PRODUCTS
With so many ways to watch videos today from catching up on TV shows to experiencing live sports two options stand out: Video on demand (VOD) and Live streaming.
Did you know that over 80% of viewers prefer video on demand for its convenience, while nearly 70% tune in to live streaming for real-time excitement. In this blog we will discover how these popular options stack up in today’s streaming landscape.
Video on demand is like having a huge library of movies and shows right at your fingertips. VOD is a way to stream your favourite shows and movies whenever it suits you, just like flipping through channels on a TV, but with a much bigger choice and control over what you see.
Video on demand (VOD) offers flexibility, allowing users to watch pre-recorded content at their own convenience.
For users
Entertainment purpose they watch movies, shows and videos for fun. For educational content they learn new things with videos on different subjects. Also useful to get informative content and updates on various topics.
For organization (corporate)
Internal training use videos to help employees learn new skills or information. Creating step-by-step guides (tutorials) to help staff understand processes or tools. Also useful for walk-throughs which shows employees how to complete tasks or use systems through detailed video guide.
Ingestion: Content providers upload pre-recorded videos to the VOD platform. Metadata (such as titles, descriptions, and categories) is associated with each video. Videos are transcoded into various formats suitable for different devices (e.g., smartphones, smart TVs).
Storage: Transcoded video files are stored in a content repository. Content delivery networks (CDNs) cache popular videos closer to viewers for efficient delivery.
User authentication and authorization: Users sign in to access the VOD service. Authorization ensures that users can only view content they are allowed to access.
Content Delivery: When a user requests a video, the VOD system retrieves the relevant file from storage. CDNs distribute the video efficiently to minimize latency.
Playback: The video player decodes and renders the video stream. Users can control playback (play, pause, seek) using familiar controls.
Analytics and recommendations: The VOD platform collects data on user behaviour (views, likes, watch time). Algorithms analyse this data to provide personalized recommendations.
VOD has gained momentum in recent years. Increasingly, consumers prefer to watch video on personal and mobile devices. Since cinemas were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, many potential movie blockbusters went directly to VOD so that viewers could stream the movie of their choice on demand in the safety of their homes. Some of the examples include Amazon Prime, Netflix, YouTube etc.
This bar graph shows the increase in on-demand video views for major platforms from 2019 to 2024.
Live streaming lets you watch events in real-time over the internet. Think of it as watching a sports game or a live concert as it happens. With Live streaming, you:
Encoding: Encoding converts live video into a digital format suitable for streaming. Tools like OBS Studio, Wirecast, and FFmpeg are commonly used, along with protocols such as RTMP for ingesting and HLS for delivery. Proper encoding ensures high video quality across various platforms and devices.
Streaming: Streaming involves broadcasting the live feed through services like YouTube Live or Twitch. Developers integrate with these platforms, APIs to manage streams and use protocols like RTMP and HLS to deliver content efficiently, minimizing buffering.
Content Delivery Network (CDN): CDNs distribute the stream globally, reducing latency and handling high traffic loads. This enhances stream delivery speed and improves the viewer experience.
APIs and SDKs: Integration involves using APIs from platforms like YouTube live API or Twitch API for stream management, and SDKs like JW Player or Video.js for embedding and controlling playback in apps or websites.
Security: Protect live streams with encryption methods such as RTMPS or HLS with AES. Implement authentication to restrict access to authorized viewers, preventing unauthorized use and piracy.
Latency management: Minimize delay with low-latency protocols like Low-latency HLS or WebRTC to ensure streams are as close to real-time as possible, which is crucial for live events.
Error handling: Develop error recovery strategies, including automatic reconnections and fallback servers, to maintain stream stability and quickly address issues.
UI design and mobile optimization: Design engaging interfaces with features like live chat and interactive overlays. Ensure streams are optimized for mobile devices with responsive design and thorough testing.
Testing and debugging: Conduct pre-stream tests, simulate high traffic, and use monitoring tools to identify and fix issues, ensuring a smooth streaming experience for viewers.
This bar graph illustrates the number of views (in millions) for the most popular live streaming platforms on social media as of 2024. YouTube live leads with the highest views, followed by Twitch, Facebook live, Instagram live, and TikTok live.
YouTube live: 800 million views
Twitch: 700 million views
Facebook live: 500 million views
Instagram live: 400 million views
TikTok live: 300 million views
Webinars: These are live online sessions designed to educate or inform. They provide an opportunity to share knowledge and deliver training directly to a real-time audience.
Conferences: Allows people to attend and watch presentations remotely. This can help you reach a global audience, increase attendance, and provide content to those who cannot be physically present.
Interviews: Can involve discussions with experts, influencers, or team members. This can generate excitement and engagement allowing viewers to interact.
Live sales and e-commerce: Can be used to highlight products in real-time, demonstrate how they work and offer exclusive deals. It can drive sales by offering exclusive promotions.
Social media live streaming
Gaming live streaming
Professional streaming
Educational streaming
News and media streaming
Virtual reality (VR) streaming
The main difference between Video-on-demand (VOD) content and a live stream is that VOD content is recorded and edited before you view it, and live content is streamed in real time. VOD content is available on demand, meaning viewers can watch it whenever and wherever they want once the content is made available to them. This is not the case with live streaming, where the content needs to be watched in real-time. Thankfully, platforms like FastPix, lets you record and save your live streams to make them available on demand.
Live streaming delivers real-time content as it occurs. Live streams can be a wonderful way to share information and connect with customers, employees, stakeholders in real time.
Compared to VOD, live streaming demands a more complex technical setup, once the content is live-streamed, there is no opportunity for editing. Once the stream is complete, you can upload it to a site which viewers can access. While VOD is better for video content that follows a script you can plan, record, edit and fix the video before you release it.
Compared to VOD, live streaming demands a more complex technical setup, once the content is live-streamed, there is no opportunity for editing. Once the stream is complete, you can upload it to a site which viewers can access. While VOD is better for video content that follows a script you can plan, record, edit and fix the video before you release it.
With FastPix, managing both VOD and live streaming is easy. Our platform simplifies the process, making it straightforward to handle all your video needs. Whether you’re broadcasting live or managing a library of on-demand content, FastPix has the tools to help you out.
Why not try it and see how FastPix can transform your video workflow?
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