Video on the Web

What you see when you browse the web looking for live video will be either a frequently updating image (delivered through an ActiveX control, Java Applet, or direct JPEG image reference) or some type of streaming video (delivered through a proprietary player like Windows Media, Real, QuickTime, etc.) displayed in an embedded or pop-up window.

Frequently Updating Images are displayed in a standard web graphic format, jpeg or gif. These images vary in frequency from 30 per second to one per day (yes, even one new image per day is still considered "live" by some). The resolution of the images may range from 160x120 to 640x480, but typically it is 320x240. The higher the resolution is, the larger the file size. This makes for longer image downloads and slower overall frame rates.

MPEG4 based streaming video plays from 4 to 30 fps and typically requires special software for decoding the video stream on a client's PC. Streaming video resolutions range depending on available bandwidth at both the client and camera sides of the network. Like the frequently updating image format, higher resolution requires slower frame rates. With high bandwidth and a powerful system, it is possible to view broadcast quality, full screen 30 fps video on a PC.

Streaming video uses proprietary compression algorithms (as compared with standard web formats like jpeg and gif), thus requiring the special plug-ins to display the video. Windows Media and Real Media are common streaming formats. Audio is typically embedded with the stream.

Bandwidth on both sides of the equation (the broadcasting side and the client side) plays a major role in what the end user finally sees. For example, if the broadcaster uses a T-1 to produce an updating image every 2 seconds, but the client is connected to the Internet with a 28.8 modem, the client may only get a new image every 20 seconds. Streaming applications have similar limitations. The bottom line is, the more bandwidth the client has, the more positive the online experience will be.

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