Streaming Video & Audio
Streaming media refers to media (usually audio and video) that is watched (or listened to) as it is being transmitted. Familiar examples of streaming media are television and radio; on modern digital networks, streaming media includes audio and video stored on servers and accessed through media players that connect to the server but that do not transfer the file to the users' computer.
For educators, streaming media provides access to a large and cataloged collection of media that can be accessed without the need to maintain storage space and the catalog the collection locally. Many streaming media services charge a fee, so teachers must include subscriptions in budget plans. Many school librarians are interested in helping teachers access streaming media as an alternative to developing, cataloging, and maintaining collections of audio and video materials and managing a fleet of audio visual devices. Because of this interest, school librarians are frequently a good local source of information about streaming media services and they may even have subscriptions that are underused by their patrons.
Before using any streaming media with students, educators should ensure the media is compatible with the systems to be used to play the media. There are a number of different media players used to play streaming media, and not all media formats are compatible with all media players and not all media players are compatible with all operating systems. Some streaming media providers even require a proprietary media player be used. This complex situation necessitates teachers preview media on the computers to be used with students.
Resources for streaming media:
- Discovering Education (2006) owns a well-know subscription-based streaming media service for educators known as United Streaming.
- Internet Archive (n.d.)is a site where users can access a large collection of digital media, including audio and video that can be streamed.
Last updated: December 10, 2006