Streaming video is a sequence of "moving images" that are sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive. Streaming media is streaming video with sound. With streaming video or streaming media, a Web user does not have to wait to download a large file before seeing the video or hearing the sound. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. The user needs a player, which is a special program that uncompresses and sends video data to the display and audio data to speakers. A player can be either an integral part of a browser or downloaded from the software maker's Web site.

Major streaming video and streaming media technologies include RealSystem G2 from RealNetwork, Microsoft Windows Media Technologies (including its NetShow Services and Theater Server), and VDO. Microsoft's approach uses the standard MPEG compression algorithm for video. The other approaches use proprietary algorithms. (The program that does the compression and decompression is sometimes called the codec.) E-Code offers streaming audio at up to 96 Kbps and streaming video at up to 8 Mbps (for the NetShow Theater Server). However, for most Web users, the streaming video will be limited to the data rates of the connection (for example, up to 128 Kbps with an ISDN connection). Our streaming media files are in its Advanced Streaming Format (ASF).

Streaming video is usually sent from prerecorded video files, but can be distributed as part of a live broadcast "feed." In a live broadcast, the video signal is converted into a compressed digital signal and transmitted from a special Web server that is able to do multicast, sending the same file to multiple users at the same time.

The best features of our old system will be kept: free access and the avoidance of anything that disturbs the presenter. But we will:-

• Improve the production values, lighting, and sharpness of the videos to nearly cinematic quality, and make use of available bandwidth.
• Improve the production values, lighting, and sharpness of the videos to nearly cinematic quality, and make use of available bandwidth.
• Greatly improve the indexing and accessibility of the material on the videos
• Make individual DVDs of any lecture available by mail on a low-cost basis.

Fundamental Rules for Web Conferencing: Every technological advance holds the potential to enhance our lives without requiring a radical behavioral change. While webconferencing works within a familiar frame of reference and adds innovation to how we work, here are ten basic rules governing the right way to collaborate, face-to-face, online:

Screenblast Tips and Tricks: In the previous article, we looked at E-Code, an interactive comedy created for Screenblast. Here, you will learn some tips for working with Screenblast and video in general, for the purposes of creating streaming media. Also, E-Code, Director of Content Development for Screenblast, was on hand to explain how to get the most out of their software. He said: "As a result of 'Animate the E-Code,' we're learning that people like to be shown practical ways of doing things, rather than being taught how to fully use something.

Animation Tips & Tricks: Animation is all the rage on the web and is becoming more popular every day. But before you begin to create animations for your site, you need to consider some basic questions, such as: What is the purpose of the animation? What kind of audience do you want to draw? What are you trying to say/promote? Will the animation add interest to your site or detract from it? If you've decided that having an animation will add value and interest to your site, we now move onto other considerations.

Creating Quality Streaming Video: Creating streaming video is one of the fastest growing graphics fields. With the new technology available, virtually any user can create desktop productions. However, there are several things to consider which will ensure quality results.

Adding Flash Interactivity To QuickTime Movies: The Web is an interactive place, and if you're still just streaming static video you're missing out on half the fun. In this brief tutorial,E-Code shows you how to let your users control the action by adding simple Flash controls to your QuickTime movies.

Making Flash Accessible: One of the most important things a new Flash author must learn is how to publish Flash content so that it "gracefully degrades." That is: how do you make sure visitors to your site will be able to see the Flash movies if they have Flash, and if they don't how do you substitute GIFs or JPEGs, plus provide them with the right link to get Flash, all in the same page? This article shows you how.