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Smooth Streaming Technical Overview

  • Article
  • 2 minutes to read

by Alex Zambelli

The Smooth Streaming extension for Internet Information Services (IIS) dynamically detects local bandwidth and CPU conditions and seamlessly switches, in near real time, the video quality of a media file that a player receives. Consumers with high-bandwidth connections can experience high definition (HD) quality streaming while others with lower bandwidth speeds receive the appropriate stream for their connectivity, allowing consumers across the board to enjoy a compelling, uninterrupted streaming experience and alleviating the need for media companies to cater to the lowest common denominator quality level within their audience base. The Smooth Streaming Technical Overview provides a comprehensive history, context, introduction, and technical description of Smooth Streaming, including the following specific topics:

  • Introduction

  • A Brief History of Multiple Bit Rate Streaming

    • Windows Media Stream Thinning, MBR and Intelligent Streaming
    • The Shift to HTTP-Based Delivery

  • Content Delivery Techniques

    • Traditional Streaming
    • Progressive Download
    • HTTP-Based Adaptive Streaming

  • Introducing IIS Smooth Streaming

    • Smooth Streaming Playback with Silverlight

  • Smooth Streaming Architecture

    • Introducing the Smooth Streaming Format
    • Smooth Streaming Disk File Format
    • Smooth Streaming Wire File Format
    • Smooth Streaming Media Assets
    • Smooth Streaming Manifest Files
    • Smooth Streaming Playback

To view the Smooth Streaming Technical Overview as a Microsoft Word document, PDF file, or XPS file, visit https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=03d22583-3ed6-44da-8464-b1b4b5ca7520.