impact on the online movies online formats that are used on laptop computer. MPEG-4 files and 128kbps audio files will improve for faster connections. The reason for this is that the files will likely be of better quality because of the more complicated encoding that is used in these files. Needless to say, with the more complex encoding more data will be needed for the compression of the streaming media.

That is a look at the many movies online formats. These formats can be used video and audio files. Of course, a lot of them will have more data to download and definitely will have different quality levels, therefore it is best to consider the speed in the Internet connection when looking into the online media format that is to be read. With all of these online video clips formats, it is good to know there are different formats for different types of computers to use.




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