What is FAST Streaming?
The process of quickly and seamlessly delivering digital media content, such as video or audio, over the internet to various end-users in a streamlined manner is referred to as FAST streaming.
It is a technique that is rapidly growing in popularity and being used by several streaming services to ensure that their subscribers have a good viewing experience. In simpler words, FAST streaming is a unique technique through which viewers can start viewing their preferred digital content by simply clicking on it instead of waiting for the entire file to be downloaded.
Factors Affecting FAST Streaming
- Speed of your internet connection and bandwidth
- Quality and processing power of the streaming device
- Streaming platform and codec
- Server capacity and location
- Buffering and network congestion
How Does FAST Streaming Work?
The concept of Fast Streaming is pretty simple - users can start viewing or listening to digital content over the internet immediately after they click on it, without needing to download any file beforehand.
FAST streaming is dependent heavily on the use of adaptive bitrate streaming technology, which enables the streaming server to keep adjusting the quality of the content as per the capabilities of the receptor device in a dynamic way.
This method ensures that the quality of the content being streamed is adjusted according to the capabilities and the bandwidth availability of the user. Thus, the viewer can access the highest-quality digital content that their internet can support without any sort of buffering or lag.
Advantages of FAST Streaming
Platforms that support FAST Streaming services have the following advantages:
- Users can get immediate access to digital content immediately after clicking on it. They don’t need to download the file completely to view it.
- FAST Streaming services ensure high-quality video delivery to users, even with limited internet bandwidth. This is because the adaptive bitrate streaming technology adjusts the quality of the video dynamically.
- FAST Streaming services are highly compatible and support various devices like smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets, etc.
- FAST Streaming is a highly cost-effective method of streaming digital content, especially compared to older media delivery methods like DVDs and Cable TV.
- FAST Streaming services often provide personalized recommendations or playlists based on the user’s streaming history.
Fast Streaming Shortcomings
- FAST streaming has inherent latency issues, which can severely disadvantage applications requiring real-time interaction (like video conferencing).
- FAST streaming applications require a high-speed internet connection to work efficiently without buffering or low-resolution issues.
- FAST streaming requires modern devices that are capable of handling high-quality streams.
- FAST streaming may not work efficiently in case of network congestion.
- FAST streaming requires significant server resources, which may often be expensive to set up and maintain.
Examples of Fast Streaming
FAST Streaming is a highly popular technology and has already been adopted by many of the largest providers of digital content over the internet. Some popular examples of platforms using Fast Streaming are as follows:
- Netflix
- YouTube
- Prime Video
- Spotify
- Apple Music