{"id":10964,"date":"2023-11-27T09:57:30","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T09:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mslive.co.in\/blog\/?p=10964"},"modified":"2023-11-27T10:30:02","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T10:30:02","slug":"livestreaming-server-chennai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mslive.co.in\/blog\/livestreaming-server-chennai\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is HLS Streaming and When Should You Use It [2023 Update]"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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HLS video<\/a> content has become ubiquitous, video streaming formats have adapted. Adobe Flash Player was once the standard, but now HLS videos are the norm. HLS stands for HTTP Live Streaming<\/a>. It is now the most popular video format for delivering video and audio data over the internet. Combined with HTML5 video players, video streams using HLS provide the best quality stream yet.<\/p>

This is good news for both broadcasters and viewers. Firstly, because HTML5 and HLS<\/a> are open specifications, anyone e can modify and access them. Secondly, they\u2019re safer, more reliable and much faster than earlier technologies. Furthermore, HTML5 and HLS live-streaming<\/a> technologies provide distinct advantages for content producers today. If you\u2019re a broadcaster, business or content producer, you need to get up-to-speed on these changes. Whether you\u2019re live broadcasting, event streaming or want to stream live video<\/a> content from your website, ensuring proper viewing across all streaming platforms in the best quality is vital.<\/p>

In this article, we\u2019ll cover the role of HTML5 video streaming with HLS<\/a>. Specifically, we\u2019ll detail the different streaming protocols. By the end, you\u2019ll understand the importance and benefits of HLS streaming<\/a> and how it can help you stream your best content yet.<\/p>

What Is HLS Streaming, and How Does it Work?<\/strong><\/p>

HLS is a live streaming<\/a> protocol that is considered the video delivery \u201ctechnology of now.\u201d<\/p>

HLS stands for HTTP Live Streaming. In short, HLS is a media streaming<\/a> protocol for delivering visual and audio media to viewers over the internet. Apple launched the HTTP live streaming (HLS)<\/a> protocol in the summer of 2009. Apple created the protocol to coincide with the release of the iPhone 3 due to issues with accessing streaming content.<\/p>

The original iPhone and the iPhone 2 had issues accessing video content due to switching between Wi-Fi and mobile networks while people were watching video content. Before Apple released HLS, most early smartphones used Quicktime Streaming Server<\/a> as their media streaming standard. Quicktime was an important tool; however, it used non-standard ports for data transfer, which resulted in firewalls blocking the Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)<\/a> used for the Quicktime streaming server.<\/p>

These limitations, combined with slow internet speeds in smartphones\u2019 early days, resulted in the end of the Quicktime Streaming Server<\/a>.<\/p>

protocols learned from the drawbacks of Quicktime Streaming Services, and the protocol was made so that it wouldn\u2019t get blocked by a firewall. Due to this and many other features, HTTP Live Streaming<\/a> has become one of the most used streaming protocols.<\/p>

Advantages of HLS Video Streaming Over Other Protocols<\/strong><\/p>

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The HLS video streaming<\/a> protocol has a wide range of advantages that make it attractive to broadcasters.<\/p>

In the first half of this article, we covered a major advantage of HLS over other protocols in terms of streaming video<\/a> quality. In particular, broadcasters can deliver streams using the adaptive bitrate process supported by HLS<\/a>. That way, each viewer can receive the best quality stream for their internet connection at any moment.<\/p>

This protocol includes several other key benefits such as:<\/p>