FFWD Weekly
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Technology by Heather Clitheroe Gone are the days of simple graphics and Web content that offers little more than the standards: a little flashing, a scrolling window and audio clips that are downloaded and played back. Information is accessed by a user, viewed and then discarded. It's the old Web – the one most of us are familiar with and see on a daily basis. Static, stationary and stagnant. Streaming media is one of the tools that will, in time, change the way the Internet is viewed, used and enjoyed. As a basic concept, it allows you to see video, listen to information and watch movies or clips without downloading large files and waiting a long time. You've used it if you've ever listened to a radio broadcast on the Internet, watched a trailer for a movie or checked out the Big Brother live broadcasts. It works by making files much more accessible to your computer. Say, for instance, that you'd like to listen to a radio broadcast online. Imagine the broadcast in its entirety as a large bucket, and the information as water inside. You'd like to see it all, but not all at once – you'd have to dump the bucket out, or download the entire file. Streaming media acts a lot like a valve, letting you see what you want a little bit at a time. It "streams" down to you. Your computer accesses the information a little at a time, just ahead of what you're listening to. Small sputters in the quality of the download occur when your connection encounters congestion, but on the whole, the quality is good. You're able to get the same amount of information – all the water in the bucket – without having to have it all at once. Basic media players that enable the user to access information are often free, with periodic upgrades, which increases accessability. As more Internet users increase their bandwidth – with DSL and cable Internet connections – the quality of the sounds and images improves, and their readiness to use streaming media increases. Software developers are discovering that the battle is not over quality. Rather, as they attempt to create a media player that is versatile and able to "see" more types of media, the goal is accessibility. It's a fairly simple idea with a considerable amount of software behind it. But aside from the technological fascinations, streaming media has a major impact on the way we view the Internet. Consider the popularity of the live Internet broadcasts from Big Brother – said to be more popular than the prime-time television show itself. Think about how news and information is conveyed over this medium, and how major films place trailers and clips online. Slowly, the Internet is coming to be seen more and more as a form of entertainment, and one that is interactive and comprehensive – unlike print or visual media like television or newspapers. Given the proliferation of software applications that allow streaming media to be used – everything from small programs to the giants like RealAudio – readers are gradually becoming able to access content in a way that is akin to a strange hybrid of television, film and print. The larger picture? Streaming media may be in its infancy, but it completes the media experience: fast, alive and dynamic. As streaming media continues to grow and become fully integrated into the Internet experience, it's likely that more and more information and entertainment will be available in various formats, each more suited to the individual than the last. Sites that make excellent use of streaming media: · www.ckua.com – uses streaming media to present live music from on-air broadcasts. · www.trailervision.com – humourous and witty trailers for movies that don't exist. · www.bigbrother2000.com – watch incredibly annoying people as they go about their day. Guaranteed to impress the voyeur in all of us. · www.real.com – offers free downloads of Realplayer, popular software that allows you to watch and listen to streaming media.

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