Media server
As a streaming server is referred to a dedicated server for the delivery of streaming media data over a network.
Typical streaming server support specific streaming protocols such as RTP, RTSP, RTCP, and RSVP ( Assist protocol for QoS method IntServ ).
Provider
Among the providers of streaming servers include, inter alia, RealNetworks (formerly Progressive Networks ), Microsoft and Apple as well as smaller vendors like Flexcast. Also in the open source community to develop, for example in the projects Darwin, VideoLAN, ffserver of FFmpeg, Helix, in the Catra Streaming Platform and the LScube project streaming server.
Products
The most common streaming server be licensed commercially, the cost may increase disproportionately with increasing number of simultaneous streams.
Overall streaming media server
- Ampache web-based audio / video streaming software (Open Source)
- Apple's QuickTime Streaming Server ( QTSS ) (only for Mac OS X) and Darwin Streaming Server (Open Source)
- Jinzora audio / video streaming software on the internet (open source)
- PS3 Media Server is a DLNA compliant UPnP server for videos, music and photos ( Open Source)
- RealNetworks Helix Server and Helix DNA Server (Open Source)
- VideoLAN server, a dedicated open source streaming server of the VideoLAN project
- VLC Media Player, a media player with streaming capabilities and server functionality of the VideoLAN project
- Windows Media Server
Special streaming audio server
Current streaming audio server:
- No23Live
- Xiph.org: Icecast, a streaming server for MP3 and Ogg Vorbis, is being developed since 2001 and used by many web radios
- Nullsoft: Shoutcast
- Asterisk ( PBX ): among others, Web radio over IP telephony ( VoIP protocols such as SIP address, see phonecast )
Classic software solutions from the 1990s were:
- NetStreamer (Linux; GNU GPL)
- Cyber Radio 1 (UNIX, GNU GPL)
- AmpRadio (Windows ) and Others
Server operating
The operation of a server for live streaming presupposes - in addition to the respective licenses - at least a dedicated server advance; Private customers can also rent pre-configured computer for some web hosts and Internet service providers (ISP).
History and Development
The first commercial products for streaming published Progressive Networks, which later RealNetworks, 1994; the competitors Apple and Microsoft attracted little later after using Quicktime and Windows Media.
The first open source streaming server, Apple introduced in mid-1999 with Darwin before. The Darwin Streaming Server is based on the shared parts of the source code of the QuickTime Streaming Server.
RealNetworks moved in 2002 after and were parts of the source code in-house server (Helix Universal Server and Helix DNA Server ), player, production tools and codecs free that are ported and developed in the Helix DNA Project; the Helix DNA Server supports the file formats MP3, RealAudio, RealVideo, Windows Media and QuickTime.
The project uses two licenses, the RealNetworks Public Source License ( RPSL ) and the RealNetworks Community Source License ( RCSL ). First results were published with the release of the Helix DNA Server in early 2003, but the completion of the Helix DNA encoder delayed.
There are no commercial server software is no longer required for simple streaming SOHO; the streaming player VLC media player contains all the properties required for a home user. This now also includes features that go far beyond needs of individuals, which is why VLC is also used professionally.
Since the introduction of UMTS 2003 streaming to mobile devices becomes more and more the focus of streaming technologies. Under the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, there is a uniform standard that allows compatible streaming to mobile devices. Many projects, such as the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS ) show the possibilities offered by mobile streaming.