Streaming media is multimedia that is presented to an end user by a streaming content company (or provider). The multimedia is constantly received (meaning it is live-streamed) to the end user. When multimedia is being streamed, the content that is being received can be viewed by the end user before the entire file is done transmitting. The name “streaming media” refers to how the multimedia is viewed as opposed to what form of media it is comprised of. Streaming media has seen an expansive growth over the last few years being used primarily for entertainment, advertisement and marketing. Many organizations make use of streaming media in conjunction with a streaming media player for the purposes of internal communication. This has pushed streaming media to become a necessity for almost every business and organization in the world.

This need for streaming media has sprouted many different companies that offer streaming media for consumers. Examples of these types of companies are Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant Video. This demand by consumers for streaming content and media has led to the development of streaming media devices (for example a streaming media player). A streaming media player that a consumer uses partnered with their television can stream content such as television shows, movies, music, as well as any other type of media that can be streamed. Finding a streaming media player that can stream different popular on demand services (such as Netflix or Apple iTunes) is not hard. There are many streaming media players that can stream the various on demand service providers. It is important to consider which types of streaming media services you want when researching what type of streaming media player you want to purchase. Not all streaming media players can use or play all of the different types of streaming media services that available to consumers. Continue reading →