Challenges toOvercome for Successful Video Streaming

There are various barriers in video streaming, but providers may improve the user experience and keep viewers engaged by utilizing today's technology and innovations.

Fremont, CA: Streaming video has exploded in popularity in every element of modern business and leisure. However, despite major technology advancements over the last two decades, video providers continue to face distinct challenges. Viewers cannot enjoy seamless video streaming due to bandwidth constraints, latency issues, and device compatibility issues. Challenges can be overcome with continuing innovation across platforms that can deliver 4K, immersive or augmented reality, and 360° video streaming.

Some of the limitations in video steaming are:

Bandwidth limitations

With the recent repeal of net neutrality and the wider cord-cutting movement, bandwidth restrictions will only become more common. On a daily basis, we're seeing an increase in the consumption of video material across a range of devices, and customers want to be able to see it in the greatest possible quality. Tight, lossless compression is the only way to deliver the finest quality video at any time and in any location. And this isn't a simple task by any means. Dirac and other related compressions used to be the way to go, but that is no longer the case. New compression technologies have advanced recently, but many are still years away from being implemented or incorporated into more established codecs.

Device compatibility challenges

Another problem for providers is ensuring that video streams are compatible with — and optimized for — the wide range of devices on the market. Fully adaptive streams may now adjust to any bitrate and resolution, making it easy to send the appropriate stream to each screen. Video providers must still decide whether to transmit several streams to a service provider or to send one stream and have it transcoded. The best way to provide high-quality video to various devices is to send one stream to a service provider, who will transcode it for the devices as needed.

Latency and reliability issues

Massive amounts of data are supplied with increasing resolutions and bitrates, and this volume of activity might cause latency and reliability difficulties. Viewers usually witness the all-too-common situation in which the video stream delays or entirely disappears at a critical point. And video professionals face the challenge of delivering high-quality video to a large audience. Using a multi-CDN or SD-CDN method to avoid latency is the solution. Streaming providers can access the best network with the shortest video packet times when they need it the most by connecting to multiple content delivery networks.