Media streaming means using or relating to a form of continuous tape transport; used mainly to provide backup storage of unedited data, or in a simple manner from one computer broadcasting of multimedia contents means audio/video, can be accessed by users located elsewhere and can be watched by them without seeing saving the contents in their hardrive.
Earlier for media streaming pre-recorded video file was used now-a-days with the innovation of newer and smarter technologies live broadcast feed can also be streamed.Here, in this case video signal is being compressed and then send through the web server then one file is being transmitted to multiple users at the same time by using through the technology called multicast protocol.
It can be transmitted through the LAN also through internet but in case of later bigger bandwidth is of the necessity.
Media Streaming using VLC in the same network/LAN:
VLC means Video Lan Player.It is a widely known and used and long familiar player.The advantages of this player is that it is light on system resources and it can run on all OS(Operating Systems)platforms be it Windows,Linux or Mac and can play any audio /video format.
Install VLC player on yours Windows and open it from Start menu or quick launch.
Setting Options for media streaming: click Media>Streaming and select the video if more than one video then Click and drag to select multiple files. Then click Stream.
The next windows opens,setting the Stream Output options:select Play locally and HTTP.Leave the port at 8080. Beneath Encapsulation,select MPEG-TS and then click on Stream.
The video will run suggesting that it is being streamed.
Output mode is HTTP so anybody in yours LAN or network can have the access to watch this broadcasting.In order to block this, go to Stream Output option window,select RTP and then prefer UDP over RTP.
You can give permission to certain PC users to see this streaming then you can add the IP addresses of the PCs in yours network or LAN you want to stream to. Remember, to leave the port default at 1234.
Accepting video stream:
Open VLC,go to Media>Open Network, then in the Network Protocol Option alter the protocol to HTTP,leave the address bar empty.
Check Show More Options at the hind end and then type the IP address of the PC which is streaming/broadcasting the media and port will be 8080.Then done and click on Play and the Streaming media will start playing.
If you have used UDP, then
Open VLC, click on Media>Open Network, then select UDP and click and play.
Gains from media streaming:
Media streaming is the only possible way through this can only be done the live broadcast from internet though bigger bandwidth is of the necessity.
A strong SoHO can be built upon and also and through this the LAN management can be done with an speed and also sufficient manageable way as if you have slow internet connection then through LAN the streaming speed is good and sufficient and for this you do not need to have broadband connection , the slow connection the dial up is more than enough.
You do not need to download the media files again and again ,so you save the most precious bandwidth in certain way.
So with this you can save storage space from yours hard disc as whatever you need in yours network you can download from the streaming thus it works as a substitute for storage mediums.
Also you can stream the HD media if all yours network system are HD media friendly.
