The first edition of this book came about because I had made a career move
from television to streaming media. Although it was still video, streaming
seemed like a different world. The two camps, television and IT, had evolved
separately. It was not just the technology. It was the work practices, the jargon
– everything was different. I soon found that the two sides often misunderstood
each other, and I had to learn the other’s point of view. What I missed was a
top-down view of the technologies. I knew I could get deep technical information
about encoding, setting up servers, distribution networks. But for the business
decisions about what to purchase I did not need such detail – I wanted
the big picture. I found out the hard way by doing all the research. It was just
one more step to turn that information into a book.
As with any technology, the book became outdated. Companies closed down
or were bought out. The industry has consolidated into fewer leading suppliers,
but what a potential purchaser of systems needs are stable companies that are
going to be around for support and upgrades.
The second edition brings the information up to date, especially in the areas
of MPEG-4, Windows Media, Real, and Apple QuickTime.
Much has happened since I wrote the first edition of this book. There has
been an expansion across the board in the availability of network bandwidth.
The price of fiber circuits is decreasing. Within corporate networks, it is becoming
normal to link network switches with fiber. Gigabit Ethernet is replacing
10baseT. In many countries, the local loop is being unbundled. This gives the
consumer a choice of ADSL providers. They may also have the option of data
over cable from the local cable television network. All this competition is driving
down prices.
As third-generation wireless networks are rolled out, it becomes feasible to
view video from mobile appliances. These new developments are freeing the
use of streaming technology from just the PC platform. Although the PC has
many advantages as a rich media terminal, the advent of other channels is
increasing its acceptance by corporations.