Articles
What VOD, Streaming, and OTT Mean
by Neha Sharma Digital marketing headEven though
we all hear and even use terms like VOD, Streaming, and OTT, many of us do not
really know what they stand for, their full forms, or even their meanings and
purposes. This can cause confusion that is not at all welcome – especially if
that leads you to mention one thing, when you mean quite the other.
Here are
VOD, Streaming, and OTT explained, in the simplest of terms, for your complete
comprehension and convenience.
VOD
VOD stand
for Video On Demand.
The Collins
English Dictionary defines Video On Demand as ‘an interactive TV system
that allows the viewer to select content and view it at a time of his or her
own choosing.’
This,
however, has a few nuances.
VOD is a
video asset -- which has, along with it, Metadata and Audio -- that is
delivered to consumers to be viewed at their convenience. The general practice
is to deliver VOD to a customer over the internet following his or her direct
request; however, there are also some technologies that ‘push’ videos on demand
content through STB(Set Top Box)s to customers, expecting they would want to
view it. This matter can be sent either over the internet, or some other medium
for distribution.
You see, VOD
does not necessarily have to depend on any one device to reach its viewers. It
can be offered through Smart TVs, Set Top Boxes, as well as Laptops, Tablets,
and, of course, Smartphones.
Though the
internet is the primary mechanism through which VOD services are delivered, VOD
can also be delivered – or ‘streamed’ – from the local device of a consumer in
the format of a File.
The process
of VOD ‘streaming’ is uncomplicated. In most of the cases, the File is
delivered to the consumers in chunky segments. The content is also ‘buffered’
before it is viewed. The consumer’s device stores these segments till the
viewing lasts, after which the segments are removed.
In most of
the cases, a consumer can save a File and view it offline.
There,
however, can be Content Management and Access Rights implemented in certain
situations.
Streaming
The
Cambridge English Dictionary defines ‘streaming’ as
‘the activity of listening to or watching sound or video directly from the internet’ using the
example, ‘NTV Sports now comes with free live streaming
for mobile devices.’
Streaming,
in a different parlance, can be explained as the delivery of VOD content during
the session of viewing – mostly over the internet – upon request.
The
delivery of a ‘live stream’ – such as a sports event – can also be referred to
as ‘streaming’. A ‘live stream’, however, can also be something akin to a
traditional broadcast channel that is simply delivered via the internet.
OTT
OTT
stand for Over The Top.
Investopedia defines OTT as ‘film and television content provided via
a high-speed Internet connection rather than a cable or satellite provider’.
The expression OTT is rooted in the
idea of content being delivered via the internet, though it happens to be
covering several services.
The above can be taken as a
preliminary introduction to the three terms that we have as our subject here.
In case you want to know more about
VOD, Streaming, and OTT, or plan to publish, live stream, or monetize videos, you can always get
in touch with us at Ascentspark
Software for a free consultation or even a demo.
We have a video streaming platform
that can provide a robust, end to end solution for content monetization and
distribution. It combines world class infrastructure and support, plus
cutting-edge technology, to provide the best viewing experience for your
customers. It can also give you robust features to manage and monetize your
content.
Sponsor Ads
About Neha Sharma 
Digital marketing head
50 connections, 0 recommendations, 158 honor points.Joined APSense since, May 11th, 2018, From kolkata, India.
Created on Sep 26th 2019 06:09. Viewed 204 times.
