Knowledge Base

Have you ever wondered how a video stream switches to different qualities depending on your network conditions? Answer is Adaptive Bitrate Streaming. But how does this techincally work? In concise way, Adaptive bitrate streaming technology works through the video player which identifies network/buffer conditions and decides which quality segment to request next. The server/CDN usually does not “push” a quality change. It simply serves whatever segment URL the player asks for. But who created those different quality video segment URLs and how do the player get to know about those URLs. This is where MPEG-DASH and HLS comes in. As…

If you are looking to stream your content along with Widevine DRM, chances are that you're bound to come across Shaka player. As an open-source JS library, the Shaka player is widely used for adaptive video streaming. You can play content based on DASH and HLS, without browser plugins, with the help of an Encrypted media extension. Shaka Player is still one of the most used open-source JavaScript players for DASH, HLS, adaptive bitrate streaming, and browser-based DRM playback using EME. Current Shaka Player 4.x releases continue to receive active fixes around HLS, DASH, MIME detection, text tracks, DRM handling,…

Whenever you hit play on a video, whether it’s Netflix, YouTube, a live sports match, or even a video call, something happens quietly in the background that makes sure the video actually reaches you. That “something” is a video streaming protocol. A streaming protocol is basically a set of rules that defines how video and audio data travel across the internet. Think of it like the delivery method for video. It decides how the content is chopped into chunks, how it’s sent, and how it’s reassembled smoothly on your device. Without the right protocol, videos would buffer endlessly, lose quality,…