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Streaming: What does it all mean?

You stream, I stream, we all stream for our favourite content. And, as the world of streaming becomes bigger and more sophisticated, the broadcast big boys are finally realising that they need to get in on the game.

In this article, we’ll be giving you the lowdown on streaming and highlighting the major industry players. You’ll see that what started as a trickle, has now grown into a streaming tsunami that’s washing away traditional TV habits.

What is streaming?

For those of you not already streaming your little hearts out, let us explain. Streaming (or media streaming) is the process of ‘transferring data so that it can be processed as a steady and continuous stream’.

In human speak, that means watching a piece of On Demand or live content ‘on the fly’. There’s no buffering or waiting for it to download completely; you watch your show as it streams. So instead of watching shows via the broadcast airwaves or a downloaded file, you’re accessing it directly from the online source.

Viewers no longer want to wait for something to download; instead they want to watch it now.

Why is streaming awesome?

Streaming is an easier way to watch the shows you want to watch without having to rely on broadcast TV, living at the whim of the network program schedulers or having to download ‘heavy’ files to access the content.

It’s all about watching what you want when you want, and it enables you to:

• Access content wherever you are (not just in your lounge)
• Watch content on any device you choose

For the content creators there are other benefits. Since they’re not showing content via the big networks, they’re no longer bound by a rigid schedule and program length. Streaming allows the content producers to engage directly with the viewers.

What’s hot in the world of streaming?

Until recently, streaming video was only available for short video clips (due to file sizes and the ‘oomph’ needed to show them). As video play technology and file handing techniques improve, instant video streaming is becoming more widely available for longer videos.

Recently, the streaming industry has fired up with some major launches and acquisitions being announced. Big players in this area now include:

• StreamCo – This $100 million joint venture, a new Video On Demand (VOD) service, was launched by Fairfax and Channel 9 recently (August 2014)

• Oolya – A technology company that uses software for content streaming via smart phones, computers and tablets, was recently purchased by Telstra for a chunky $US270 million

• Presto – Foxtel’s IP delivered On Demand Service recently slashed their subscription prices to better compete in this crowded market. Foxtel CEO Richard Freudenstein explained:

“(Foxtel is) serious about going the extra mile. Today we’ve raised the bar even higher by giving our customers access to bonus content at no extra charge.”

• Comcast – Owned by Time Warner Cable, Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBC Universal back in 2009

• Netflix – The US giant, that predominately delivers On Demand movies and shows, is rumoured to be moving into the Australian market in 2015

• Quickflicks – Channel 9 recently increased its stake in this Australian-based online entertainment company

So how does Seebo fit it?

When it comes to streaming, you can’t go past Seebo. Our nifty little entertainment hub allows you to stream content ultra fast to your big screen TV. There’s no waiting for downloads, and we’ve basically eliminated buffering (depending on how fast your internet service is of course), and that means you can watch favourite shows instantly.

Our custom hardware and software was specifically designed with streaming in mind. Seebo allows you to stream Live TV from the internet, and gives you a genuine Hbb TV experience.

Shhh, Seebo streaming just got better

Seebo has just announced our partnership with uCast Media to provide streaming of high-quality, local content through your Seebo and onto other devices (such as your laptop, tablet, games console, smart TV and smart phone).

This great partnership means that anyone can become a broadcaster. So if you’re a content producer, we can now create an IPTV channel for you. We’ll give you direct access to the viewers, enable streaming content, and you can monetise your shows in a number of different ways.

The final word

The truth is that old school broadcast TV may soon be a thing of the past, and we’re seeing traditional broadcasters falling over themselves to get into the on demand market. But what does this mean for you?

Well, at Seebo we believe that TV will become a more fluid experience, and the control will be placed firmly in the hands of the viewers. Content will be available faster via streaming, and the rise of TV everywhere, will mean the traditional lounge room viewing experience will be replaced with a ‘where you want’ experience. Content will be available at any time, anywhere, on any device.

And while some of the smaller content providers may be eaten up by the wealthy broadcast big boys, this relatively unregulated space means that new players will be popping up all the time.

The wealth of choice will hopefully keep prices down and mean faster, better content for the viewers (that’s you).

Over to you

Do you stream content? Which is your favourite provider? We’d love to hear your comments below.

Tags: Comcast, Foxtel, IPTV, Netflix, on demand, Presto, Quicklflicks, Streamco. Oolya, VOD